Degrees

The Richard Gilder Graduate School at AMNH offers a wide range of training opportunities for students and postdoctoral trainees in the life sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities. The School serves as the umbrella for the Museum’s university-level programs, including its own Ph.D. and MAT degrees, collaborative doctoral degree programs with leading universities in New York State, postdoctoral fellowships, NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) summer internships, and a series of grants programs.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Comparative Biology: In 2006, the New York State Board of Regents authorized that the Richard Gilder Graduate School confer the Ph.D. in Comparative Biology. This degree is currently accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.), and is the first Ph.D. degree-granting program for any museum in the western hemisphere.

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT): Building on a successful pilot program for the innovative teaching of grades 7-12 educators, in 2015, the New York State Board of Regents authorized that the Richard Gilder Graduate School confer the Master of Arts in Teaching, with a specialization in Earth Science. This is also the first such degree program in any Museum, and it is also accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.