The ABI Practicum

The ABI Practicum

The Animal Biology Practicum is a research experience that is at least one quarter long and results in a written manuscript. The manuscript must be the student's own work and demonstrate a capacity for research and independent thought. It is intended to be a capstone of their studies at UC Davis, and allows them to pursue hands-on research experience in fields that interest them and are relevant to their career goals.

As of Spring 2024, are three ways or "tracks" students may choose from to fulfill the ABI practicum requirement: (Track 1) research under the guidance of a UC Davis faculty mentor, (Track 2) by completing a research-based course at UC Davis (or in the UC system) from a list of courses provided, and (Track 3) by completing one of three research fellowship options. Click the boxes below for more details about each track or consult the ABI Practicum Guide.

Contacts & Resources

Track 1: Research with UC Davis Faculty Mentor

Overview

The most common track is for students to work with a research mentor (faculty member) for at least one quarter, though longer leads to better outcomes for both students and mentors. If you are able, involvement in a lab (group of researchers working with a faculty member) is most beneficial to students if it occurs over the course of years – allowing students to adequately learn the research field, learn practical skills, get to know members of the research group, and participate in a range of projects. Please review the ABI Practicum Guide (linked above) for detailed information about finding a mentor, writing your practicum manuscript, and more.

***For more detailed information, please review the ABI Practicum Guidelines. Please send questions to ABI Advising at abi-advising@ucdavis.edu. and/or Elvira and Dr. McMunn***

Requirements

CourseTitleCourse InformationUnitsQuarters Offered
Step 1: ABI 187Animal Biology Seminar

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing.

Registration: Register on Schedule Builder.

2Fall, Spring
Step 2: ABI 189Senior Practicum

Prerequisite(s): ABI 050A; ABI 050B; ABI 050C; ABI 187; Junior standing.

Registration: Once you have identified a faculty mentor, please email abi-advising@ucdavis.edu to notify us that you have identified a faculty mentor and would like to request a CRN for ABI 189. Please include what quarter you plan to register for and CC your faculty mentor in the email to make sure they are looped in on your intent to register.

As a reminder, you may repeat ABI 189 once if you need an additional quarter to complete your research. If so, you will need to email ABI Advising to let the advising staff know that you would like to request another CRN.

2Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
Step 3: ABI 189DSenior Practicum Discussion

Prerequisite(s): ABI 050A; ABI 050B; ABI 050C; ABI 187; ABI 189 (can be concurrent); junior standing.

Registration: Once you have completed your ABI 189 research, please email abi-advising@ucdavis.edu to notify us that you need to register for ABI 189D and what quarter you would like to register for. We will verify that you are set to complete or have completed ABI 189 with a passing "P" grade, and if so, we will distribute the CRN to you.

1Fall, Winter, Spring
 TOTAL 5 

Additional Resources

Mentorship Resources:
ABI187 Mentor Meeting Preparation
ABI187 Mentor Student Questions
ABI Mentor Functions
UCDavis_Career Resources Manual 2012-2013

Proposal Examples:
ABI Practicum Proposal Example 1
ABI Practicum Proposal Example 2
ABI Practicum Proposal Example 3

Curriculum Vitae (CV) Examples:
ABI187 CV Bad Example 1
ABI187 CV Bad Example 2
ABI187 CV Bad Example 3
ABI187 CV Good Example 1
ABI187 CV Good Example 2
ABI187 CV Good Example 3
ABI187 CV Good Example 4

Track 2: Research Course at UC Davis or in UC System

Overview

The course-based track allows students to gain equivalency for the required practicum courses (ABI 187, 189, 189D) through courses at UC Davis (and in the UC system) that include substantial student-driven research and a written report.

