Undergraduate – Frequently Asked Questions

To make an appointment, please CLICK HERE. 

All appointments will be in 20-minute increments. Appointments will be conducted via Zoom and in-person. 

  1. Sign in to MyUCLA using your UCLA Logon ID and Password
  2. Click on the “Academics” tab > Find the “Advising and Academic Services” column > Click on “Appointments”
  3. Click on “Create an Appointment”
  4. Select “Ecology and Evolutionary Biology” from the “Organization” drop down menu
  5. Choose your preferred appointment, in person or via Zoom, and search through the available time slots
  6. To streamline this process, CLICK HERE

 

Undergraduate counselors (Jessica Angus and Wendy Ramos) will be available for appointments during the following hours: 

Monday-Friday:
9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

Undergraduate counselors (Jessica Angus and Wendy Ramos) will be available for in-person DROP-IN hours to address quick questions and concerns in Hershey Hall 101 during the following hours:

Tuesday 1:30 – 3:30 PM

Thursday 1:30 – 3:30 PM

Friday 9:30 – 11:30 AM

Schedule an appointment for the following: 

  • Academic standing in the major 
  • Departmental Evaluations 

Utilize our Message Center for any other questions, such as major/minor declarations or petitions.

  1. Major Change and/or Minor Declaration Requests: 10-15 business days (Effective Spring quarter, March 29, 2021).Our office will only accept requests via Message Center during the following weeks of the quarter:
    • Fall/Winter/Spring Quarters: Weeks 0 – 3; 8 – Finals Week
    • Summer Sessions: any time

    Students must be in good academic standing (i.e., not on Academic Probation or Subject to Dismissal) in order to be approved for the major change.

    Pre-Requisites for the Majors (Biology; Ecology, Behavior and Evolution; Marine Biology):

    Freshman Admits

    • Completion of Life Sciences 7B with a grade of C- or better
    • Enough units to complete the major without exceeding your current unit maximum
    • Successful completion of latest attempt of a Life Science Core Curriculum course (C- or better)

    Transfer Admits

    • Must have been accepted as a student in department within the Division of Life Sciences
    • Completion of Life Sciences 7B with a grade of C- or better
    • Enough units to complete the major without exceeding your current unit maximum
    • Successful completion of latest attempt of a Life Science Core Curriculum course (C- or better)

    *It is recommended that some lower division courses be completed before arriving to UCLA.

    Pre-Requisites for the Minors (Conservation Biology; Evolutionary Medicine)

    Pre-Requisites for the Minors:

    Conservation Biology

    • Completion of Life Sciences 7B with a grade of C or better
    • Completion of EEB 100 with a grade of C or better
    • Completion of EEB 116 or Environment 121 with a grade of C or better
    • Enough units to complete the minor with exceeding your current unit maximum

    Evolutionary Medicine

    • Completion of Life Sciences 7B with a grade of C or better
    • Completion of EEB 100 with a grade of C or better
    • Completion of EEB 120 or EEB 185 with a grade of C or better
    • Enough units to complete the minor with exceeding your current unit maximum

Join our BruinLearn to get all the latest information about all things EEB. This includes new course offerings, research opportunities, and FBQ?MBQ applications.

  • All Life Science Core Curriculum courses (major preparation) must be passed with a grade of C- or better
  • Students receiving a grade below C- in two LS Core Curriculum courses, either in separate courses or repetitions of the same course, are subject to dismissal from the major.
  • Students who receive a third grade below C- in the LS Core Curriculum will be dismissed from the major.

Students can use the MyUCLA Degree Audit feature to track progress toward the degree. Any time prior to graduation, a student may request a review of degree progress. Official degree checks detail requirements remaining to complete the bachelor’s degree.

– PTE numbers are not distributed due to TA work load concerns, space, and fairness to all students in the enrollment process.
– If a course is open and you are within the College’s window of time to add courses via MyUCLA, please refer to the online enrollment system.
– Effective Fall 2018 and forward, discussion/lab section switches will not be done during Weeks 1 & 2. If you and a fellow classmate would like to switch sections, you will need to do so on your own.

– If a course is closed and there is an established wait list, that will be the only way students will be able to wait list in a course. Please be advised a spot on a wait list does not guarantee enrollment in a course. The only way to get enrolled is if a student drops from the course and you automatically get enrolled.

If you have difficulty enrolling in a class that is not an EE BIOL course and require assistance, please contact the department that offers the course.

– For example, Life Science courses → Life Sciences Core Curriculum Office; Chemistry courses → Chemistry department
– Transfer students: Please be aware that the enrollment system may not allow you to enroll in classes if you took the pre-requisite(s) at another school.

Applications are available online, usually one year in advance. An email announcement is sent through the EEB Undergraduate BruinLearn and is also posted on EEB website. For more information CLICK HERE.

