Biology: Evolutionary Biology - Methods and Applications

This is an advanced course that provides in-depth knowledge and understanding of evolutionary biology models and methods, as well as how to practically apply them to a range of problems. During the first part of the course, you will learn how to analyze genomic data to establish evolutionary relationships and population history, detect natural selection, and identify the genetic and developmental mechanisms underlying evolutionary changes. The second part of the course covers the theory and applications of comparative phylogenetic methods. You will learn how to draw conclusions about evolutionary changes and test evolutionary hypotheses using different types of data. Additionally, the course provides theoretical and practical knowledge on how to establish and quantify selection in natural populations through experimental approaches. The course concludes with an in-depth study of how evolutionary biology can be applied to societal issues in medicine, conservation biology, biotechnology, and sustainable development.

The course is suitable for anyone who wants to understand how evolution works. It can be part of any MSc program in biology at Lund University and is best combined with the course BIOR90, Evolutionary Biology: Methods and Applications and is part of the Master’s program in Evolutionary Biology.   

Course syllabus

The syllabus contains the formal and legal details of the entire course. It’s a legal document outlining the course structure and requirements, intended mainly for administrative use.

Course literature

The course literature listed may be updated up to eight weeks before the course begins.

Studying evolution requires techniques from multiple disciplines, including genomics, molecular and cell biology, developmental biology, and ecology. The course is structured in four modules. In the first module, you will learn how to collect and analyze data to study and predict evolutionary changes. The second module focuses on analyzing DNA sequences to establish the history of organisms, study natural selection, and identify genetic variants driving evolutionary change. The third module explores comparative methods, how to determine evolutionary events, and how to test evolutionary theories. In the fourth and final module, you will apply insights from evolutionary biology to real-world challenges such as medicine, sustainable biotechnology, and conservation biology. The teaching promotes active learning, with a focus on understanding how evolutionary processes work. We take advantage of Lund University’s world-leading research in evolutionary biology on microbes, plants, and animals. Independent work and group projects are combined with interactive lectures, emphasizing hypothesis formulation and data analysis. You will also spend a few days in the field, where you will design your own project, collect data, and analyze results.

Entry requirements

To be admitted to the course, students must have 120 credits in Natural Science studies, including knowledge corresponding to BIOR89 Evolutionary Biology - Patterns and Processes, 15 credits, and additional 15 credits of second-cycle courses in biology, molecular biology or bioinformatics. A degree of Bachelor of Science. English 6/English B.

Selection criteria

Seats are allocated according to: ECTS (HPAV): 100 %.

Tuition fees for non-EU/EEA citizens

Citizens of countries outside:

• The European Union (EU)
• The European Economic Area (EEA) and
• Switzerland

are required to pay tuition fees. You pay an instalment of the tuition fee in advance of each
semester.

Tuition fees, payments and exemptions

Full programme/course tuition fee: SEK 46,250
First payment: SEK 46,250

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Note that you may also need to pay an application fee, or provide proof of exemption.

Application fee

No tuition fees for citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland

There are no tuition fees for citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.