FAQs

Both program directors coordinate the minor in E3B. If your interests coincide broadly with ecology and evolution, speak with Dr. Palmer. If you a more curious about the narrower sphere of EBHS, even if you want to take a range of courses in the department, speak with Dr. Shapiro.  If you are not sure, don’t worry, you can speak with either or both of them.

See Courses.

See Undergraduate Research.

Absolutely! See Community/Extracurriculars.

This course, offered every spring, is a great way to get a sense of the breadth and depth of research within E3B.  It is a 1point P/F course that offers students the opportunity to meet with a different E3B faculty member each week and to learn about their research.  It is limited to first and second-year students (those who have not yet declared their majors).  It is not required for either program.  

Yes. Students in both EB and EBHS can transfer up to 12 points from a previous institution and/or study abroad.  The major advisors will generally require syllabi to make sure that the courses are appropriate for the major and/or equivalent of some requirement.

Credits can only count if initially approved by the admissions committee of the respective college.

Yes. Students may transfer a maximum of two courses from another institution or from study abroad toward the minor. There are no relevant AP courses for transfer credit.

[AP credit can count toward the number of points required for graduation, but it does not count towards fulfillment of the major/minor or science requirement.]

Yes. Students are encouraged to explore study abroad opportunities whether field or institution based. A maximum of 12 credits (study abroad and/or transfer) can be applied to either major. Speak with the Directors of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Matt Palmer and Dr. Jill Shapiro, before travel to discuss course options and how they might fulfill program requirements. E3B offers a class in Tropical Biology which is taught in Kenya in January, but listed as a fall class since Columbia does not have a formal January term. Students interested in this program can email Professor Dustin Rubenstein.

Yes! See Field Courses.

We think hands-on learning is an integral part of your experience in E3B. In addition to the E3B Tropical Biology in Kenya Program, there are courses such as Forest Ecology and Field Botany and Plant Systematics that have substantial field components. Other courses such as Insect Diversity, Ichthyology, Explorations in Primate Anatomy, Urban Ecology, and Design, and Herpetology have integrated lab components, some taking place at the American Museum of Natural History.

Tropical Biology in Kenya Program is a 16-day global immersion experience held during winter break. It gives students the opportunity to study ecology, evolution and environmental biology in one of the world’s most biologically spectacular settings, the wildlife-rich savannas of Kenya. Based at Princeton’s Mpala Research Centre in central Kenya, students will also travel across Kenya to places such as the forested slopes of Mt. Kenya, the wildlife-rich savannas of Laikipia, and the agricultural communities of western Kenya.  

Students register for the course in the fall.

It is recommended, but not required that students have previously taken a science class prior to enrolling in the program. The program is open to Columbia, GS, and Barnard juniors in good academic standing. Students will receive Columbia credits for all courses in the program.

Note that there is a lab fee to cover all in-country expenses, and students are also responsible for the cost of airfare to and from Kenya.

Yes. There are courses you can take both within and outside of E3B. Keep in mind though that most are introductory offerings UN1000 level, intended for those fulfilling the science requirement so not all fulfill major requirements for EB or EBHS. Still, there is usually at least one upper-level course. Students can also explore courses in other departments such as DEES, Statistics, and Psychology. Be sure to consult with your major advisor to make sure they are appropriate. 

Our foundation courses, UN2001 Environmental Biology I (EB1), UN2002 Environmental Biology II (EB2), UN1010 Human Origins and Evolution (HO&E) and UN1011 Behavioral Biology of Living Primates are taught every year, as are statistics for E3B and conservation biology. The rest of our offerings are typically taught every other year. This allows us as a small department to offer a broader range of courses. See What We Teach for information about annual and biennial offerings.

Departmental honors are awarded to no more than 10%, or, in small departments, one member, of the graduating majors (including all October, February, and May degrees).

As a relatively small department, the College allows E3B is to award one departmental honor in EB and one in EBHS. General Studies follows a similar pattern though in the past, they have allowed up to two for each program. 

E3B departmental requirements are the same for both programs: A grade point average of at least 3.6 in major courses and a senior thesis of high quality. In addition, the department considers overall caliber of academic work. Nominations are made to the respective schools who review academic and disciplinary standing before confirming the granting of honors.

These honors are decided by separate committees at Columbia College and General Studies.

Students may not apply nor may they solicit instructors for recommendations. Faculty are generally not part of this process though in some years the committees reach out to the Directors of Undergraduates Studies.

For more see: Latin Honors, Phi Beta Kappa, Valedictorian /Salutatorian

The classes in for the Physical Science requirement (chemistry, environmental science, or physics) are all taught in other departments. The classes for the quantitative requirements (math, statistics, and computer science) can be completed with classes from those departments, although E3B does teach some classes which can satisfy these requirements.

You must take 9 points of a physical science requirement for the major, but you can choose which courses to take. All three of these fields provide a useful foundation for the major, but we allow students to choose to focus on particular interests. Some professional and graduate schools will have specific admissions requirements, so speak with your major advisor or pre-professional advisor if you have questions about how to prepare.

