Links to individual department course listings can be found through the Undergraduate Catalog.
**Important Course Guide Update for Fall 2022:** Beginning Fall 2022 ESSM, RENR, and WFSC course prefixes, and in some cases, course names will change to reflect the department in which each course now belongs, either the Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology (ECCB) or Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management (RWFM). For a full guide to these courses, visit https://eccb.tamu.edu/new-courses/ .
| ANTH 201 | Introduction to Anthropology. An introduction to the discipline of anthropology through the examination of its four sub-fields: archaeology, physical anthropology, sociocultural anthropology and linguistics. Fall, Spring. Instructor: deRuiter, Gursky-Doyen, Athreya |
| ANTH 312 | Fossil Evidence for Human Evolution. Detailed review of fossil antecedents of humans including theoretical implications for an understanding of human evolution. Prerequisite: ANTH 225 or approval of instructor. Fall. Instructor: de Ruiter, Gursky, Athreya |
| ANTH 405 | Introduction to the Primates. Survey of nonhuman primates from ecological and evolutionary perspectives covering numerous topics including: taxonomy; primate evolution; behavioral observation; reproductive strategies; diet; and conservation. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification. Instructor: Gursky-Doyen |
| ANTH 424 | Evolution, Behavior and Culture. Instructor: Alvard |
| ANTH/BIOL 225 | Biological Anthropology. Fall, Spring. Instructor: de Ruiter, Gursky, Athreya |
| BESC 201 | Introduction to Bioenvironmental Sciences. An introduction to global environmental issues with an emphasis on human impacts and the importance of biological processes. (core curriculum). Fall, Spring. Instructor: Wilkinson, DeWitt |
| BESC 367 | U.S. Enivironmental Regulations. Investigation of the legal infrastructure of the U.S. associated with regulating environmental impacts; examination of major U.S. environmental statutes associated with air and water quality, toxic substances, waste and hazardous substance release, energy and natural resources; review the relationship between U.S. policy and international environmental regulations. May be taken 2 times for credit. Prerequisites: BESC 201 and junior or senior classification. Instructor: Wilkinson |
| BIOL 214 | Genes, Ecology, and Evolution. A genetically-based introduction to the study of ecology and evolution; emphasis on the interactions of organisms with each other and with their environment. Prerequisite: BIOL 112. Fall, Spring. Instructor: Varies |
| BIOL 318 | Chordate Anatomy. Classification, comparison, anatomy, biology and phylogeny of chordates. Animals: Protochordates, fish, amphibia and mammals studied in laboratory. Prerequisites: BIOL 112. Fall. Instructor: Greenbaum |
| BIOL 335 | Invertebrate Zoology. Course includes study of all invertebrate phyla likely to be encountered by the student, with emphasis on local representatives. Systematic relationships, anatomy, comparative physiology, embryological and larval development and natural history are covered. The class includes lecture sessions and a mandatory on-campus laboratory. The laboratory includes examination of preserved material as well as demonstrations of living animals in aquaria or terraria. Prerequisite is introductory biology or an equivalent course. Spring. Instructor: Wicksten |
| BIOL 357 | Ecology. Analysis of ecosystems at organismal, population, interspecific and community levels. BIOL 358 is the laboratory for this lecture course. Prerequisite: BIOL 112 or approval of instructor. Fall, Spring. Instructor: Baumgardner |
| BIOL 358 | Ecology Laboratory. Quantitative analysis of freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, to include data sampling and presentation of results in written and oral formats. Required field trips. Analysis of competition and predator-prey interactions using ecological models. Fall, Spring. Instructor: Baumgardner |
| BIOL 400 | Tropical Ecology in Costa Rica. Advanced field course taught at multiple field stations in Costa Rica emphasizing biological, ecological, natural history and philosophical attributes of tropical ecosystems. Students develop skills needed to plan and conduct a field-orientated research project. Upon completion of the project, students present the results in written and poster formats. Summer. Instructor: Baumgardner |
| BIOL 440 | Marine Biology. An ecological approach to marine biology with emphasis on habitats in the Gulf of Mexico. The laboratory section includes a mandatory weekend field trip to Port Aransas. Students learn the basic principles of local marine habitats and their characteristic inhabitants, as well as use of common techniques of data measurement, collecting and documentation in the natural habitat. On-campus work includes examination of living animals in aquaria and use of our large collection of marine specimens and ecological samples. Fall. Instructor: Wicksten |
| BIOL 466 | Principles of Evolution. Evolutionary patterns, mechanisms and processes at the organismal, chromosomal and molecular levels; modes of adaptation and the behavior of genes in populations. Prerequisite: GENE302 or approval of instructor. Spring. Instructor: Greenbaum |
| BIOL 481 | Introduction to Biogeography. A one hour seminar course, which gives a broad overview of classical biogeography. The course begins with a review of the history and science of biogeography, then covers geologic history of the earth, followed by topics such as species formation and extinction, vicariance and dispersal, and reconstructing the history of lineages. Fall. Instructor: Baumgardner |
