Social Ecology Core Program - Ph.D.

Program Overview

The Ph.D. in Social Ecology at UCI is an interdisciplinary program that integrates theory and research from multiple disciplines to analyze and address psychological, social, legal, and environmental problems. Students are encouraged to collaborate with faculty across the university and receive guaranteed funding for the first five years. The program emphasizes breadth and depth in understanding social ecology and applying the ecological paradigm, with a focus on research that can be used to mitigate problems.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Ph.D. in Social Ecology is a tailored program of graduate study that draws upon knowledge from various academic disciplines. The program focuses on an interdisciplinary approach to theory and research, and applying research to policy and intervention. Students are encouraged to integrate diverse theoretical and methodological insights from multiple disciplines to analyze psychological, social, legal, and environmental problems.

Objectives:

• Integrate theoretical and methodological insights from multiple disciplines to analyze problems across various contexts.
• Design research that can be used to mitigate those problems.

Program Description:

• The program emphasizes breadth and depth in understanding classic and contemporary literature in social ecology and applying the ecological paradigm.
• It is ideal for independent students who want to develop a unique interdisciplinary program of study.
• The program offers guaranteed funding for the first five years, including research assistantships, teaching assistantships, fellowships, and on-campus housing.

Teaching:

• Students are encouraged to take courses throughout the university, both within and outside of the School of Social Ecology.
• They can collaborate with faculty within the School and across the UCI campus.

Other:

• Students complete a supervised research project before starting their doctoral dissertation.
• Research can include experimental methods, questionnaires, interviews, field observation, secondary analyses, and legal analyses.
• Students should begin working on the second-year research project during their first year and complete it by the end of the winter quarter of the second year.
• A committee of three Social Ecology faculty members evaluates and approves the research project.
• Students may submit their second-year research project as a thesis to partially fulfill the requirements for an M.A.
in Social Ecology.
• Students complete the Breadth Requirement during their third year, demonstrating mastery of theory, research, policy, and practice on two social or environmental problems.
• The Breadth Requirement is evaluated by a committee of three Social Ecology faculty members and the Faculty Graduate Advisor.
• The fourth year is devoted to developing and defending a dissertation proposal and conducting dissertation research.
• Students complete the dissertation in their fourth or fifth year.
• Students must advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. by the end of their fifth year.
• The final years of doctoral study focus on dissertation research and defense.
• Students should strive to complete all requirements for the Ph.D. within five years, but they have up to seven years to do so, adjusting for approved leaves of absence.
• Failure to complete requirements by the end of the seventh year may result in termination of doctoral student status.