Population Biology Ecology and Evolution

The graduate program in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution is an intimate and diverse graduate group emphasizing six main areas of inquiry. These include: 

• Bioinformatics and Biostatistics
• Biology of Species
  Interactions
• Disease Ecology
• Ecological and Evolutionary Modeling
• Genetics of Complex Traits
• Population and Comparative Genomics

The size of our program provides unmatched opportunity for students to have personal interactions and attention from the faculty. Students and faculty enjoy sharing ideas and interests during our weekly PBEE seminar series as well as during our monthly faculty/ student lunch forum and our monthly journal club. The seminar series, primarily organized by the graduate students, provides the opportunity to invite eminent scholars from around the world to meet and speak with faculty and students on questions related to PBEE. The seminar also provides a unique venue for graduate students to present their ongoing research in a friendly environment in which they can improve their presentation skills while obtaining important feedback and ideas from colleagues. The journal club allows students and faculty to discuss timely papers in an informal setting while the lunchtime forum is structured around two faculty member presentations on a unified theme intended to explore more deeply common research themes through extended discussion among faculty and students.

Graduate students are able to help shape the direction of the graduate program and its policies through representation on the executive committee, seminar committee and recruiting committee. Current students play an integral role in the process of admitting new students through their efforts in organizing, hosting and interacting with prospective students during our spring recruitment weekend. Service on a program committee is a valuable opportunity for students to develop their leadership skills.

Core Courses

The following tables shows a typical schedule for students in the PBEE Program.

*Students must enroll and successfully complete, in a single semester, one Advanced Topics course (IBS 796R) prior to advancing to candidacy. These are typically 2-credit classes.

In addition to the core courses and the seminars, each PBEE student will be expected to take additional courses as electives, available at Emory (or other universities and institutes). The specific courses taken and the number of these elective courses will be specifically tailored to the student's interests and needs. Decisions about electives will be made by the student in consultation with their temporary advisor or their mentor and dissertation committee. The following are some examples of electives taken by PBEE students.

Elective Courses

Students whose research involves mathematical modeling or statistics may take additional elective courses in the Department of Mathematics, Department of Computer Science, and Department of Biostatistics. The nature and number of these electives will, of course, depend on the student's mathematical, computer and statistical background. Potential courses of these types include:

There are several other disciplines in which students may want to take additional courses. These include:

• 3 letters of recommendation
• Statement of Purpose
• Resume/CV
• A copy of a transcript for each university you have attended. This transcript must be issued by the Registrar’s Office (a copy issued to the student is fine) and cannot be printed from the University’s web site. Each transcript must be uploaded during the application process. Scan the transcript at high resolution and make sure each can be read before uploading it. Each individual university transcript must be uploaded as one file and not page by page.
• Official transcripts are not required and will not be used in the review process. If you are offered admission and accept the offer you are then required to submit an official sealed transcript from each university you have attended. We ask that you not send us any material in the mail unless asked to do so.
• The general test of the GRE is required; please indicate your registration number and scores in the application if the exam has been taken before you submit the application. The subject test is not required, but there is space to list your scores if you have taken the exam. Applicants must also contact ETS and request that they send official GRE scores to institution code 5187. As long as you have self-reported your scores please do not contact us to verify that we have received your official scores from ETS, as the application can be reviewed with the self-reported scores.
• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required if your native language is not English. Applicants must also contact ETS and request that they send official TOEFL scores to institution code 5187. As long as you have self-reported your scores please do not contact us to verify that we have received your official scores from ETS, as the application can be reviewed with the self-reported scores.
• Some programs may have an additional requirement or recommendation for applicants, so you should review the admissions page for the program you are applying to.

Scholarships

All students admitted to the GDBBS receive a support package that includes:

• Stipend Support: $29,000 for the 2016-2017 academic year. The stipends of students who are successful in applying for individual fellowships covering at least 75% of their stipend receive a $2,000 supplement to their stipend for the length of the award. Click here for details on financial support (a PDF with stipend rates is on the right in the More Information section, under "Stipends").
• Transition Award: $500 for the 2016-2017 academic year. A one-time transition award is provided to all new students for their first semester. The award is posted to their student account and can be used to pay school fees to help minimize what new students have to pay when they first arrive on campus.
• Tuition Scholarship: $52,100 for the 2016-2017 academic year. The tuition scholarship covers 100% of the cost of tuition. Students are responsible for paying their student fees (about $300 per semester) unless otherwise covered by a fellowship. Click here for details on tuition and fees (a PDF with tuition and fees is on the right in the More Information section, under "Tuition, Fees, and Scholarships").
• Health Insurance Subsidy: $3,030 for the 2016-2017 academic year. The health insurance subsidy covers 100% of the cost of the Emory/Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan. Click here for details on the health insurance plan.

Emory Competitive Fellowships

Emory offers several fellowships to outstanding applicants each year. The Programs nominate applicants for these fellowships. There are no additional forms for the applicant to complete, but all application material must arrive by the deadline date.

• The George W. Woodruff Fellowship (Woodruff) is the most prestigious fellowship offered by the Laney Graduate School and is awarded to exceptional students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement. The fellowship covers all tuition and fees and provides a $5,000 supplement to the standard GDBBS stipend for the five year length of the award.
• The Laney Graduate School Fellowship (LGSF) is offered by the Laney Graduate School in conjunction with the GDBBS Programs. The fellowship provides a $2,500 supplement to the standard GDBBS stipend for five years. All interviewed applicants are eligible for the award.