Conservation studies looks at different threats to a healthy ecosystem. Students may gain a broad, interdisciplinary knowledge of a wide range of environmental issues. They may also learn about the economic, political and social forces involved in environmental degradation.

The PhD is a doctoral degree, specifically called a "doctor of philosophy" degree. This is misleading because PhD holders are not necessarily philosophers (unless they earned their degree in philosophy!). That said, PhD recipients are able to engage in thought experiments, reason about problems, and solve problems in sophisticated ways.