| ENTO 201 | Introduction to Entomology. Fall. Instructor: Medina |
| ENTO 301 | Biodiversity and Biology of Insects. An introduction to the orders and most important families of insects, with emphasis on natural history and identification of common and important families. Working with the instructors in extensive, supervised field experiences and lab work, students complete a collection of representative insect families. Spring. Instructor: Wharton, Woolley |
| ENTO 305 | Evolution of Insect Structure. External morphology of insects; evolution of form and function. Fall. Instructor: Wharton |
| ENTO 424 | Insect Ecology. Information at the course is posted at kelab.tamu.edu |
| ENTO 489 | Field Entomology. Field Entomology is designed as a non-traditional, experiential-learning, course centered around the concept of developing and carrying out a small-scale field research project. Fall. Instructor: Oswald. |
| FRSC 304 | Forest Ecology. Life history and general characteristics of trees; structure and function of forest ecosystems; fundamental principles of forest tree physiology and ecology applied to an analysis of tree growth in relation to environmental factors and present day forest management; global changes and forests. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor. |
| GEOG 203 | Planet Earth. Patterns of climate, landforms, and organisms over the earth. Instructor varies. |
| GEOG 324 | Global Climatic Regions. Climatological processes and their consequences for spatial distributions of climates. Spring. Instructor varies. |
| GEOG 330 | Resources and the Environment. Changing demand for land and sea resources; international conditions of population growth, resource depletion and geopolitical control; resource perceptions and decision-making. Fall, Spring. Instructor: Millington, Heyman |
| GEOG 335 | Pattern and Process in Biogeography. Environmental, cultural, and historical influences on the distribution of organisms over the Earth. Emphasis is on ecological biogeography. Fall, Spring. Instructor: Cairns, Lafon |
| GEOG 380 | Workshop in Environmental Studies. Field, laboratory, and library research projects on human-environment problems. Spring. Instructor: Heyman |
| GEOG 411 | Vegetation Response to Climate Change. Basics of contemporary climate change, Holocene vegetation history, modeling future vegetation changes. Instructor: Cairns |
| GEOG 435 | Principles of Plant Geography. Field investigation of vegetation, landforms, and cultural features in the Brazos Valley |
| GEOG 435 | Principles of Plant Geography. Plant distributions and vegetation history or North America. Instructor: Cairns |
| GEOG 450 | Field Geography. Introduction to field methods and observations; field research projects. |
| MATH 469 | Introduction to Mathematical Biology. Introduction to mathematical modeling techniques in the biological sciences; continuous versus discrete models; deterministic versus stochastic models; includes population dynamics and ecology, spread of infectious diseases, population genetics and evolution, spatial pattern formation. |
| OCNG 251 | Introduction to Oceanography. Overview of the ocean environment; interrelation of the subdisciplines of ocean sciences; importance of the oceans to human beings; human impact on the oceans. Honors sections are also available. Prerequisite: Concurrent registration in OCNG 252 if necessary for meeting the 8 credit hour science core curriculum requirement. |
| OCNG 420 | Introduction to Biological Oceanography. Biological aspects of the marine environment; marine organisms; productivity of the sea; marine pollution and fouling; use of the sea. Prerequisites: BIOL 114 or OCNG 251; junior or senior classification |
| RENR 205 | Fundamentals of Ecology. Principles of ecology using a holistic approach treating plants, animals and humans as one integrated whole; composition, structure, nutrient cycles and energetics of biotic communities; adaptations to environmental factors; biotic relationships; and problems of environmental quality and resource use. Instructors: Wu, Briske, Winemiller |
| RENR 215 | Fundamentals of Ecology Laboratory. Sampling and estimating plant-animal populations, measuring environmental factors and recognizing and studying morphological, physiological and behavioral adaptations of plants and animals to biotic or abiotic influences. |
| RLEM 305 | Watershed Analysis and Planning. Provide an integrated framework for watershed planning that addresses the related biophysical, social and economic issues; comprehensive in scope and approach giving students the tools and techniques for developing sound watershed management policy and practice; water issues, problems and regulations for Texas. |
| RLEM 320 | Terrestrial Landscape Restoration. Ecological restoration of wildland landscpes; synthesis of traditional and ecological philosophies toward repair of degraded landscapes; introduction of concepts and technologies useful in the development of natural areas, biological diversity and sustainable wildland ecosystems. |
| RLEM 321 | Field Studies in Ecological Restoration. Field trip course that provides examples, visits and field experiences in ecological restoration; reinforces conceptual basis for ecological restoration principles, alternative strategies for succession management and ecological restoration programs. |