Pre-requisites: May differ for each field quarter based on location and instructors.

Selection: A select number of applicants is invited to be interviewed by the instructors leading the program. Fifteen students are chosen to participate.

There a limited number of scholarships available for students participating in the field quarters (FBQ, FMBQ, and MBQ). Accepted students are invited to apply for these scholarships.

Students in all majors may request to have courses evaluated for equivalency for upper division major requirements. Send your request to MESSAGE CENTER with the following information: your full name, UID, major, and category you would like to apply the course (e.g., Biology, Category 5), and the SYLLABUS from the course that you are petitioning.

Students in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology may qualify for DEPARTMENTAL HONORS at graduation if they fulfill the following criteria:

  • Have a cumulative (overall) grade point average (GPA) of 3.400 or above.
  • Have a global (upper division major) GPA of 3.400 or above.

Students in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology may qualify for HIGHEST DEPARTMENTAL HONORS at graduation if they fulfill the following criteria:

  • Have a cumulative GPA of 3.600 or above.
  • Have a global GPA of 3.600 or above.
  • Have completed EE BIOL 198A and EE BIOL 198B with a full-time faculty member in the EE BIOL department.

Students can start research at any time they wish, as long as they have a lab to work in. We recommend that students take on research after they have been at UCLA for a couple of quarters. For many, this is around their 2nd – 4th year.

Students usually find their faculty mentors through classes they take, i.e., their professors. Who you choose to contact depends on your interest. Take the time to identify faculty members on campus whose research is of interest to you. If you had a positive learning experience in one of your classes, you may want to ask your professor if he/she is accepting undergraduates to their lab. You may also want to consult your teaching assistants about finding a research position on campus.

Interested in doing research with a faculty member from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology? You can go on our EEB website to get the names and contact information of faculty who are currently available as research mentors.

The Annual Research Symposium provides an excellent opportunity for faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates to present their work and informally discuss the research that is taking place within the Department. The Symposium consists of a Poster Session and Seminar given by a department alumnus/a. It is held in Spring Quarter. Submissions for participation are usually in mid-March, and students are notified whether they are approved to participate in April. There is a judged Poster Session where prizes are awarded in two (2) different categories: Undergraduate and Graduate. Judges for the Poster Session are specially invited departmental alumni/-ae.

The annual EEB Commencement Celebration is usually on the Sunday of Commencement Weekend at the end of Spring Quarter. Students are required to submit their RSVP and ticket orders for all Commencement ceremonies they plan to participate in (including the College ceremony as well as the EEB ceremony) via MyUCLA during a designated ordering period, which is usually from late-April to mid-May. Information is posted on the general Commencement website (www.commencement.ucla.edu) as well as on the EEB webpage, in the Undergraduate section.

The University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) is the official, system-wide study abroad program for the University of California. UCEAP is partnered with 115 universities worldwide and offers programs in 42 countries. These UC-approved programs combine immersive learning with engaging activities. UCEAP students enroll in courses abroad while earning UC units and maintaining UCLA student status. Many programs offer internships, research, and volunteer opportunities. Check out their website here.

The EEB Undergraduate Association (UA) is a student-run organization, comprised of current UCLA students who are part of EEB. The UA has a number of activities throughout the academic year, e.g., Mentor-Mentee program, Lunch with EEB Faculty, fundraisers. Members of the UA’s Student Leadership Council also represent the department at functions such as Bruin Day. You are encouraged to visit the EEB UA’s Instagram

PASS/NO PASS GRADING OPTION FOR SPRING 2020 – SUMMER 2021 ONLY

  • Students have the option to take EEB courses (e.g. EEB 100) for a letter grade or Pass/No Pass. This grading option, Student Option (SO), has been updated in the system.
    • Student have the option to change their grading basis without a petition up until Friday of Week 9.
  • Students in our majors and minors are approved to complete requirements (lower and upper division) with a “Pass” grade.
  • If you are considering changing the grading basis for your courses toward your degree requirements from the Letter Grade to Pass/No Pass option, it is important to take the following points into consideration:
    • A grade of “Pass” has no effect on the GPA, but can fulfill requirements.
    • A grade of “No Pass” (NP) is based on receiving a cumulative grade in a course equivalent to a C- or below, and it does not fulfill requirements.
  • Reminder that this policy has and continues to be a quarter-by-quarter basis.
  • Reminder that a grade of Pass meets requirements (major and minor) during the University-designated quarter.

The correct department to contact would be your main College counseling unit: College Academic Counseling; Academic Advancement Program, Honors, or Athletics.

You can check which is your main counseling unit by going to your DARS on the right-hand side. For example:

For information on enrolling in an EEB contract course, visit: eeb.ucla.edu/undergraduate/contract-courses/

To see the admission requirements for transfer students, visit: eeb.ucla.edu/undergraduate/admissions-requirements/