The PhD in Earth & Environment provides students with extensive and cross-disciplinary research opportunities within the earth and environmental sciences, geography, remote sensing, sustainability, and energy, environment analysis, and policy. Students may specialize, for example, in—and at the interface of—climate dynamics; carbon & nutrient cycling; surface processes; hydrology; active tectonics and crustal evolution; sustainable food, water, and energy; land use/land cover change; environmental analysis and policy; paleoclimate and earth history; and coastal, marine, and ecosystem response to climate change. Upon completion of the PhD, students should be prepared for postgraduate training and to assume teaching and/or research positions in academia, industry, government, or nonprofit agencies.
Credits
Students must complete 64 credits at the graduate level (500 level or above); a maximum of 32 credits at the 900 level may be applied toward this requirement. Appropriate coursework will be determined in consultation with the student’s major advisor and dissertation committee. Students with prior graduate work may be able to transfer up to 32 credits toward completion of the PhD requirements.
Qualifying Examination
Students must pass a qualifying examination by the end of the fifth semester in order to be advanced to PhD candidacy. The purpose of the Qualifying Exam is to determine whether students have the requisite background and intellectual curiosity needed for successful completion of the PhD. The exam consists of written and oral components. Recommendations to the department for advancement to PhD candidacy will depend on the results from the qualifying examination and on performance in coursework and research.
Dissertation and Final Oral Examination
Candidates shall demonstrate their abilities for independent study in a dissertation representing original research or creative scholarship. A prospectus for the dissertation must be completed and approved by the readers, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Department Chair/Program Director within a year after passing the qualifying exam. Candidates must undergo a final oral examination in which they defend their dissertation as a valuable contribution to knowledge in their field and demonstrate a mastery of their field of specialization in relation to their dissertation. All portions of the dissertation and final oral examination must be completed as outlined in the GRS General Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree.
In Sum
- 64 credits of coursework at the 500-level or above
- Qualifying exam
- Dissertation and final oral examination
- Professional development requirement
- Such as conference presentation, poster session, etc., as determined in consultation with the student’s advisor
- Satisfactory Academic Progress for PhD Degree
Complementary Programs
The Department of Earth & Environment and our partners offer two programs to complement the PhD:
- Graduate Certificate Program in Biogeoscience
- Students who graduate with the Graduate Certificate in Biogeoscience will demonstrate academic mastery in a biogeoscientific field, attain research expertise, and complete original research that advances a specific field of study within the field of biogeoscience.
- Graduate Program in Urban Biogeoscience & Environmental Health
- PhD trainees in the BU URBAN program tackle urban environmental challenges using interdisciplinary methods and a co-production approach centered on partnerships with governments, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.