Undergraduate Certificate in Evolutionary Biology

In this certificate, evolutionary biologists, geneticists and ecologists from across Cambridge explore the evidence for evolution in the behaviour, morphology and genomes of living animals and plants as well as in the fossil record. We learn how the process of natural selection affects the way organisms look and behave, how they survive in a changing world, how they reproduce and how these differences are encoded in the genome. We discover how groups of organisms can co-evolve and interact to form complex ecosystems. The course finishes with a look at human evolution and the impacts of artificial selection and anthropogenic changes on evolutionary processes.

The course will be based at Madingley Hall, the headquarters of the Institute of Continuing Education, the University Museum of Zoology, the University Botanic Garden, and Christ’s College, Charles Darwin's College as an undergraduate.

The first and second day-schools will be at the Department of Zoology and Christ’s College in Cambridge on Saturday 14  and Saturday 28 October 2017 respectively.  All the other day-schools will take place at Madingley Hall except for the fourth day-school in Lent Term (Unit 2) which will be at the Sedgwick Museum in Cambridge on Saturday 10 March 2018.

The course guide, giving information about course-content, objectives, assessment and teaching venues, is given below.

What will I be studying?

The programme is arranged into three complementary units which build participants’ knowledge and understanding of evolutionary processes and their outcomes for the way organisms look and behave.

Unit 1: Darwin's idea

Teaching will take place on 4 Saturday day-schools: 14 October 2017 (Department of Zoology), 28 October 2017 (Christ’s College), 18 November 2017 (Madingley Hall) and 9 December 2017 (Madingley Hall).

Unit 1 will introduce participants to the history of Darwin’s discovery, provide evidence for evolution from living organisms and the fossil record, explain modern advances in evolutionary biology, and examine in detail the interplay between an organism’s outward characteristics and its genetics.

Unit 2: Behaviour and biodiversity

Teaching will take place on 5 Saturday day-schools: 13 January, 10 February, 24 February, 3 March and 24 March 2018. The session on 24 February 2018 will be at the Sedgwick Museum in Cambridge.

Unit 2 will take an evolutionary perspective on the behavioural characteristics that organisms display and their consequences for reproduction and survival. It will examine how speciation can occur, species diversity in natural ecosystems, and the interplay between species in functioning communities.

Unit 3: Plants and people

Teaching will take place on 4 Saturday day-schools: 14 April, 19 May, 16 June, and 7 July 2018.

Unit 3 will include a detailed examination of evolution in plants, co-evolution with animals, and the role of selective breeding in producing crop plants. It will consider evolutionary processes with respect to humans and the consequences of global change for evolutionary processes in the future.

There are no formal entry requirements for this course but as it is taught at university level, applicants should be able to read, write and speak English fluently. If English is not your first language, you will need to send us evidence of your competence in the English language when you apply for a place.

ICE English language requirements

Applicants will be expected to show evidence of this level of fluency in English in their applications and may be asked to provide a short piece of written work before the offer of a place can be made.

This programme does not meet immigration requirements for entry to the UK as a short-term student or under Tier 4. Non-EEA nationals are unlikely to be able to undertake this programme unless they hold a visa in another category which permits study. Further information can be found on our Information for International Students webpage 

The fee for the course is £2,000 and you can pay in one of two ways:

• in full on enrolment (by cheque payable to the University of Cambridge or by credit or debit card)
• in four instalments (credit/debit card only): the first on enrolment, the second on 1 November 2017, the third on 1 February 2018 and the fourth on 1 April 2018.

ICE fees and refunds policy

Please note that students are normally responsible for their own travelling costs to the different teaching venues.

Online application is recommended and you will find the link to the online application form at the top of this page.

The closing date for receipt of all applications is Monday 4 September 2017. Applications for this course can be received until midday (12 noon British Summer Time) on 4 September 2017. If you are offered a place on the course, we will ask you to complete your booking within a limited time and to pay the fee (£2,000) or if paying the fee by instalments, the first instalment of the fee to secure your place.

This course will require a minimum number of students in order to run. Applicants for this course will be notified by 11 September 2017 if the course is not going to be running at which point students will be offered a refund of the fees they have paid so far (please see our Refund and Cancellation policy).

If you would like an informal discussion on academic matters before making your application, please contact the Course Director, Dr Tom Monie: tpm22@ cam.ac.uk