The Graduate Degree Program in Ecology (GDPE) offers outstanding opportunities for graduate studies in basic and applied aspects of ecology. Any graduate student enrolled in a master's or doctoral degree program with a major advisor who is a member of the GDPE faculty may participate in this university-wide, interdisciplinary Ecology program, which offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Ecology. The program is a cooperative effort among over 155 faculty members from 17 departments and 6 colleges of the University who share a common interest in ecology. The primary goal of the program is to provide basic training in current ecological methods, theories, concepts, controversies, and applications by drawing together individuals and synthesizing knowledge from a wider variety of traditional disciplinary areas of science. Through the cooperation of the many academic departments and government agencies, the program offers a wide array of facilities, field research sites, equipment, and support services. Because of its location, one of the University's greatest resources is its accessibility to a wide variety of field study sites. Nearby major habitats include: shortgrass steppe and mixed grass prairies, sagebrush steppe, montane and subalpine meadows, forests, southwestern deserts, alpine peaks, river and lake systems, and numerous agroecosystems.