General Information for Current Students

GDPE student Lindsay Reynolds hiking out of her study sites in Canyon de Chelly National Monument

The Graduate Degree Program in Ecology (GDPE) is CSU's first and largest interdisciplinary graduate degree program. Its primary goal is to provide outstanding training for graduate students in the ecological sciences. Since its inception in 1992, GDPE has grown to become the principal organization that catalyzes cutting-edge and world-renowned ecological research performed at Colorado State University. The Graduate Degree Program in Ecology has over 100 faculty from 6 colleges, 17 departments, and 9 government agencies, and has graduated over 200 students.

The mission of the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology is to provide the highest quality education in ecology through advanced training in current ecological methods, theories, controversies, applications, and teaching methods by drawing on the great depth and breadth of ecological expertise at Colorado State University and in our local community of scientists.

The GDPE Community

Students and faculty in GDPE are located across the CSU campus, both physically and departmentally, making GDPE social events and sponsored seminars an important opportunity to get to know your student and faculty colleagues. We expect our students to genuinely invest in the program, in terms of sponsored GDPE events that include, in addition to formal course requirements, seminars, speakers, social events, and the Front Range Ecology Symposium. Being engaged in the community increases your personal and intellectual growth, as well as generates a wonderful collaborative environment. We know that there are many demands on your time while you are in graduate school; we believe that an important part of your graduate education is the opportunity to interact with students and faculty from diverse fields within ecology, and we trust that you will find your academic and social interactions within GDPE and the greater CSU community to be rewarding and valuable experiences that you will carry with you as you advance through your academic and professional life.

Curriculum Overview

The GDPE curriculum consists of 6-7 credits of required courses (PhD students are required to take one more credit than MS students) and three distribution lists from which students must select courses. The distribution lists contain suggestions for appropriate courses, but are not complete lists. Other courses that fit within these categories may be taken to satisfy the credit requirement. This approach ensures that all students have a fundamental background in ecology while also permitting them to tailor a program to their interests. No specific distribution of ecology courses beyond the required courses is expected by GDPE; the appropriate course work is determined by the student, advisor, and committee. All students should take ECOL 505, Foundations of Ecology (taught each fall) and ECOL 693, Research Seminar (taught each spring) during their first year in the program.

GDPE Organizational Structure

The program is led by the Director, with the Senior Ecologist providing vision and leadership and teaching in the core curriculum. An Executive Committee guides the program direction; this committee comprises representatives from each of the Colleges, as well as 2 At-Large Members. The Director reports to the Deans of the College of Natural Sciences and the Warner College of Natural Resources. The Program Coordinator works with current and prospective faculty and students in the daily operations of the program.

The Graduate School

Graduate degrees are awarded by Colorado State as an overall institution. Accordingly, the University has specified that certain academic practices and procedures shall apply to all graduate degrees regardless of the departments and colleges in which study is undertaken. As is the case in most quality universities, some consistency of requirements has been found desirable. The Colorado State University Graduate School is the unit which applies and administers these requirements. Students should check the Graduate School website frequently for updates and important information regarding deadlines, forms, student services, student rights and responsibilities, details of the thesis and dissertation submission process, and other student resources.

This activity involves several discrete kinds of functions. First, the Graduate School monitors all students' progress through the entire graduate career, from sending out preliminary information on admissions to graduation. It maintains student records on application, admission, credits earned, formal programs of study, academic standing, progress toward the degree, and graduation. Additionally, it provides a regular flow of information to students and faculty regarding these practices so that the necessary steps can be taken as easily and conveniently as possible.

Formal student involvement in the Graduate School proceeds through the Graduate Student Council. The Student Council consists of one student representative and one alternate from each department offering programs leading to advanced degrees. The Council elects its own officers and nominates graduate students for memberships on Faculty Council and Graduate School committees.

The GDPE Student Handbook

The GDPE Student Handbook provides details of the program goals, the nature of the program, resources and facilities, and requirements and guidelines relating to admission standards, committee formation, and the program of study. The Handbook is updated annually, and is available online and as a printable PDF document.