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.