Students earn the Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Human Ecology rather than the traditional M.A. or M.S., a degree that reflects the college’s emphasis on the value of a multi-disciplinary approach to learning.

The M.Phil. program has two important elements:

  • The first consists of nine courses that serve as the foundation for advanced, independent work by the candidate. These courses are expected to cover a range of topics and yet facilitate the clear development of a theme of study. A course list of “straight biology” or “straight art” is unlikely to be encouraged, while a candidate who is interested in combining artistic and scientific training would be more suitable for this program.
  • The second element of the program is the thesis, a work of original scholarship developed in close association with the thesis committee. The research and writing required for a thesis is expected to take a significant amount of time, usually at least one academic year following the completion of coursework. The thesis should exemplify the multi-disciplinary nature of research encouraged within human ecology and ideally further understanding of specific elements within the discipline.

The graduate program is explained in much greater detail in the graduate student handbook which can be downloaded here.