About the Course
This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of urban ecology and evolution using the Greater Toronto Area as a model to study the topic. The course will focus on understanding how ecological and evolutionary processes are influenced by urban development, human behaviour, and the built environment, and how the environment can feed back to shape cities and socio-ecology, including human behaviour and well-being. Students will be introduced to principles of the scientific process including making observations, stating hypotheses, experimental design, conducting experiments, data collection, statistical analysis and interpretation, and scientific writing and oral presentations. The course will focus on all major habitats in urban areas to understand how urban environmental change of air, water and land influence the ecology and evolution of populations, communities and ecosystems.
How to Apply
Applications are open for the summer offering of BIO444 which will run from June 7 to 20, 2026 and take place on the UTM Campus.
Applications will be accepted until March 31, 2026, 11:59pm at the following link: BIO444 Application Summer 2026 – Fill out form.
To be collected prior to submitting an application:
- Personal details (name, student ID, programme etc.)
- 1-2 paragraph statement about why you would like to take this course
- A PDF copy of your transcript from Acorn
- Affirmation that you can walk 5km unassisted
- Confirmation that you will not enroll in other classes during May-June
- Affirmation that you are aware and able to pay the course ancillary costs of $400 which is in addition to regular tuition fees and other regular summer ancillary fees. The course ancillary fees will be used to cover the costs of buses and park entry.
- Course pre-requisites are: BIO152H5 and BIO153H5 and (BIO205H5 or BIO342H5) and (BIO259H5 or STA215H5)
On-Campus Housing
UTM Biology has secured some UTM Residence spaces for BIO444 students who would prefer to stay on campus during the two-week field course. The application form linked above will ask for your interest in this option.
