Environmental Science Doctor of Philosophy

About us

The environmental science graduate program is an interdisciplinary program comprised of faculty from many departments within multiple colleges across campus including: 

  • Arts and Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
  • Medicine
  • Public Affairs
  • Public Health
  • Veterinary Medicine.

It is important to understand the processes and principles of the environment - embodied in environmental science - to deal with ecological issues, such as environmental degradation and resource depletion. Understanding will come from research on the problems themselves and on the basic science underlying the problems.

The environmental science graduate program cuts across traditional academic disciplines and colleges to provide sound and effective graduate education and research on these important environmental issues.

The program emphasizes basic research on ecological processes and effects, and applied research and teaching that will contribute to solving the world's pressing environmental problems.

Research areas:

  • • Agroecosystems

    • Air Quality

    • Aquatic Ecology

    • Biodiversity

    • Carbon Sequestration

    • Climate Change

    • Community Development

    • Conservation Ecology

    • Contaminants and Pollutants

    • Decision Science

    • Ecological Engineering

    • Ecological Restoration

    • Economic Analysis

    • Ecosystem Services

    • Environmental Anthropology

    • Environmental Chemistry

    • Environmental Communication and Education

    • Energy and the Environment

    • Environmental Justice

    • Environmental Law and Policy

    • Environmental Molecular Biology

    • Environmental Remediation

    • Fisheries and Aquaculture

    • Food Production and Security

    • Forest Ecology

    • Geology

    • Human Health and the Environment

    • Hydrology

    • Integrated Pest Management

    • Mathematical Modelling

    • Microbial Ecology

    • Natural Resource Management

    • Nutrient Cycling

    • Organic Matter

    • Physiological Ecology

    • Population and Community Ecology

    • Remote Sensing

    • Resilience

    • Risk Assessment

    • Rural and Urban Land Use

    • Soil Health

    • Spatial Analysis

    • Wastewater Management

    • Water Resources

    • Water Quality

    • Wetland Ecology

    • Wildlife Management

Degree information may be foun on the Prospective Students page of the Environmental Science website.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

International graduates of this major are approved by the Department of Homeland Security for three (3) years of work permission in the United States after graduation. Visit the Office of International Affairs website for more information.