Almost all Environmental Biology majors complete a thesis and it is strongly recommended, though not required. Most students take the first semester of our thesis research seminar class (EEEB UN3991/UN3992) in the spring of their third year, which culminates in a formal thesis proposal. Students then complete a summer research internship (funded by the department) in the summer between the third and fourth year. They then take the second semester of the thesis research seminar in the fall, which culminates in the thesis. This timeline is flexible. Some students complete an academic-year based thesis with no summer internship completely during their senior year. Some students begin the thesis process in the fall of their third year so they can study abroad junior spring. Some students start junior spring and complete the summer internship but then delay writing the thesis until their senior spring to allow more time for analysis or to accommodate other academic plans. The senior thesis is often considered to be a highlight of the major. Professor Palmer typically meets with the majors in November or early December of their junior year to discuss finding research mentors and projects.

Students who undertake primary research with a research mentor are eligible for funding from the E3B department. These funds are typically used to cover research expenses in the summer between junior and senior year. To be eligible for funding, students must have a mentor and research project and be making good progress in development of thesis proposal.  Students enrolled in the spring term Thesis Research Seminar class (EEEB 3992) and making good progress are automatically considered eligible for funding. CC and GS both offer up to $250 stipends to fund expenses associated with a senior theses, which can be used to supplement the departmental fund and are usually applied for in the senior year.

The answer depends on the area you want to study. Students interested in professional schools (e.g,, medicine, veterinary medicine, public health) should consider the common admissions requirements for these schools. Students interested in graduate programs in biology should consider completing two semesters of chemistry, two semesters or physics, and two semesters of calculus. Some biology graduate programs will also require two semesters of organic chemistry. Many graduate programs in our field (ecology, evolutionary biology, conservation biology, wildlife science, environmental policy, etc.) very in their admissions requirements, so it is hard to say exactly what courses to take unless one has a specific program in mind. In general, the structure of the major has allowed many of our graduates to pursue graduate degrees in a wide range of fields.

The major in environmental biology prepares students for a wide range of careers. See Careers for the range of fields pursued by our alumni. They range from academia and health professions to law, teaching, business and the arts.  

See the list of courses from relevant spheres. Those with an asterisk count for all students. Others may count depending on your individual focus. If there is a course that is not on the list, don’t hesitate to submit a syllabus for review.

No, while we think both are great foundations, neither is required. If you are considering graduate study in general biological anthropology we recommend a year of biology (EB1/EB2) or the sequences at either Barnard or Columbia. If your focus is in the realm of forensics, then chemistry is recommended instead. Graduate programs vary in the stringency of these requirements.  

You can count up to 6 points (in any combination) of intro biology/chemistry/physics/calculus toward general points for the EBHS major.

Yes. A course can fulfill a breadth distribution requirement, count for bioanthro points and also fulfill the seminar requirement. For example, Current Controversies in Primate Behavior, is a seminar, counts for bioanthro points and fulfills the behavioral ecology breadth distribution.

Yes. The EBHS senior thesis is optional. It can be undertaken in fall/spring of the senior year. Students earn 3 points for each term, for a total of 6 bioanthro points. This also fulfills the seminar requirement. The thesis can be primary or secondary (library researched base). Research can take place during the preceding summer or senior year. Students focused on primary research can participate in the EB/DEES/SusDev/Barnard Environmental Science senior thesis seminar instead, either spring junior year/fall senior year or the traditional full senior year. When the cohort is small, less than 4, students will be encouraged to take the EB thesis seminar though in some years, it may run even if small.

Yes. CC and GS both offer up to $250 funding for senior theses. In addition, students who undertake primary research with a research mentor are eligible for funding from the E3B department (identical to the EB thesis students). These funds can be used for research in the preceding summer or during senior year. A proposal and agreement by your research mentor is necessary to apply. Research mentors can be from the department, from our affiliated institutions or even national or international scholars.

Archaeology is a sister field to biological anthropology. At many institutions they are studied together, either as a pair or as part of the four-field approach. As such, it is important for students to understand the perspective of this field. Students can do so by learning the theoretical foundations in a course such as Think Like An Archaeologist, or is a variety of other courses such as Corpse Life, Archaeology Engaged or Neandertal Alterities. Nearly all archaeology courses at Barnard and Columbia fulfill this requirement. Exceptions are courses such as Rise of Civilization and Thing Theory.

No. These courses approach human evolution from the perspective of different fields with roughly 1/3 overlapping. Some students find this too repetitive; others enjoy revisiting the material through a different lens. Critically though, if taken at the same time there is typically confusion about the material required by the respective instructors. A high percentage of students relayed this problem so if you are interested in both do not take them at the same time.

The answer depends on the area you want to study. In general, those interested in graduate study in biological anthropology should have a year of biology, genetics and statistics. Statistics is recommended for graduate study whatever your specific field of interest. It is best to speak with Dr. Jill Shapiro, the EBHS Director of Undergraduate studies as she can give you individualized advice.

Anything you want. This is not said flippantly. We believe that the interdisciplinary nature of this field, bridging the natural and social sciences, prepares students for the intellectual challenges of an array of fields. See Careers for the range of fields pursued by our alumni. They range from academia and health professions to law, teaching, business and the arts.