  • All courses listed are enrollment-limited and most require advance application or permission of instructor to enroll.
  • All courses listed below earn equivalency for ABI 187 (2 units), ABI 189 (2 units) and ABI 189D (1 unit), completing the practicum requirement.
  • Additional units not applied to ABI Practicum requirements may potentially be used towards the 25-unit restricted elective requirement. This number will vary between courses/programs. Please consult with ABI Academic Advisor Elvira as soon as possible if you intend to pursue this track; she will work with you to determine the number of units you can expect to count as restricted electives depending on which option you choose.
***For more detailed information, please review the ABI Practicum Guide. Please send questions to ABI Advising at abi-advising@ucdavis.edu. and/or Elvira and Dr. McMunn***

Course Options

Course(s)Title(s)Course InformationUnitsQuarters Offered
ABI 187 (Optional)Animal Biology SeminarPrerequisite(s): Junior standing.2Fall, Spring
Choose ONE:    
ABI 198Animal Ecology in the Field

This intensive field-based research course will focus on topics within animal ecology and is based on and around the UC Davis main campus. Students will gain hands-on research experience by identifying research topics, generating hypotheses, designing experiments, collecting data, analyzing data, and writing formal research reports.

Prerequisite(s): No prerequisites.

Enrollment restricted to Animal Biology Majors (15 seats available)

Course fulfills ABI major requirement for ABI 187, 189, 189D (collectively the ABI practicum).

Please reach out to Professor Marshall McMunn (msmcmunn@ucdavis.edu) with any questions.

4Spring
ENT/EVE 180A & 180BExperimental Ecology & Evolution in the Field

ENT/EVE 180A Prerequisite(s): EVE 100 (can be concurrent); (EVE 101 or ESP 100 or ENT 105 (can be concurrent)); consent of instructor.

ENT/EVE 180B Prerequisite(s): EVE 180A or ENT 180A.

Learn more at: https://ecology180.wordpress.com/. 

8Every odd-yeared Winter and Spring quarters
BIS 124 & EVE 114

BIS 124 — Coastal Marine Research

EVE 114 — Experimental Invertebrate Biology

Expanded Program in Coastal Marine Systems — Summer Classes at Bodega Marine Lab

Available to all college level students. Prerequisites are considered a guide. Faculty may waive certain prerequisites after discussion with students.

BIS 124 Prerequisite(s): (EVE 114 or EVE 106 or ESP 152 or ESP 124 (can be concurrent)); concurrent enrollment in one of the above listed courses required; upper division standing or consent of instructor; residence at or near Bodega Marine Lab required.

EVE 114 Prerequisite(s): Upper division standing or consent of instructor; introductory cell, animal and plant biology (BIS 001A, 001B, and 001C or BIS 002B), invertebrate zoology (EVE 112), ecology (EVE 101), and/or evolution (EVE 100) are recommended; residence at or near Bodega Marine Lab required.

**Enrollment restricted to application and acceptance into program. Please visit https://marinescience.ucdavis.edu/academics/undergraduate-courses/summer-classes for more information.

9Summer Session 1
ETX/NUT 127Environmental Stress & Development in Marine Organisms

Expanded Program in Coastal Marine Systems — Summer Classes at Bodega Marine Lab

Available to all college level students. Prerequisites are considered a guide. Faculty may waive certain prerequisites after discussion with students.

ETX/NUT 127 Prerequisite(s): ETX 101 or BIS 102 or BIS 104; and consent of instructor, or the equivalent; ETX 114A or NUT 114 recommended; residence at or near Bodega Marine Lab required.

**Enrollment restricted to application and acceptance into the program. Please visit https://marinescience.ucdavis.edu/academics/undergraduate-courses/summer-classes to learn more and apply.

10Summer Session 1
NRS BIOL/ENVS 188 California Ecology and Conservation

Enrollment restricted to application and acceptance into the program. Please visit https://ucnrs.org/teaching/cec/ to learn more about the program and apply.

UCEAP handles the applications for California Ecology and Conservation. Please direct any application questions to CAecology@ucop.edu.

19 

Track 3: Research Fellowship

Overview & Guidelines

Students are highly encouraged to participate in research fellowships (paid) including the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program in any area of the Biological Sciences (located across the country), the EVE (Evolution and Ecology) Scholars – (UC Davis), or the McNair Scholars Program (UC Davis). These are paid opportunities and are highly competitive.

