Housed in the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, Systems Ecology is an intercollegiate graduate degree program that emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to understanding ecological and human systems.  Systems Ecology is an ideal fit for students interested in understanding the biological, physical, chemical, and human processes that shape social-ecological systems across spatial and temporal scales. Choose Systems Ecology for an interdisciplinary approach to the study of ecological systems that focuses on interactions and transactions within and among biological systems.

Systems Ecology has a diverse faculty, a unique graduate curriculum, and each student does their own independent thesis work.  This program brings together collaborators from across the UM campus.  Both the M.S. and Ph.D. programs promote an understanding of ecological systems and problem solving, provides students with knowledge about linkages between natural and social domains at multiple scales, and helps students sharpen the skills they need to engage in an increasingly complex world.

General Graduate Program Requirements

Graduate School policies and standards can be found on the Graduate School Policies page. 

The minimum GPA for any graduate program is 3.0. Individual programs may require more than a 3.0 to remain in good standing. 

The minimum grade for a course to be accepted toward any requirement is C. Individual programs may require higher grades for specific courses.

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY - SYSTEMS ECOLOGY

Students in the Systems Ecology doctoral program must:

• Complete a minimum of 60 semester credits beyond a bachelor's degree.
  • As many as 20 credits may be research or thesis.
  • The other 40 credits may include coursework, graduate seminars, special topics, or independent study courses.
  • Up to 30 credits can be from a master's degree as approved by the student's committee and accepted by the Graduate School.
• Successfully complete comprehensive exams (written and oral).
• Successfully complete and defend a systems ecology-oriented dissertation of original research.
• Complete their program-of-study within seven years.
• Complete the Ph.D.-level core program as an integral part of their program-of-study, as well as additional courses that support their research program and career goals.

Course Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Required Courses
BIOS 532	Ecosystem Ecology	4
BIOS 594	Seminar (two semesters)	2
Electives, Research, and Dissertation
Complete 54 additional credits selected in consultation with your advisor.		54
Total Hours		60