Elective courses are immersive, flexible, and innovative courses meant to assist students in achieving a concentration and a depth of knowledge in an area of individual interest. Elective courses provide a combination of lecture, workshop, and laboratory and field segments, as appropriate. Some specialty courses of broad interest are offered on a biennial basis, while others will be offered less frequently (every 3 or 4 years, or as appropriate). The spectrum of courses offered in any given year is determined by student interests and educational needs. Examples of previously offered elective courses include Tree of Life and Invertebrate Zoology, Phylogenetic Applications, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Informatics, GIS Methods & Applications, Marine Biodiversity Survey & Inventory, Insect Taxonomy, and Reptile Biology and Diversity. Students may also create their own independent studies, subject to faculty review and approval.