Is ecological economics a viable field of study?

I come from an environmental studies background and my only exposure to economics has been working alongside an economist coworker of mine. Prior to working with him, I never cared for economics, but now I have become interested in pursuing a graduate degree that integrates economic principles in the field of environmental sustainability.

I have since applied to a program in ecological economics (considered hetorodox economics and covers problems like degrowth/post-growth, inequality, and policy; my background in environmental studies and indigenous rights fits well here), but I'm starting to wonder whether environmental economics may be a better choice (from my limited understanding, this is closer to applied traditional economics).

I understand that the applications and work opportunities will be very different in ecological vs environmental economics, and my coworker also told me that traditional economists tend to frown upon disciplines like ecological economics; though he encouraged me to go for it anyway because it's well-aligned with my interests and values. But now, reading some of the criticisms here about ecological and heterodox economics makes me wonder whether that would be a nonsensical field of study and if maybe I'm making rash decisions about a topic I know very little about. I'm unsure if it makes a difference that the program is offered by a prestigious economics-focused university.

Thank you for your opinion!