Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Personal tools
Sections
Home / Graduate Programs / Ecology

Ecology

Ecology

Covering basic and applied aspects of ecology, with research and teaching ranging from the molecular to the biosphere level

Program overview

Ecologists study how organisms interact with each other and with their environments.

Penn State's Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology:

  • Provides students with a sound understanding of ecological theory and hypothesis testing
  • Complements other Penn State environmental programs that emphasize the role of humans in ecosystems
  • Offers options to take courses and undertake research in a variety of ecological areas, from the molecular to the biosphere level
  • Offers both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. M.S. degree requirements are usually completed within two years. The Ph.D. degree requires three or more years of research beyond the M.S. level. B.S. level applicants with good academic records who have had strong training in ecology and related courses, including research experience, are encouraged to apply directly to the Ph.D. program.

Program faculty

The program involves more than 50 faculty working in a range of disciplines, including:

Study systems include

Faculty Spotlight
Associate Professor of Silviculture
News
The inaugural Lloyd Huck Fellows – and the chairs of the Huck Institutes' Ecology, Molecular Medicine, Plant Biology, and Physiology graduate programs – discuss the privilege and possibilities conferred by the Huck Fellowship. In honor of Lloyd Huck: the Huck Fellowship brings exceptional young scientist-scholars to the Huck Institutes and Penn State - Full article
The Center for Pollinator Research — directed by Huck Institutes affiliate Christina Grozinger — will host the second International Conference on Pollinator Biology, Health and Policy, bringing together some of the world's foremost scientists in the field to discuss the latest research aimed at understanding and overcoming challenges to pollinator health. Penn State to host international conference on pollinator health - Full article
Research by Huck Institutes affiliate Alan Taylor focuses on whether suppressing naturally occurring wildfires increases the possibility of their eventually becoming severe. Fighting fire with fire - Full article