Degree Requirements: 78 Credit Hours

Admission

Students are selected for the Doctorate of Philosophy in Environmental Science degree program on a competitive basis. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Applications for graduate assistantships must be received by April 1 to receive full consideration for fall, and are reviewed each semester. Students must comply with the College of Graduate Studies degree completion timeline. A student who has not matriculated for three or more consecutive semesters must re-apply and meet all admission requirements in effect at the time of the new application for admission. 

Admission Requirements

For potential admission to the College of Graduate Studies to pursue graduate work leading to the Doctorate of Philosophy in Environmental Science, the applicant:

1. Must have completed requirements for the bachelors or masters degree in a college accredited by the proper regional accrediting associations.
2. Must complete the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) (scores must be sent to the College of Graduate Studies) with a combined verbal and quantitative score typically at 300 or above..
3. Must complete the TOEFL Exam with scores sent to the College of Graduate Studies (international students only).
4. Must submit a statement of research interests and career goals as pertains to pursuing a PhD in Environmental Science. 
5. Must submit three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic or professional experience.
6. Typically, will have a minimum 2.8 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) for all undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) coursework.

Program of Study

The graduate student and the graduate committee shall jointly develop a Program of Study that includes 78 credits in graduate course work including the required courses listed below.

Total Credit Hours: 78

Other Program Requirements

1. Each candidate for the Doctorate of Philosophy in Environmental Science must have accomplished the following by the end of their second term in order to maintain their eligibility for a graduate assistantship:

• Identified an adviser approved by the Graduate Director of the Environmental Science Program.
• Received approval from the Graduate Director of the Environmental Science Graduate Program to take courses that are taught outside of the Ph.D. Environmental Science degree. 

2. Each candidate for the Doctorate of Philosophy in Environmental Science  must have accomplished the following by the end of their fourth term (excluding summers) to earn or maintain their eligibility for a graduate assistantship:

• Established a doctoral committee consisting of four graduate faculty, including the primary advisor.
• Successfully passed written preliminary exams administered and evaluated by the student’s doctoral committee.
• Submitted, defended orally, and had approved by the student’s doctoral committee a novel research proposal. 

3. Each candidate for the Doctorate of Philosophy in Environmental Science must complete a dissertation on a subject approved by his/her doctoral committee.

• This dissertation must be defended before the doctoral committee.
• The dissertation defense is a comprehensive examination that may include questions on the dissertation, subject matter related to the dissertation, and course work.
• In addition to the dissertation, the student must provide the adviser (if requested) with all forms of the data that were collected, including electronic files, and a written document detailing the contents of the data files (or other forms).

The degree is conferred at the end of the semester during which the student has passed the dissertation defense and the final written version of the dissertation has been approved by the doctoral committee.