Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Bachelor's/Master's Contiguous Pathway
The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) Deapartment offers a Contiguous Bachelor’s/Master’s Path program, which can be completed with an appropriate
bachelor’s degree at UCSC in five years. The p provides highly motivated
undergraduate majors the opportunity to earn separate bachelor’s (B.A.) and master’s (M.A.) degrees in as little as
five years. The pathway provides an additional level of preparation and experience to help students pursue
careers in industry or government, or to increase their competitiveness for doctoral programs.
Students applying to the EEB Contiguous Bachelor’s/Master’s Path must be UC Santa Cruz undergraduates who
are in the process of developing or conducting an independent research project with an EEB ladder rank
faculty as their adviser or co-adviser. The undergraduate thesis adviser is the person who recommends
applicants to the contiguous B.A./M.A. program and agrees to continue serving as their master’s adviser or
co-adviser. Students applying to this program will either be completing an undergraduate degree in one
of the majors administered by EEB (i.e. biology, ecology and evolutionary biology, marine biology or
plant science) or completing an undergraduate degree in a related field and have completed and done
well in the EEB coursework relevant to their proposed research. The master's degree consists of 35 total
credits, 15 credits from upper-level undergraduate courses and 20 credits in graduate-level courses.
Applications to the contiguous B.A./M..A path are completed in a two-step process. In spring of the
undergraduate’s junior year, they will complete the EEB departmental application form as described in
the checklist below. If approved for the Additional-Year Contiguous Bachelor’s/Master’s Path, students
will go through the regular EEB Master’s Program application process in fall of their senior year.
Admission to the program is not guaranteed; significant progress on the thesis research project combined
with an excellent academic track record will indicate the preparedness of the student to undertake this
accelerated master’s program.
Checklist for Bachelor’s/Master’s Students
- Read the program information on the Contiguous Bachelor’s/Master’s Path website, including
requirements and deadlines. Note: The M.A. is a Plan I Thesis Track master's.
- To be able to take advantage of this program, by the middle of your junior year you will need to
find an EEB ladder rank faculty adviser or co-adviser with whom you will design and complete
your research project. If you choose to work with an adjunct or affiliated faculty, you must also
have a ladder rank faculty as your co-adviser. At this point the research project may develop
either into an undergraduate senior thesis project or a master’s research project.
- By spring of the junior year, submit your EEB departmental application for consideration to
apply to the contiguous B.A./M.A. program. This must include:
- a letter from a ladder rank faculty in EEB who agrees to be your master’s adviser or co-adviser;
- a brief description (maximum one page) of your planned research;
- a curricular plan that has been reviewed by your proposed EEB faculty adviser and any other proposed faculty co-advisers, Biology Advising (or the appropriate advising for
your undergraduate major at UCSC) and the EEB Graduate Program coordinator to
ensure you can complete all coursework required for both degrees in five years.
- In the fall of your senior year, if your departmental application is approved and you and your
adviser still believe the research project could develop into a master’s thesis, apply for
admission through the UCSC Graduate Division portal to the M.A. Program (due date Dec. 10).
- Your statement of purpose must include a proposed research plan for your master’s thesis.
- You must include a letter of recommendation from a ladder rank EEB faculty adviser or
co-adviser stating that they approve this plan and agree to serve as your adviser or coadviser
for your master’s research and thesis.
- By the end of senior year, complete all requirements for your bachelor’s degree from UCSC and
submit an undergraduate thesis, which includes a section on your proposed research extension
(for the master’s thesis), following the same guidelines as the existing Two-Year Master’s
Program. This thesis must be read and approved by your EEB ladder rank faculty adviser.
Recommendation: enroll in a graduate-level class at some time during your senior year and also
attend EEB departmental seminars (BIOE 294). Entry-level graduate classes include BIOE 203, BIOE 215,
BIOE 238, BIOE 239 and BIOE 245.
- During the Master’s year, complete the graduate course and seminar requirements while working
on your Master’s thesis.
- You will enroll in BIOE 200A, BIOE 200B, BIOE 279, and attend EEB departmental
seminars (BIOE 294) every quarter, and enroll in two quarters of BIOE 203 or one of BIOE 203
and one of BIOE 215. A student may take BIOE 203 and BIOE 215 during their senior
undergraduate year as long as these courses are not used to meet course and credit
requirements for their undergraduate degree. Establish a master's thesis committee
consisting of your research adviser (chair) plus two other ladder rank faculty.
- Master's Thesis/Master's Thesis Defense
- At the beginning of your senior undergraduate year, develop a timeline with your adviser
that includes deadlines for all components of the thesis; a complete draft should be
submitted to your adviser by early April at the latest. There is usually an extensive
revising process prior to giving the thesis to the other committee members.
- By Friday of week 10 of winter quarter schedule your defense and public seminar with
your master’s thesis committee members through the departmental graduate
coordinator.
- One month (30 days) before the thesis defense date (at the latest), email the thesis to
your other thesis committee members.
- During your defense you will present your work to be reviewed by your committee. They
may also ask general knowledge questions to test your mastery of the subject area.
Corrections and/or additions to your thesis may be suggested.
- Next, a formal, public research seminar will be presented by the student. This seminar
should be scheduled with the EEB Graduate Program coordinator for the regular time
slot when possible, and may not be scheduled for less than a week after the closed
defense meeting. It is important to leave enough time before the public seminar for the
student to make changes to the thesis manuscript that are requested by the committee.
The M.A. Thesis Reading Committee chair signs the title sheet only after the research
has been presented in a public seminar.
- Submit the final version of your master’s thesis and complete your final
appointment with the Graduate Division. In order to participate in the graduation
ceremony, students must submit all documentation to the Graduate Division by the
deadline as stated in the Academic and Administrative Calendar. This usually occurs
during week nine of spring quarter.
If a student completes their UCSC bachelor’s degree and is admitted to the Contiguous
Bachelor’s/Master’s Path, but does not successfully complete all requirements expected for this
program, then they would revert to the existing EEB Master’s Program requirements. They must remain
in good standing in the program and follow all existing guidelines of the EEB Master’s Program. The
baseline assumption is that students admitted to the Contiguous Bachelor’s/Master’s Path will be self-funded
throughout their enrollment in the master’s program.