Fall 2020 Courses
BIL 610 Lab Group Meeting (1 credit)
Weekly seminar meeting for discussion of research projects and other academic issues in
graduate faculty research laboratories.
BIL 612 Graduate Core I (3 credits)
Foundations of genome structure and how the information encoded in genomes is regulated by intrinsic and extrinsic factors during development and evolution. Major topics include genome structure, gene regulation, cells, development, physiology and EvoDevo.
BIL 616 Professional Skills I (1 credit)
Training and development in the skills necessary to become an accomplished professional scientist. Instruction on preparation, submission, and review of manuscripts; viewing and attending poster sessions; presenting scientific talks; communicating effectively with colleagues, lab partners, and the student's principal investigator.
BIL 618 Advanced Biostatistics (4 credits)
This course will provide an overview of statistical analyses needed to understand, present, and publish biological research. Examples will primarily be drawn from the biomedical and ecological fields. The course will begin with a review of descriptive statistics, probability theory, and univariate distributions, followed by an overview of experimental design and analysis of categorical data using contingency tables.This will be followed by a unit on parametric analysis of univariate data including both simple and multiple linear regression, model selection, and analysis of variance. The final unit will cover non-parametric versions of these analyses and more advanced multivariate statistical methods. Lectures will be accompanied by a computer lab in which students learn hands-on statistical analysis in SAS JMP.
Requisite: Graduate Standing.
BIL 645 Developmental Biology (3 credits)
A study of the process by which a fertilized egg gives rise to a multicellular organism with organs, tissues and cell types that are structurally and functionally distinct and are arranged in a characteristic three¬ dimensional body plan. This course will take a comparative approach using invertebrate and vertebrate models to cover the current understanding of the cellular, molecular and genetic mechanisms that regulate the development of animals. Evolutionary mechanisms and the biomedical relevance of developmental biology will be emphasized.
BIL 650 The Biology of Symbiosis (3 credits)
Symbiosis, interactions between species that live in close physical association, in particular those between microbes and multicelluar eukaryotic hosts is fundamental to almost all aspects of biology. Building discipline specific knowledge about symbiosis. The course includes engagement with the scientific literature as a professional researcher, and development of foundational skills for presentation and synthesis of scientific information in visual, oral and written form.
BIL 668 Evolution and development of Nervous Systems (3 credits)
Mechanisms/pathways/modules underlying formation of the nervous system during embryo development. How some properties of nervous systems have resisted change while others have diverged dramatically during evolution.
BIL 675 Advanced Study in Plant or Animal Sciences (1-6 credits)
Content of course will vary by semester. Content in any semester will be expressed as course subtitle. Topics: Teaching Assistant, Music in the Brain, Models Pop Comm Ecology, Stem Cells and Genomics, Biology of Cancer, Intro to Python Programming’ Bio of chocolate tea & coffee, and Biomedical Data Science.
BIL 810 Master's Thesis. (1-6 credits)
The student working on their Master's thesis enrolls for credit, in most departments not to exceed six, as determined by the student's advisor. May be regarded as full time residence.
BIL 820 Research in Residence - Master's Thesis (1 credit)
Used to establish research in residence for the thesis for the Master's degree after the student has enrolled for the permissible cumulative total in BIL810 (usually six credits). Credit not granted. May be regarded as full time residence.)
BIL 830 Doctoral Dissertation (1-12 credits)
Required of all candidates for the Ph.D .. The student will enroll for credit as determined by their advisor. Not more than 12 credits of BIL830 may be taken in a regular semester, nor more than six credits in a summer session. May be regarded as full time residence.
BIL 840 Post-Candidacy Doctoral Dissertation (1-12 credits)
Required of all candidates for the Ph.D. who have advanced to candidacy. The student will enroll for credit as determined by their advisor. Not more than 12 credits of BIL840 may be taken in a regular semester, nor more than six credits in a summer session. May be regarded as full time residence.
BIL 850 Research in Residence (1 credit)
Used to establish research in residence for the Ph.D., after the student has been enrolled for the permissible cumulative total in appropriate doctoral research. May be regarded as full time residence.
Spring 2021 Courses
BIL 611 Lab Group Meeting (1 credit)
Weekly seminar meeting for discussion of research projects and other academic issues in graduate faculty research laboratories.
BIL 613 Graduate Core II (3 credits)
Foundations of key ecological and evolutionary theory. Major topics in Ecology include population, community, physiological and ecosystem ecology. Major topics in Evolution include principles of natural selection, speciation, biodiversity, population genetics, neutral theory, molecular evolution, phylogenetics, and systematics.
BIL 633 Conservation Biology (3 credits)
Challenges facing conservation practitioners and the toolkit that has been developed to face them. Distribution and value of biodiversity, threats to biodiversity, and methods that have been developed to face these threats at both species and landscape levels. Government implementation of conservation strategies.
BIL 656 Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics (3 credits)
The evolution of genomes, and the ecological interactions that drive their evolution.
BIL 661 High Altitude Biology and Medicine (3 credits)
High altitude biology and medicine: Mechanisms of hypoxia resistance influencing the requirement to match oxygen supply and demand throughout the oxygen cascade. Topics draw from genomics, integrated physiology, population genetics, biochemistry, gene expression, evolution, and alpine medicine. Taxonomic examples from the literature will include humans, other mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.
BIL 665 Evolution and Development (3 credits)
Exploration of the relationship between common descent and biological diversity, principally changes in organismal development through time.
BIL 675 Advanced Study in Plant or Animal Sciences (1-6 credits)
Content of course will vary by semester. Content in any semester will be expressed as course subtitle.
BIL 678 Current Topics in Biological Research – DVP (1 credit)
Content will vary by semester. Readings and discussions with eminent scholars temporarily resident in the department's Distinguished Visiting Professor program.
BIL 810 Master's Thesis. (1-6 credits)
The student working on their Master's thesis enrolls for credit, in most departments not to exceed six, as determined by the student's advisor. May be regarded as full time residence.
BIL 820 Research in Residence - Master's Thesis (1 credit)
Used to establish research in residence for the thesis for the Master's degree after the student has enrolled for the permissible cumulative total in BIL810 (usually six credits). Credit not granted. May be regarded as full time residence.
BIL 830 Doctoral Dissertation (1-12 credits)
Required of all candidates for the Ph.D .. The student will enroll for credit as determined by their advisor. Not more than 12 credits of BIL830 may be taken in a regular semester, nor more than six credits in a summer session. May be regarded as full time residence.
BIL 840 Post-Candidacy Doctoral Dissertation (1-12 credits)
Required of all candidates for the Ph.D. who have advanced to candidacy. The student will enroll for credit as determined by their advisor. Not more than 12 credits of BIL840 may be taken in a regular semester, nor more than six credits in a summer session. May be regarded as full time residence.
BIL 850 Research in Residence (1 credit)
Used to establish research in residence for the Ph.D., after the student has been enrolled for the permissible cumulative total in appropriate doctoral research. May be regarded as full time residence.
