ecology

How to Choose Your Path

You’ll choose what you study to earn a Bachelor’s degree that’s meaningful to you. Some students decide their programs as they go, while others chart their course in advance.

Aim for both breadth and depth; explore fields that may be related or that may seem very distant. You'll be surprised at what you discover.

If you're new to college, look for programs where you can gain a foundation, build key skills, and broaden your knowledge (FR only, FR-SO, or FR-SR).

If you already have a foundation in this field, look for programs with intermediate or advanced material (SO-SR, JR-SR, or FR-SR). These programs may include community-based learning and in-depth research. Some of these programs have specific prerequisites; check the description for details.

Talk to an academic advisor to get help figuring out what coursework is best for you.

Planned offerings for 2018–19
Class Standing Quarters Offered Credits
Birds: Inside and Out JR-SR
  • Winter
 16
Caring for a Living Planet: Ecology and Ethics SO-SR
  • Fall
 8
Ecological Agriculture: The Science, Justice, and Policy of Food Systems SO-SR
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Spring
 16
Ecology of Grazing and Grasslands in the Pacific Northwest FR-SR
  • Spring
 16
Ecology of Harmful Algal Blooms SO-SR
  • Fall
 16
Forests and Farms: The Systems that Sustain Us FR-SO
  • Fall
  • Winter
 16
Introduction to Environmental Studies FR-SO
  • Fall
  • Winter
 16
Invertebrate Zoology JR-SR
  • Winter
  • Spring
 16
Models in Biology SO-SR
  • Winter
 8
Practice of Organic Farming FR-SR
  • Spring
 16
Practice of Organic Farming: Culture and Agriculture FR-SR
  • Summer
 16
Practice of Organic Farming: Culture and Agriculture (Fall) FR-SR
  • Fall
 16
Riding the Carbon Cycle from the Mountains to the Sea SO-SR
  • Winter
  • Spring
 16
Student-Originated Studies: Food and Agriculture SO-SR
  • Fall
 16
Student-Originated Studies: Food and Agriculture SO-SR
  • Winter
 16
Student-Originated Studies: Mycology JR-SR
  • Winter
  • Spring
 16
Symbiosis JR-SR
  • Spring
 16
Taxonomy and Ecology of Pollinating Insects FR-SR
  • Summer
 8
The Fungal Kingdom JR-SR
  • Fall
 16
What Are Trees For? Forest Ecology and Resource Conflicts FR-SR
  • Spring
 8
Planned offerings for 2019–20
Class Standing Quarters Offered Credits
Deserts JR-SR
  • Winter
 16
Ecological and Environmental Economics JR-SR
  • Winter
 16
Ecological Dynamics SO-SR
  • Spring
 16
Ecology, Genetics, and Biodiversity of Riparian Ecosystems JR-SR
  • Fall
 16
Field Ecology JR-SR
  • Spring
 16
Forests JR-SR
  • Fall
 16
Foundations of Ecology FR-SR
  • Fall
 8
General Biology: Cells, Populations, and Ecosystems FR-SR
  • Winter
  • Spring
 16
Introduction to Environmental Studies: Water FR-SO
  • Fall
 16
Island Ecology and Evolution JR-SR
  • Fall
 16
Picturing Plants JR-SR
  • Spring
 16
Plant Chemical Ecology: The Secret Life of Plants JR-SR
  • Winter
 16
Practice of Organic Farming: Culture and Agriculture (Fall) FR-SR
  • Fall
 16
Practice of Organic Farming: Entrepreneurial Culture and Agriculture FR-SR
  • Spring
 16
Snow Ecology SO-SR
  • Winter
 16
Student-Originated Studies: Food and Agriculture SO-SR
  • Winter
 16