Environment, Ecology, and Energy Program (GRAD)

The Environment, Ecology, and Energy Program (E3P) is a multidisciplinary, degree-granting program that seeks to foster an understanding and appreciation of ecological systems and to demonstrate the value of ecological approaches to the solution of current and future environmental problems. With the participation of faculty and students from many disciplines and departments, emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary activities that explicitly consider the complexity of the environment and integrated approaches to problem identification and solution. In particular, it seeks to foster an understanding and appreciation of ecological systems, human and nonhuman, and to demonstrate the value of ecological approaches to the solution of current and future environmental problems.

Current faculty come from the departments of anthropology, biology, biostatistics, city and regional planning, communication, economics, environmental sciences and engineering, geography, earth, marine and environmental sciences, public policy, and sociology. Whereas degree programs with a strong ecology component may be arranged in other departments, by combining many approaches and methods and by linking the social and natural sciences the curriculum explicitly considers the complexity of the environment and the need for integrated approaches to problem identification and solution. Using the resources of many departments, E3P provides both broad and specialized training in ecology, human ecology, and the study of environmental systems. Graduate degrees available in the program are the master of science, the master of arts, and the doctor of philosophy. Applications will be accepted from persons with varied backgrounds and goals, with the specific program of study and research tailored to the needs of the individual.

Requirements for Admission

For admission to E3P, an undergraduate degree is required in a natural science such as physics, chemistry, biology, bacteriology, botany, zoology, or geology; a social science such as anthropology, sociology, or economics; a mathematical area such as statistics, mathematics, or systems analysis; an engineering area; or environmental science. To guarantee full consideration for admission and campus fellowships, students must submit all program and Graduate School admission materials by mid-December. Late applications will cause students to miss out on some opportunities. The specific deadline in a given year can be found by checking the E3P website and The Graduate School's admissions website.

Courses

Numbered 400-999:

Environment and Ecology (ENEC)

Every student must gain an understanding of the breadth and depth of ecology and environmental sciences as they are treated among various traditional disciplines. This is accomplished in two ways: first, through the ENEC 567 and ENEC 569 course sequence; and second, through the composition of the student's advisory committee. Students are required to do their best to establish state residency in their first year and must apply for state residency after their first year in order to be considered for tuition remission in subsequent years.

Doctor of Philosophy

Each ecology Ph.D. student, in addition to taking ENEC 567 and ENEC 569, must register for ENEC 994 at least once for three hours credit. There are no other course requirements for the Ph.D. except for those designated by the student's graduate advisory committee and as long as the student meets the credit hour requirements of The UNC Graduate School.

Owing to the diversity of research methods and approaches within the field of ecology and environmental sciences", the curriculum has no explicit research skill course requirements for graduate degrees. The student's graduate advisory committee is responsible for seeing that the student has gained the proficiencies expected of a degree candidate in the student's selected area of expertise.

Master's Degrees

Two master's degrees are offered by the program: the master of science degree requiring independent research and a thesis, and the master of arts degree requiring a thesis question and literature research review. All master's degrees are terminal degrees at UNC–Chapel Hill. Master's students must request readmission for Ph.D. work following completion of all requirements for the master's degree.

Master of Science

The master of science course requirements are determined by the student's advisory committee. They must include a minimum of 30 hours of graduate credit (of which no less than 24 hours must be earned in courses, and at least three hours in research), and completion of the thesis. One semester of registration is required in ENEC 567 and ENEC 569, and M.S. students must register for three hours of ENEC 993.

Master of Arts

Requirements for the master of arts are the same as those for the master of science, except a master of arts paper is prepared (ENEC 992) in place of a master's thesis (ENEC 993).

Affiliated Professors

Carol Arnosti (Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences)
Todd Bendor (City and Regional Planning)
John Bruno (Biology)
Jaye Cable (Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences)
Karl Castillo (Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences)
Michael Emch (Geography and Environment)
Barbara Entwisle (Sociology)
Joel Fodrie (Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences)
Clark Gray (Geography and Environment)
Elizabeth Havice (Geography and Environment
Donald Hornstein (School of Law)
Allen Hurlbert (Biology)
Chip Konrad (Geography and Environment)
Paul Leslie (Anthropology)
Adrian Marchetti (Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences)
Christopher Martens (Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences)
Charles Mitchell (Biology)
Laura J. Moore (Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences)
Rachel Noble (Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences)
Hans Paerl (Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences)
Tamlin Pavelsky (Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences)
David Pfennig (Biology)
Karin Pfennig (Biology)
Michael Piehler (Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences)
Diego Riveros-Iregui (Geography and Environment)
Harvety Seim (Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences)
Maria Servedio (Biology)
Conghe Song (Geography and Environment)
Donna Surge (Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences)
Andreas Teske (Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences)
Gabriela Valdivia (Geography and Environment)
Colin West (Anthropology)
Erika Wise (Geography and Environment)
Andrew Yates (Economics)

Affiliated Associate Professors

Mark Alperin (Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences)
Angel Hsu (Public Policy)
Sophie McCoy (Biology)
Aaron Moody (Geography and Environment)
Janet Nye (Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences)
Johanna Rosman (Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences)
Alecia Septer (Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences)

Affiliated Assistant Professors

Benjamin Bridges (American Studies)
Amanda DelVecchia (Geography and Environment)
Miyuki Hino (City and Regional Planning)
Noah Kittner (Environmental Sciences and Engineering)
Caela O'Connell (Anthropology)
Antonia Sebastian (Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences)
Paul Tallie (Geography and Environment)

Research Faculty

Dick Bilsborrow (Biostatistics)
Jim Costa (Western Carolina University)
Elizabeth Dickinson (Kenan–Flagler Business School)
Lindsay Dubbs (Coastal Studies Institute)
Rich Kamens (Environmental Sciences and Engineering)
Andy Keeler (East Carolina University)
David McNelis (Institute for the Environment)
Robert Peet (Emeritus, Biology)
Rada Petric (Highlands Biological Station)
Johnny Randall (N.C. Botanical Gardens)
Elizabeth Shay (Appalachian State University)
Alan Weakley (NC Botanical Garden)
Jason West (Environmental Sciences and Engineering)
Peter White (Emeritus, Biology)