Graduate Program

Students at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science work to understand our world’s natural resources and discover solutions that improve people’s lives and the planet as whole. They monitor the impact of pollution on the Chesapeake Bay, track the migration of rockfish, and study the impact of a warming climate on forests. Our graduate students pursue M.S. and Ph.D. degrees through an immersive educational experience in partnership with the University System of Maryland.

UMCES offers four partner graduate programs:

Interested in a Graduate Program?

Applied Ecology & Conservation Biology

Gain scientific training in addressing conservation issues, especially those pertaining to the persistence of native communities in a changing environment, landscape fragmentation, conservation/development conflicts, watershed assessment, and integrated resource management.
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Earth & Ocean Sciences

Students explore the movement and transformation of materials and energy between mountain headwater and estuarine, coastal, and oceanic systems. Topics include landscape dynamics, physical circulation and transport, chemical transformation, and biological reaction.
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Ecological Systems

Spanning the Arctic to the Chesapeake Bay, students study a variety of topics, from landscape ecology to ecological genomics, to fisheries stock assessment. Research is focused on understanding the interactions between organisms and their environment, leading to valuable scientific discovery.
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Environment & Society

Integrating the social and environmental sciences, students will study concepts including coupled natural and human systems, cultural models of the environment, political ecology, participation and governance, ecological economics, and environmental ethics.
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Environmental Molecular Science & Technology

Students use current molecular approaches to study biodiversity, bioremediation, food chains, discovery of drugs and enzymes from marine microbes and macoorganisms, sustainable aquaculture, biofuels, biogeochemistry of carbon cycling, and genomics/metabolomics of marine organisms.
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Molecular Medicine & Toxicology

Developing scientists can pursue training in molecular and mechanistic toxicology and toxicology and environmental health, including mechanisms of cell injury, carcinogenesis, reproductive toxicology, neurotoxicology, aquatic toxicology, and environmental epidemiology and toxicology.
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Molecular Microbiology & Immunology

Learn to take the lead in this program that provides interactive, multifaceted education, and research training to present students a comprehensive education in molecular and cell biology, microbiology and immunology.
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Wildlife & Fisheries Biology

This program will prepare you for research and management positions within the public and private sectors. The program allows flexibility, yet offers courses necessary for certification as a biologist with various professional organizations.
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