M.S. and Ph.D. Ecology & Environmental Sciences

In addition to our core Economics Master’s programs, we teach and advise students in the Master’s and Ph.D. programs in Ecology and Environmental Sciences (EES). These interdisciplinary programs do not have a home department but are instead advised by faculty in many different home departments across the University. Therefore, the emphasis students achieve in these programs depends significantly on their faculty advisor’s home department. The EES graduate programs are great options for students who have a solid physical/natural science or natural resources management/policy background and want to convey to future employers or Ph.D. programs a strong physical/natural science or natural resource management/policy emphasis in addition to rigorous economics training.

EES students work closely with their faculty advisor to design a curriculum that balances economics and physical/natural sciences training. School of Economics faculty often require that the curriculum include a similar set of core courses as the Economics M.A. or Resource Economics and Policy M.S. curricula (plus electives in physical/natural sciences and/or natural resources management/policy).

Although the admission requirements to the EES program are not the same as for our Economics graduate programs, most EES students advised through the School of Economics have achieved the same admission requirements as our Economics programs (required for EES students seeking funding). In addition, students applying to EES programs MUST communicate with a faculty member in the School of Economics before submitting their application and list that potential faculty advisor and the School of Economics on their application for their application to be reviewed by the Graduate Committee of the School of Economics.

Students looking to pursue a Ph.D. in EES with a School of Economics advisor must first establish a professional relationship (which they are welcome to initiate over email) with their potential advisor well in advance of submitting their application AND clarify with that potential advisor whether s/he has external grant funding to support a Ph.D. student or whether the student will bring his/her own funding. The School of Economics offers limited internal funding opportunities for Master’s students (including highly qualified EES students with strong economics backgrounds). However, Ph.D. students must be supported by external funding, either directly by the student self-funding or by the faculty advisor through an external grant.

International students: The EES M.S. and Ph.D. programs are considered STEM for the purposes of the 24-month extension of the Optional Practical Training Program.