The SDSU Department of Biology offers a doctoral degree in Ecology that is run jointly by SDSU and the Ecology Graduate Group at UC Davis. The principal objective of the Joint Doctoral Program in Ecology (JDPE) is to provide an environment of excellence in Ecology research, teaching, and mentoring for our students. To meet this objective, students will attend both SDSU and UC Davis and will have both an SDSU major advisor and a UC Davis mentor.
The joint nature of the doctoral program offers two primary advantages. First, students benefit from contact and expertise in and outside of the classroom with faculty members of two strong ecology programs. Second, across the two campuses, students can access facilities and field sites in nearly all the major biomes of California. SDSU’s JDPE faculty have particular strengths in quantitative ecology, conservation ecology, coastal marine ecology, ecosystem ecology, and global change.
JDPE students spend their first year at SDSU with their advisor to begin preparation of a thesis proposal. The student then moves to UC Davis for additional coursework in preparation for the Qualifying Examination. On return to SDSU, the thesis research is completed, and the dissertation is presented. The Ph.D. degree is awarded jointly by SDSU and UC Davis.