Biology and Society PhD

The current degree requirements are below. Remember you are required to fulfill the requirements from the academic year you were admitted. Please refer to the handbook from your year of admission as needed.

84 credit hours, an oral and written exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (3-4 credit hours)

• BIO 514 Statistical Models for Biology (4) OR

• BIO 620 Research Prospectus Writing (3)

Electives and Research (68-69 credit hours)

Restricted electives (30 credit hours)

• 9 credit hours of chosen track coursework (see below for additional track information)

• 9 credit hours of life science electives

  • • These courses may be offered under one of the following prefixes: BIO, ELS, EVO, HPS, MCB, MIC, and PLB OR any courses taught by biology and society graduate faculty members

• 12 credit hours of BIO 792 Research

Open electives (38-39 credit hours)

• Additional BIO 792 Research, or other seminars and courses that the department and the student's advisor determine additional in conjunction with the student. Some examples include the following (not an exhaustive list):

  • BIO 792 Research

  • BIO 530 Scientific Teaching

  • BIO 578 Environmental Leadership and Communication

  • BIO 591 Ecosystem Services Lab

  • BIO 591 Embryo Project Editing Seminar

  • BIO 591 Embryo Project Illustration

  • BIO 615 Biology and Society Lab

  • BIO 514 Statistical Models for Biology

  • BIO 521 Landscape Ecology

  • BIO 533 K-12 STEM Education & Outreach

  • BIO 591 Society and Natural Resource Management

  • BIO 591 Social-Ecological Systems & Adaptation

  • BIO 591 Drylands in a Changing Earth

  • BIO 620 Research Prospectus Writing

  • BIO 610 Introduction to Responsible Conduct of Research in Life Sciences

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours)

• BIO 799 Dissertation (*12)

*Taken after advancing to candidacy

*Note: It is very important you do exactly 12 dissertation credit hours. You may begin completing dissertation credits after advancing to candidacy. These 12 can be divided and taken over multiple semesters, but they must sum 12 credits exactly (no more, no less) to avoid issues when graduating. If you need to enroll in dissertation or equivalent hours after meeting your 12 total, please take BIO 792 Research hours instead, which has no maximum limit.

Bioethics, policy and law track

• Ethics - as related to life science (3 credit hours), sample courses include:

  • • BIO 527 Environmental Ethics and Policy Goals

    • BIO 598 Advanced Bioethics

    • BIO 511 Big Data in Context  

    • BIO 610 Introduction to Responsible Conduct of Research in Life Sciences

    • BIO 611 Current Topics in Responsible Conduct of Research in Life Sciences

    • PHI 521 Bioethics

    • POP 633 Population Health Ethics

• Science policy (3 credit hours), sample courses include:

  • • BIO 515 Science, Technology and Public Affairs

    • BIO 598 STS Reading Group

    • HSD 601 HSD I: Human Dimensions of Science and Technology 

    • HSD 602 HSD II: Science, Power and Politics

• Law - as related to science or technology (3 credit hours), sample courses include:

  • • BIO 591/LAW 617 Genetics and the Law

    • BIO 591/LAW 631 Environmental Law

    • BIO 591/LAW 689 Health Technologies, Innovation and the Law

    • BIO 591/LAW 693 Privacy, Big Data, and Emerging Technologies

    • BIO 591/LAW 703 Law, Science and Technology

    • BIO 591/LAW 714 Biotechnology: Science, Law and Policy

    • BIO 591/LAW 791 Artificial Intelligence: Law, Ethics & Policy

Biology education research track

• Quantitative methods or statistics (3 credit hours), sample courses include:

  • • COE 502 Introduction to Data Analysis

    • DCI 691 Introduction to Measurement Theory & Practice

    • DCI 691 Introduction to Quantitative Research Design & Methods

    • EDP 554 Analysis-of-Variance Methods

    • PSY 531 Multiple Regression in Psychological Research

• Learning, educational or psychological theory (3 credit hours), sample courses include: 

  • • DCI 691 Advanced Pedagogy in STEM Education

• Discipline-based education research (3 credit hours), sample courses include:

  • • BIO 532 Recent Papers in Discipline-Based Education Research

    • BIO 591 Papers in Inclusive Teaching in College

    • BIO 598 Biology Education Research

    • BIO 791 Science Education Research Seminar

Ecology, economics and ethics of the environment track

• Ecology (3 credit hours), sample courses include:

  • • BIO 598 Population and Community Ecology

    • BIO 521 Landscape Ecology

• Environmental or Natural Resource Economics (3 credit hours), sample courses include:

  • • ASB 530 The Changing Nature of the Human-Nature Relationship (cross listed with SOS)

    • BIO 515 Science, Technology, & Public Affairs (cross listed with SOS)

    • ERM 527 Environmental Resources and Regulations

    • ERM 540 International Environmental Law & Policy

    • LAW 631 Environmental Law

    • PAF 504 Microeconomics of Public Policy I

    • PAF 546 Environmental Policy & Management

    • SOS 512 Environmental and Resource Economics

    • SOS 525 Social-Ecological-Technological Systems

• Environmental Ethics or Environmental Policy (3 credit hours), sample courses include:

  • • BIO 527 Environmental Ethics and Policy Goals

History and philosophy of science track

• History of science (3 credit hours), sample courses include: 

  • • BIO 591 Embryo Project

    • BIO 591 Embryo Project Editing

    • HPS 598 Advanced History of Science

    • BIO 511 Big Data in Context

• Philosophy of science (3 credit hours), sample courses include:

  • • BIO/HPS/PHI 598 Philosophy of Biology and Medicine Advanced

    • HPS 598 Advanced Philosophy of Science

• History of science or philosophy of science (3 credit hours)

  • • Select a second course from either of the two areas above

Please communicate with your faculty advisor and refer to your academic year's SOLS handbook for specific details about what is required for your comprehensive exams and prospectus defense. The Biology and Society PhD program requires you complete this by the end of your 6th semester. You must pass your oral and written exams as well as your prospectus defense in order to advance to candidacy.

To schedule your exams:

• • Confirm your iPOS is approved and your faculty committee section is up to date.

  • Please fill out this form to both schedule and initiate your electronic pass/fail form. This will be sent to your committee members and Program Director. 

After your exams:

• Once your pass/fail form has been completed, the SOLS Graduate Office will input your results in your iPOS. If you passed each component, you will advance to candidacy and receive a formal candidacy letter from ASU.

• If you advance to candidacy by the deadlines detailed here, you will receive a post-candidacy pay increase the following semester (and each subsequent semester).