University of Chicago

The Graduate Program in Ecology & Evolution trains students in the ecological and evolutionary processes that underlie patterns of life on earth. The program is managed by the Department of Ecology and Evolution, which has a long and distinguished history. Students conduct research at all levels of biological organization, from gene regulation to entire ecosystems, working in laboratories or in the field on a variety of organisms and ecological communities. The theoretical underpinnings of the research are greatly emphasized, and students receive training in the most recent and powerful methods for the mathematical, statistical and computational analysis of biological data.

The focus is on the importance of basic science and on the sound application of research to a variety of problems---from the use of genetically-modified organisms in agriculture to the effects of global climate change on the spread of infectious diseases. Interdisciplinary research is the rule, rather than the exception, as testified by the fact that most of the faculty also hold appointments in other Departments and Institutes. The alumni of the program went on to successful careers in a variety of sectors, including academic research, teaching positions, NGOs, personal genomics, policy, and biotech.