Geography and Environmental Engineering, PhD
A PhD student in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering will conduct research aimed at addressing an environmental problem in their subfield of interest, whether that be water quality, air pollution, climate change, or energy systems.
The goals for students in our Ph.D. program are:
- develop reasoning skills that can be applied to new and unanticipated environmental issues;
- learn how to pose scientific questions and answer them in a systematic manner;
- acquire depth of understanding and technical knowledge in a particular study area, on par with other scientists and engineers worldwide; and
- make a significant contribution to scientific understanding of a particular environmental problem.
Students from the PhD program have gone on to pursue successful careers in academia, local, state, and federal government, environmental consulting, and many other fields.
Doctoral students should complete their formal coursework in their first two years of the program. The coursework should cover both the student’s principal research area and include some breadth.
Program Requirements
Research in Environmental Health and Engineering is diverse, however we believe all EHE students will gain from participating in courses that provide a foundation before pursuing their unique curriculum.
All EHE doctoral students are required to register for the following department seminars, doctoral research courses, and ethics courses. Additional course requirements are listed in the EHE Graduate Student Handbook.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EN.570.841 | Wolman Seminar- Graduates (every semester) | 1 |
| PH.180.860 | EHE Student Seminar & Grand Rounds (once per year in Years 2-4) | 1 |
| EN.570.801 | Doctoral Research (every semester) | 3 - 20 |
| EN.500.603 | Graduate Academic Ethics (first semester of enrollment) | 0 |
| AS.360.625 | Responsible Conduct of Research (first semester of enrollment) | 0.5 |
Doctoral students housed in WSE will need to complete the following requirements:
EHE Safety Seminars
Attendance is required at all of the scheduled meetings if any lab or field work is planned. This safety training is required each Fall semester for all students participating in lab-based research or field-based research. If there is a conflict with another class, students should ask the instructor to be excused from the other class. Watch for emails announcing the dates of the safety seminars.
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
All WSE graduate students who conduct research must take the Responsible Conduct of Research training. It is expected that this training is conducted prior to participating in any research, preferably in the first semester of coursework. Students will not be able to graduate until this requirement is satisfied. PhD students must take the in-person version of this course, AS.360.625 Responsible Conduct of Research.
Academic Ethics Course
PhD students must take EN.500.603 Graduate Academic Ethics. This WSE requirement is a 20-minute online tutorial to help educate all new graduate students about their academic and ethical responsibilities— all new students are required to complete this and receive a passing grade of four out of four. Students must successfully complete the online tutorial and quiz within the first eight weeks of their first semester in the graduate program. Students are automatically enrolled in the course. Students will not be able to graduate until this requirement is satisfied.