PhD in Earth & Environment
Our PhD Program emphasizes original research under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Research topics supported by the department reflect our faculty’s diverse research interests. Our faculty are engaged in research sponsored by agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the World Bank, and the United Nations. All applicants are encouraged to contact faculty members directly to discuss potential research opportunities and available positions.
Click here to view the curriculum.
How to Apply
Please note: We do not offer Spring admission. Applications for Fall 2025 opened on September 1st 2024.
The online application process is administered by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GRS). Please do not submit any application materials to the Department.
If you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact Josh Maldonado Graduate Program Coordinator, or contact the Graduate School. The Graduate School does not offer Spring admission.
- Application
- Personal Statement
- Three (3) letters of recommendation, preferably commenting on academic ability from former professors or instructors
- Transcripts (all institutions of higher education you have attended)
- English-language proficiency test scores international students
- Duolingo, TOEFL, and IELTS scores are accepted as outlined by the Graduate School. (Please review more details about English proficiency at the link.)
- Scores are not required of international students who graduated from a college or university in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, Ireland, or New Zealand.
- $95 application fee
GRE scores will not be considered.
For more information on admissions procedures for international students, please visit the GRS website for International Students.
Fee Waiver
Click for information on how to obtain an application fee waiver (available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents only).
Applications for Fall 2025 are OPEN until December 19th, 2024.
Those who also interested in the Boston University Graduate Program in Urban Biogeoscience and Environmental Health (BU URBAN) are encouraged to apply. Note that this is a separate application and is not considered an official application to the Biology PhD program.
First Steps
The research interests in our department are vast and varied; it’s likely your interests will find a home here. The next step in your process should be to contact a faculty member(s) with whom you’d like to study directly and who may end up serving as your primary dissertation advisor.
On our website, you can see how the department organizes its research into clusters of Earth System Sciences, Human-Environment Interactions, and Remote Sensing & Geospatial Sciences. Of course, given the interdisciplinary nature of our department and our research interests, these broad categories overlap frequently.
By email, contact a faculty member or faculty members to begin a conversation about whether E&E and you would be a good fit together.
Note: Not all faculty will be accepting students. Applicants are rarely admitted without such preliminary conversations.
Boston University does not require a Master’s degree prior to beginning the PhD.
Any questions?
