Program Overview
Human Ecology, MS
The School of Human Ecology has a strong tradition of outreach and counts several faculty members with budgeted extension appointments among its ranks. But all faculty members devote time and resources to ensuring their work benefits others beyond the campus. These efforts reflect the Wisconsin Idea, the notion that the universitys boundaries are those of the state, nation, and beyond. Graduate education at SoHE encompasses this mission by stressing the integration of research with program design and implementation, administration, policy development, and evaluation.
Human ecology is the study of the complex relationships between human beings and their environments. SoHE offers the Human Ecology MS degree with two named options. The Human Ecology named option is the admitting terminal master's degree. Students enrolled in one of the Human Ecology PhD program named options have the opportunity to earn the Human Ecology MS: Human Ecology Research degree along the way to the PhD upon successful completion of coursework and research.
Admitting Human Ecology MS Option
- Master of Science in Human Ecology Program
Non-Admitting Human Ecology MS Option (Earned on the Way to the PhD)
- Master of Science in Human Ecology: Human Ecology Research
Admissions
Students apply to the Master of Science in Human Ecology through one of the named options:
- Human Ecology
- Human Ecology Research
Funding
Graduate School Resources
The Bursars Office provides information about tuition and fees associated with being a graduate student. Resources to help afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School.
Program Resources
Funding opportunities for Human Ecology graduate students are available and made possible, in large part, by generous donations to SoHE. Every year, these funds are used to fund teaching or project assistantships, award academic excellence scholarships, and provide students doing their master's or doctoral research or final MFA project with conference travel scholarships and graduate research scholarships.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum degree requirements and policies, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Major Requirements
Curricular Requirements
- Minimum Credit Requirement: 32 credits
- Minimum Residence Credit Requirement: 16 credits
- Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement: 16 credits must be graduate-level coursework.
- Overall Graduate GPA Requirement: 3.00 GPA required.
- Other Grade Requirements: n/a
- Assessments and Examinations: No additional assessments and examinations.
- Language Requirements: No language requirements.
Required Courses
Select a Named Option for courses required.
Named Options
A named option is a formally documented sub-major within an academic major program. Named options appear on the transcript with degree conferral. Students pursuing the Master of Science in Human Ecology must select one of the following named options:
- Human Ecology: Human Ecology Research, MS
- Human Ecology: Human Ecology, MS
Policies
Students should refer to one of the named options for policy information:
- Human Ecology
- Human Ecology Research
Professional Development
Graduate School Resources
Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.
Program Resources
The School of Human Ecology Graduate Program values the professional development of graduate students and provides financial awards to those who are invited to present at professional conferences/exhibits. The purpose of the support is to encourage participation in professional development, scholarly research, and/or creative endeavor and to help cover expenses not covered by other sources. Students may receive a maximum award of $650 for travel ($750 for international travel) to support conference participation in a single academic year.
Learning Outcomes
- Articulate, critique, or elaborate the theories, research methods, and approaches to inquiry or schools of practice in one's area of study.
- Identify sources and assemble evidence pertaining to questions or challenges in the area of study.
- Understand the social, political, ethical, and economic contexts of research and creative scholarship.
- Compare and contrast multiple paradigms for describing reality (e.g., personal history, world view, philosophic tradition, discipline).
- Understand the Human Ecology perspective by examining and explaining the relations among humans and their natural, social, and built environments using an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary lens.
- Select and/or utilize the most appropriate methodologies and practices.
- Recognize the nature and significance of diversity as related to one's area of study.
- Communicate clearly in ways appropriate to a variety of audiences.
- Recognize and apply principles of ethical conduct.