Doctor of Philosphy in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology

Students seeking a Ph.D. degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Brown choose an EEB faculty advisor within their area of specialization. Students benefit from the wide range of interests of faculty members within the department, as well as from interactions with members of other programs and departments within the University, especially the graduate programs in Molecular and Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Physiology, Neuroscience, Applied Mathematics, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Engineering, and Computer Science. Independent research begins early in the graduate program, which is designed to prepare students for careers in higher education and research in either academic or non-academic settings. Each student develops a flexible course of preparation individually arranged to meet his or her specific needs. In addition to course work, students receive much of their training through seminars and colloquia. Seminars each semester address topics of particular interest to current graduate students, and weekly colloquia in each of the graduate programs on campus give students contact with visiting scientists from a wide variety of disciplines.

Entering students typically have a background in biology or related disciplines. Although there are no rigid prerequisites, successful applicants will usually have taken as a minimum one course in each of ecology, evolution, organismal or comparative biology, cell and molecular biology, and a course in biostatistics. Deficiencies in these areas may be remedied by course work and independent reading, as determined in the initial Advisory Committee meetings in the first semester of a student’s graduate program.

Regarding TOEFL, the recommended minimum score for admission consideration is 577 on the paper-based test and 90 on the Internet-based test. For IELTS, the recommended minimum overall band score is 7.