About the Program

This degree program was organized through Odum School activities in 1972.  The Ph.D. program is an interdisciplinary program that allow students to develop a broad background in ecology and related disciplines.  The purpose of the program provides a scholarly setting within which a course of study can be designed to fit the individual goals of students.  Three core courses are required for the Ph.D. program: ECOL 8000 (Topics in Modern Ecology), ECOL 8310 (Population Ecology), and ECOL 8322 (Ecosystem Concepts). Students may also take additional course work in organismal and community ecology. The program is deliberately designed to be flexible to complement the student's background and emphasize his or her career objectives in ecology.  Major emphasis is on course work related to dissertation research, but students are expected to develop a broad background in environmental science. 

A wide array of relevant courses are offered by the Odum School of Ecology and other departments (especially botany, entomology, forest resources, genetics, geology, microbiology, and statistics). 

The student is assisted by an advisory committee and must produce a dissertation which is an original contribution to ecological science. 
 

Facilities

Facilities of the Odum School of Ecology in Athens, off-campus facilities such as the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, the University of Georgia Marine Odum School and other sites in  the state (mountains, coastal plains, wetlands, lakes and rivers, coast and sea), and international sites such as Maquipunca Reserve in Ecuador and the UGA Costa Rica campus in San Luis, Costa Rica, provide students unusual opportunities for ecological training.  The program has attracted outstanding students and produced exceptionally talented ecological scientists, many of whom are now leaders in the field.
 

Application Process

Applicants are responsible for submitting all materials required for admission.  Materials submitted directly to the graduate school are: the general application for admission, the application processing fee, two official transcripts from each institution attended and G.R.E. scores.  Three letters of recommendation, background and interest form, statement of purpose, and curriculum vitae must be forwarded to the program office. 

The Odum School of Ecology accepts applicants into degree-seeking programs mainly for the Fall Semester of each academic year. Because assistantship competition takes place once a year, all applicant credentials are due in the program office no later than December 15. This is a change from previous years. Applicants may be accepted during the spring and summer semesters, however, assistantship money may only be available through the major professor. Applications may be obtained from the Office of Graduate Admissions, University of Georgia, 320 E. Clayton St., Suite 400, Athens, GA 30602-4401.
 

Contact:
The University of Georgia
Ecology Program Office
Room 19, Odum School of Ecology
Athens, GA  30602-2202
Phone: (706) 542-3404; Fax: (706) 542-4819
e-mail: ppittman@uga.edu

Prospective Student Info

Background/Interest Form. This form should be completed and returned no later than January 1 for fall semester admission to the program. To download this form, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 or higher. This application, along with instructions, can be found at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html

Handbook