About the Curriculum in Ecology
The Curriculum in Ecology is a multidisciplinary, degree granting program that seeks to foster an understanding and appreciation of ecological systems and to demonstrate the value of ecological approaches to the solution of current and future environmental problems. With the participation of faculty and students from many disciplines and departments, emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary activities that explicitly consider the complexity of the environment and integrated approaches to problem identification and solution. In particular, it seeks to foster an understanding and appreciation of ecological systems, human and non-human, and to demonstrate the value of ecological approaches to the solution of current and future environmental problems in North Carolina, the United States, and the world.
The Curriculum in Ecology places an emphasis on interdisciplinary activities, and derives one of its major strengths from the participation of faculty and students from many disciplines and departments. Current faculty come from the Departments of Anthropology, Biology, Biostatistics, City and Regional Planning, Communication Studies, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Geography, Geological Sciences, Marine Sciences, Public Policy, and Sociology. Whereas degree programs with a strong ecology component may be arranged in other departments, the Curriculum-by combining many approaches and methods and by linking the social and natural sciences-explicitly considers the complexity of the environment and the need for integrated approaches to problem identification and solution.
Using the resources of many departments, the Curriculum in Ecology provides both broad and specialized training in ecology, human ecology, and the study of environmental systems. Degrees available in the Ecology Curriculum are the Master of Science, the Master of Arts, and the Doctor of Philosophy. Applications will be accepted from persons with varied backgrounds and goals with the specific program of study and research tailored to the needs of the individual.