Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental and Earth Sciences

The program leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Environmental and Earth Sciences is designed primarily to prepare doctoral-level students for research careers in industry, government or academic institutions. Students carry out independent research and acquire practical knowledge of the type of research conducted and the constraints (both practical and philosophical) under which such research is conducted. The areas of research are interdisciplinary using the Earth's environment, interpreted broadly, as the theme. Research normally comes from the disciplines of Geoscience, Biology, Chemistry and Engineering, but contributions from other disciplines are welcome. The program is designed to provide graduate students an integrated, multidisciplinary education, requiring a breadth of understanding and mastery of a spectrum of scientific and engineering principles. Among the goals is to provide students who have earned engineering or science undergraduate degrees a common ground for interdisciplinary communication, an understanding of the environment, and competence in a research area that will enable them to evaluate complex environmental problems.

For unconditional admission a student must meet the following requirements:

A Masters Degree or at least 30 hours of graduate coursework in environmental science, biology, chemistry, geology, mathematics or engineering. Students with a Bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, geology, mathematics, or engineering will be considered for the B.S. to Ph.D. track if they meet the other requirements for admission to doctoral studies.

A minimum graduate coursework GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, as calculated by the Graduate School.

Applicants are expected to submit a score of at least 550 on the paper-based TOEFL, a score of at least 213 on the computer-based TOEFL, a minimum score of 6.5 on the IELTS, or a minimum TOEFL iBT total score of 79. Further, when the TOEFL iBT is taken, sectional scores of at least 22 on the writing section, 21 on the speaking section, 20 on the reading section, and 16 on the listening section are preferred.

Graduate Application Priority Dates - Fall: March 15; Spring: August 15; Summer: February 15.