The specialization in Environmental Biology is designed to support and prepare students who later enter the Major in «Ecology and Evolution» or «Human Health, Nutrition and Environment» at the MSc level. The main focus is on the conceptual underpinnings of modern ecology and evolutionary biology, as well as on connecting these scientific concepts to their manifold applications in the applied environmental sciences.

The specialization in Environmental Biology therefore does not dwell on any particular (physically distinguishable) component of the biosphere per se, but rather investigates the genetical, evolutionary and ecological processes underlying the biological changes of populations, species, and communities. These processes may occur at different levels of organismal complexity; for example, mutations in the germ line, the development of bacterial resistance against specific antibiotics, or the adaptations and range shifts of animal and plant species in response to climate change. The latter example would also affect regional fluxes of energy and nutrients, as well as the composition of entire plant and animal communities.