***For more detailed information, please review the ABI Practicum Guide. Please send questions to ABI Advising at abi-advising@ucdavis.edu. and/or Elvira and Dr. McMunn***

 

Please review steps for completing Track 3 below:

  1. Notify ABI Academic Advisor Elvira (and CC the ABI Advising email) as soon as possible. We strongly encourage students who plan to complete this track to meet with Elvira for academic advising and integration into their academic plans (ABI advising information: https://abi.ucdavis.edu/advising-information) 
  2. Apply to your fellowship(s) of interest. More details in the table below.
  3. Notify Elvira and ABI Advising once you confirm your acceptance and participation in a fellowship.
    • NOTE: Students who will participate in a REU or the EVE Scholars Program will need to register for ABI 199 research units for the quarter when they will be completing their fellowship. This will serve as an equivalency for ABI 187 (if needed) and ABI 189. To register, complete a variable unit form and submit it to abi-advising@ucdavis.edu or mdmallari@ucdavis.edu. Please CC Elvira and Dr. McMunn in the email. After your form has been reviewed and approved, we will give you a CRN to register.
  4. Confirm the completion of your practicum with ABI Advising
    • REU or EVE Scholars Program Participants: Notify Elvira after your fellowship concludes to ensure your practicum research requirement is marked as complete. You must also request a CRN to register for ABI 189D for quarter after the conclusion of your fellowship to complete and turn in a written summary of your research effort.
    • McNair Scholars Program Participants: Notify Elvira after your fellowship concludes to ensure your practicum requirement is marked as complete.

Fellowship Information

 Information and RestrictionsTotal UnitsOfferingABI Practicum Equivalencies
(Optional) ABI 187 — Animal Biology SeminarPrerequisite(s): Junior standing.2Fall, SpringN/A
Choose ONE:    
NSF REU (3 units) & ABI 189D (1 unit)

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) sites are administered by individual institutions and differ in application dates, program dates, and administrative structures. Most REU site programs occur over the summer, but students apply during the previous academic year. REU supplements are linked to individual NSF (U.S. National Science Foundation) funded research projects. There is no centralized list of REU supplements.

Learn more, explore current REU opportunities, and apply at https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/.

4Year-round

Students completing an NSF REU must register for 3 units of ABI 199 to serve as an equivalency for ABI 187 (if needed) and ABI 189.

The quarter after completing their REU, students must register for and complete ABI 189D to tun in a written summary of their research efforts. Formatting guidelines may vary by student but are likely to align with guidance in Track 1.

EVE Scholars Program ((1-2 units) + (1 unit)) & ABI 189D (1 unit)

The Evolution and Ecology (EVE) Scholars Program is a summer 10-week full-time research fellowship ($6500 stipend) on the UC Davis campus or at Bodega Marine Laboratory. Scholars perform independent research projects with mentors in the UC Davis Department of Evolution and Ecology. 

Learn more and apply at https://evescholars.wordpress.com/. 

4-5Summer

Students completing the EVE Scholars Program must register for 1-2 units of ABI 199 in the Fall quarter following the Program to serve as an equivalency for ABI 187 (if needed) and ABI 189.

The quarter after completing the Program, students must register for and complete ABI 189D to turn in a written summary of their research efforts. Formatting guidelines may vary by student but are likely to align with guidance in Track 1.

McNair Scholars Program (8 units)

McNair Scholars is a program for students from underrepresented groups or low-income individuals who are planning to pursue a career in research.

The program involves 5 quarters (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) of seminars, workshops, advising, and research involvement. A summer research internship ($2800 stipend) is provided.

Learn more and apply at https://mcnair.ucdavis.edu/. 

 Year-roundStudents completing the McNair Scholars Program must contact Elvira and ABI Advising once the program has concluded or during their senior year at the latest to ensure their practicum requirement is marked as complete.