Explore the basic principles of ecology, including the structure and function of various ecosystems. You'll do both lab work and fieldwork, with courses focusing on specific ecosystems, such as the agroecology of Simon's Rock Community Garden and the aquatic ecology of local ponds, streams, and the majestic Hudson River. This series of courses is an introduction to the theory and practice of political ecology through applied work that focuses on particular topics.

The Department of Organismal Biology and Ecology (OBE) studies the structure and function of organisms in an ecological and evolutionary context. OBE encompasses cross-disciplinary approaches such as physiological ecology, evolutionary ecology, systematics, and biogeography, which all provide complementary insights into the processes of evolutionary diversification and adaptation to life on earth.

The ecology major emphasizes the interaction of organisms with their environment. You will start with basic background coursework in biology including introductory biology, botany or zoology, and genetics or evolution. From there you’ll go on through general ecology and into a number of exciting options allowing you to specialize in a variety of areas from aquatic to terrestrial to theoretical.

This course covers biological phenomena at or above the scale of a single organism. We will broadly cover topics in evolutionary biology and ecology including but not limited to population genetics, animal behavior, adaptation and natural selection, speciation, phylogenetics, population biology, community ecology, ecosystem ecology, and macroecology.

Life History, behaviour, and ecology of terrestrial and aquatic insects and their roles in pollination, herbivory, predation, agroecosystems, disease and vector epidemiology, invasion ecology, soil ecology, biodiversity and freshwater ecology.

This course teaches the basic terminology, principles, and ideas of ecology while also covering the history of the science, its evolution, and links to other sciences. Subsequent lectures will examine these ideas at different ecological scales: individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems. Human ecological issues will also be discussed where relevant within the framework of the course.

Discover ecology and learn how we can protect wildlife to conserve our natural world.

This course explores the ethnoecological relationship between humans and forests.

Established at St. Olaf in 1969, Race and Ethnic Studies (abbreviated RACE) represents a multigenerational faculty and student commitment to the interdisciplinary study of race, ethnicity, and critical indigenous studies. Our program centers the concerns and experiences of Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities and proceeds from the recognition that race and ethnicity have been and continue to be crucial components within interlocking systems of oppression, as well as powerful sites of intersectional resistance.

A field study of lakes and other freshwater systems with applications to planning and management.

Conservation of Marine Megafauna will focus on the biology, ecology, and conservation of the largest of all marine animals. As we sail the world’s oceans aboard the MV World Odyssey, we will spend time on deck to be on the look-out for these fantastic creatures.

Introduction to Ecopsychology is a 5-week online interactive course that introduces the basic processes and principles of ecological psychology (ecopsychology).

The USFQ Galápagos campus offers international students the unique opportunity to study in one of the most pristine natural laboratories in the world. The Galápagos Semester Program offers four Academic Tracks in the biological and social sciences, all taught in English.