MS, Ecology

Degree Program Summary:

Facilities of the School of Ecology in Athens, and at off-campus facilities such as the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, the University of Georgia Marine Institute and other sites in the state (mountains, coastal plains, wetlands, lakes and rivers, coast and sea), and international sites such as Maquipunca Reserve in Ecuador and the Ecolodge San Luis in Costa Rica, provide students unusual opportunities for ecological training. The program has attracted outstanding students and produced exceptionally talented ecological scientists, many of whom are now leaders in the field.

For more than thirty years, the Odum School of Ecology has been a center for interdisciplinary team research which deals holistically with humans and the environment. Graduate studies at the Odum School of Ecology provide students with an interdisciplinary program that allow them to develop a broad background in ecology and related disciplines. Students work with faculty to become independent thinkers, researchers and decision-markers in ecology. Graduates from the M.S. Ecology program have gone on to high-level positions, both academic and non-academic, in the public and private sectors. In addition to professorships, alumni are employed in a variety of positions including policy analysts, conservation directors, executives in nonprofit organizations and officers in government agencies. The M.S. in Ecology is focused on training in the natural and human environment, as well as the integration of natural and socioeconomic systems. Students address specially selected research topics, which are amenable to a two-year training activity.

A MS degree program in ecology was approved by the Board of Regents in 1996. It is focused on training in the natural environment, as well as the integration of natural and socio-economic systems. Students address specially selected research topics which are amenable to a two-year training activity. These topics require that they learn research design and encourage the use of special skills, monitoring techniques, analysis, and interpretation of ecological / environmental data. Graduate students set their results into the context of ecological and human ecology. The principal components of the training program include: core courses to provide breadth in conceptual approaches; program flexibility to allow students the opportunity to emphasize social-economic aspects or natural science aspects without sacrificing either; active involvement in a seminar series that stresses multi-disciplinary efforts and collaboration on projects; and opportunities for field experience in addressing environmental problems.

We expect that graduates of this program will be competitive for mid-level management positions in public and private stewardship organizations such as the National Park Service or the Nature Conservancy. The master’s degree option also provides a sound interdisciplinary base for pursuing a more specialized doctoral program.

The Odum School does not require the GRE as part of its application.