Human Ecology

Within the School of Human Ecology are programs in public health, textiles and apparel, nutrition and human development and family sciences.

Bolstering Resilience and the Future

Science-Based, Human-Focused

Researchers and educators in UT Austin’s School of Human Ecology focus on improving people’s quality of life. They do so by investigating and probing topics that lie at the heart of basic and enduring human experiences across time, place and life circumstances. From the food we eat, to the relationships we nurture, from the textiles that protect and clothe us to the health practices our communities adopt, our modern world demands new understanding of age-old human experiences. 

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For Majors

Experiences & Careers

At the heart of the experience of learning in the School of Human Ecology is hands-on discovery. Students take unique internships and participate in specialized programs for their majors, like UT in NYC for fashion-design learners studying textiles and apparel or going abroad and doing research related to public health for majors in that discipline. Depending on their major, students go on to careers in business, education, healthcare or industry, and some enter professional school or graduate school. Recent grads have jobs like:

  • Medical doctor
  • Creative services coordinator
  • Health community outreach coordinator
  • Health policy associate
  • Fashion designer
  • Clinical data specialist

Explore Human Ecology career Paths

See experiential learning opportunities for our majors

In The Texas Scientist

Explore Stories

Students in the School of Human Ecology make research presentations, do video-making, conduct lab research, participate in community initiatives and secure internships. Our students frequently get to apply what they learn from textbooks or in class to real-world situations and problems.

Internship experiences that count

Technology, textiles and Student ambassadorS

UT in NYC: Perspective from students

Fighting a scourge of foodborne illness