IEC_PHD - Interdisciplinary Ecology (Ph.D.)
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About This Program
Program Information
Director of Academic Programs and Graduate Coordinator: K. R. Reddy
Graduate students are advised by one of the 340 members of the School’s affiliate faculty and have a supervisory committee with interdisciplinary composition. For the list of Graduate Faculty, see https://snre.ifas.ufl.edu/people/affiliate-faculty/. Graduate students are hosted in one of 50 participating academic units.
The School offers a program of study leading to the Master of Science (thesis and non-thesis options), and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in interdisciplinary ecology. Minimum requirements for these degrees are given in the Graduate Degrees section of this catalog. The course work requirements and curriculum are described in more detail at http://snre.ifas.ufl.edu/academics/graduate/courses-syllabi-and-curriculum/. Choices among 450 courses are custom-fitted by the student and the supervisory committee to meet the student’s specific needs and interests.
The Interdisciplinary Ecology program views the social-ecological system as the proper framework for addressing the full scope of complex, adaptive systems comprising humans in the natural world. The degree program challenges students to understand both natural and human dynamics to obtain a holistic view and to foster integration of human activities with natural resources and the environment. The learning outcomes of the program are to develop a thorough understanding of the components, processes, and interactions of the social-ecological system, competence in scientific research methodologies, and experience in professional interaction with peers.
The degree programs combine
- course work in the science of ecology and additional natural and social sciences; and
- competence in a recognized discipline in one of these fields of study.
The former is achieved with a core-course and distribution requirement and the latter by extra course work for the master’s and a concentration for the doctoral degree. A thesis or dissertation provides first-hand experience creating scientific knowledge. The non-thesis master’s option provides rapid, advanced preparation for the job market in 3 to 4 semesters, without research experience. Course requirements are 30 semester hours for the thesis option, 30 hours for the non-thesis option, and 60 hours beyond the master’s degree for the doctoral degree.
Combination programs: The School offers a combination bachelor’s/master’s degree program, which allows qualified students to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree with a savings of 1 semester.