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Penn State's Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology prepares scientists to investigate nature's complex systems and relationships. Our program equips students with skills to study, experiment on, and interpret ecological patterns, aiming to address critical modern challenges like biodiversity loss, climate impacts, invasive species threats, food system stability, and disease transmission. Combining expertise in biological and physical sciences with field, computational, and statistical methods, graduates gain distinctive interdisciplinary career advantages. With 50 faculty and 50 students, the Ecology Program builds on its strong traditions - including student-led seminars that enhance professional abilities while fostering teamwork and connections. The flexible curriculum emphasizes depth over breadth, offering fundamental ecological training alongside cutting-edge developments and scientific communication practice.
For admission to the Graduate School, an applicant must hold a degree from an officially recognized degree-granting institution in the country in which it operates. Degree must be a: Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or Tertiary (postsecondary) degree that is deemed comparable to a four-year bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution.
English Proficiency: TOEFL Internet-based test (iBT) - a total score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section for the internet-based test (iBT); TOEFL Paper-based test - the minimum acceptable score is 550; IELTS - The minimum acceptable composite score for the IELTS Academic Test is 6.5.