| RLEM 416 | Fire Ecology & Natural Resource Management. Introduction to the major aspects of wildland fire science including theoretical, empirical and practical components of fire research and management in a variety of ecosystems. Through formal lectures, multi-media presentations, assigned readings and group discussions we will cover a broad spectrum of the classic and current scientific fire literature. We will also attempt to provide you with hands-on prescribed burning experiences as circumstances and weather permit. Following successful completion of this course, you should be able to discuss the ecological effects of fire in different ecosystems, identify the factors that control wildland fire behavior, justify the use of prescribed burning, write an acceptable prescribed burning plan, conduct a search for pertinent wildland fire science literature and critically review and analyze research and management endeavors utilizing fire. |
| RLEM 420 | Ecological Restoration of Wetland and Riparian Systems. Steps in ecological restoration include problem identification, restoration design, implementation, and assessment; students in rangeland and other natural resources disciplines will relate fundamentals of ecology to steps in restoration of wetlands and riparian systems through interdisciplinary approaches, case studies, and field trips to restoration sites. |
| RLEM 430 | Advanced Restoration Ecology. Students in natural resources disciplines will practice translating and communicating key ecological concepts to advanced case studies in Ecological Restoration. Such practice shall enhance these skills for professional applications. Students will 1) Relate Restoration Ecology to current management practices and applications; 2) Constructively critique the methods, results and interpretation of scientific publications ;3) Translate and communicate scientific concepts to applications pertinent to restoration practitioners; 4) Demonstrate clear, concise writing suitable for a professional audience; 5) Extend key concepts to solve novel land management problems; 6) Acknowledge novel concepts are often complex and dynamic and that assimilation of new information is a part of lifelong learning |
| VTPB 415 | Immunogenetics and Comparative Immunology. Overview of molecular immunology. Receptor systems. Diversification mechanisms. Evolution of divergent immune systems in unusual life forms. Prerequisites: general immunology (VTPB 409) and genetics (GENE 320) |
| WFSC 201 | Wildlife Conservation and Management. Introduction to ecological principles used to conserve and manage wildlife and fisheries resources. Specific topics include historical problems and the roots of conservation, important legislation, major threats to biodiversity, approaches to solving conservation problems, and societal and ethical aspects of conservation. |
| WFSC 300 | Dominica Study Abroad Courses in Tropical Field Ecology. Integration of principles of animal and plant ecology with environmental factors to characterize wildlife populations. Intensive analysis of specific areas will emphasize either the development of a wildlife management plan or a general vertebrate natural history survey. Prerequisite: Prior approval of instructor. |
| WFSC 311 | Ichthyology. Introduction to the study of fishes, their biology, classification, evolution, distribution, ecology and economic importance. |
| WFSC 315 | Herpetology. Evolutionary ecology of reptiles and amphibians and conservation biology of the major groups; labs concentrate on the global diversity of herps and the herpetofauna of Texas; foundation for students in wildlife science and biology; two overnight field trips and one day trip are required. |
| WFSC 316 | Field Herpetology. Field work involving collection and preservation of herpetological specimens; natural history, ecological relations. |
| WFSC 327 | Introduction to Wildlife Diseases. Basic mechanisms of diseases as they occur in wildlife populations; interplay of habitat requirements, individual physiological requirements and disease producing mechanisms of varied wildlife species |
| WFSC 401 | General Mammalogy. (2-3). Credit 3. I, II Mammalian biology; evolution, classification, biogeography, reproduction, physiology, ecology, and behavior; focuses on basic concepts necessary for a foundation in both wildlife science and biology. Prerequisites: WFSC 302 or BIOL 318; junior classification. |
| WFSC 403 | Animal Ecology. Concepts of animal ecology which emerge at various levels of organization; the ecosystem, the community, the population and the individual; laboratories emphasis on the quantitative analysis of field data and the simulation of population dynamics. Prerequisites: WFSC201 and RENR 205 or approval of instructor; junior classification.* |
| WFSC 410 | Principles of Fisheries Management. Basic knowledge from ichthyology, biology of fishes and limnology related to applied aspects of freshwater and marine fishery science. Management techniques applicable to streams, ponds, reservoirs, estuaries and the oceans. Prerequisites: WFSC 311 and 414; STAT 302 or concurrent enrollment; or approval of instructor.* |
| WFSC 422 | Ethology. (WFSC 422/632) – 3-hour upper-level undergraduate/graduate course which is available both on-campus (web-assisted) and web-based. This course will explore the “science behind the myths” of animal behavior in natural settings. Diverse examples are organized in four parts of the course: Animal Minds, Social, Mating & Physical. Throughout each of these parts, the following concepts will be clarified: Cause, Development, Evolution & Function. Inquiry activities engage participants in the scientific method and positive problem solving. |
| WFSC 481/506 | Reading Recent Papers in Ecology. Discussion of recent papers in ecology |
| ZOOL/BIO 335 | Invertebrate Zoology. Morphology, taxonomy, natual history and phylogeny of invertebrate animals, with emphasis on biodiversity; class includes both lecture and lab. Labs include study of preserved material and demonstration of living animals in aquaria and terraria. Prerequisite: BIOL 112 or approval of instructor. |
