This specialization focuses on the science and management of ecosystems at all scales from landscape to interstitial. Students may concentrate studies in the ecology, management, and conservation of inland or coastal wetlands; in watershed science and management, particularly land use-water quality interactions, in the ecology and management of forests for human use and biodiversity, or in soil ecology, including bioremediation of organic pollutants.

Students take courses from four key areas: ecosystem science and management; earth science, soils, and spatial analysis, statistics, and environmental planning, policy, law, and economics.

Graduates find employment with federal and state resource management and regulatory agencies, municipal government, nongovernmental conservation organizations, and private environmental consulting firms.

For an overview by Track Chairs Soni Pradhanang and Brett Still, click here.

Requirements
Core courses (21-25 credits), including:

• Natural Sciences (12-16 credits)
  • Three credits in each of  Watersheds, Wetlands, and Ecosystems (at least 9 total credits)
  • Three credits in Earth Science, Soils, or Spatial Analysis (at least 3 credits)
• Social Sciences (6 credits)
• Quantitative Methods (3 credits)