Graduate Program in Environmental Science (GPES)
M.S., M.P.S. & Ph.D.

Director: David L. Johnson

The Graduate Program in Environmental Science (GPES) offers M.S., M.P.S., and Ph.D. degrees. GPES was created in the early 1970's as a unique response to the emerging institutional and analytical challenges of developing environmental problems. The program, which draws upon faculty from across the College, emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to environmental understanding, problem solving and stewardship. It maintains a strong academic orientation, facilitating student and faculty engagement of fundamental environmental challenges such as resource utilization and sustainability, the uses and limits of scientific prediction and risk analysis, and a holistic concern for the health of the environment.

The mission of GPES is to provide interdisciplinary education, research, and public service to   prepare students to comprehensively address environmental concerns and problems, investigate practical solutions to them, and to foster effective environmental stewardship. The program provides for the following:

Requirements

The academic requirements of the graduate program in environmental science are designed to provide graduates with a sound preparation to meet the rapidly evolving challenges of the field as leading scholars and professionals.  Requirements for one of the 5 currently defined program areas of study constitute a framework which includes:

• a comprehensive core foundation emphasizing theory, issues, and methods
• extended knowledge within an area of study
• a synthesis experience

Entering students should be adequately prepared to engage graduate level work in the program.  The following undergraduate courses are required pre- or co-requisites for Master's level students enrolling in the established 5 program areas: statistics, ecology, and microeconomics or environmental economics. Courses in political science or equivalent policy studies are strongly recommended.  In addition, students should have an academic background and/or work experience related to the selected area of study. Wherever possible, deficiencies should be made up prior to matriculation.

Students applying should designate one of the current areas of study in their application. At the PhD level, the student, major professor and thesis committee, working together,  establish a mix of core foundation courses and areas of specialization that support an original dissertation research program.

Relationship to Syracuse University

SUNY-ESF and Syracuse University (SU) share a campus. ESF students have access to all SU libraries and other facilities and may take courses from SU at no additional cost. Similarly, SU students have access to ESF facilities and courses. Environmental Studies students benefit from the broad range of courses ESF offers as well as from the many offerings at SU in political science, communication and rhetorical studies, arts, geography, anthropology, philosophy, etc. Graduate students have the opportunity to pursue several concurrent degree programs with SU.

Contact us

Graduate Program in Environmental Science
SUNY-ESF
107 Marshall Hall
1 Forestry Drive
Syracuse, NY 13210–2787 USA

Phone (315) 470–6528/6829
Fax (315) 470–6915 (Attn: D.L. Johnson, GPES)
Director: David L. Johnson