School of Environmental Studies

Environmental Sciences Ph.D.
Admission, Classification & Candidacy

Apply Now

Requirements for Admission

Your admission as a Ph.D. degree-seeking applicant will be based on your prior academic record and letters of recommendation.

Admission with Full Standing

• Biology Applicants must have:
  • Bachelor’s or master’s degree in a biological science
  • Grade Point Average of 3.5 or above for the highest degree earned
  • NO LONGER REQUIRED - GRE scores of at least 300 (Quantitative + Verbal) and 3.5 (Analytical Writing) for students entering any concentration within the Environmental Sciences Ph.D. degree program.
  • International applicants must satisfactorily complete the English Language Requirement on one of the following: TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic, FLS, ELS, TOEIC, CEFR, SLEP.
  • In addition, a graduate faculty member must have agreed to direct the student’s doctoral program and financial support must have been identified for a stipend and for research needs. Please click here for the form: Graduate Advisor Acceptance Form (PDF)
• Chemistry Applicants must have:
  • Bachelor’s or master’s degree in science, mathematics, engineering, or environmental science
  • Grade Point Average of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale
  • NO LONGER REQUIRED - GRE scores of at least 300 (Quantitative + Verbal) and 3.5 (Analytical Writing) for students entering any concentration within the Environmental Sciences Ph.D. degree program.
  • International applicants must satisfactorily complete the English Language Requirement on one of the following: TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic, FLS, ELS, TOEIC, CEFR, SLEP.
  • CV and cover letter must be submitted with application materials for the Chemistry concentration ONLY. 
• Agriculture, Geosciences, and Integrated Research Applicants must have (other requirements will be updated as they are determined):
  • NO LONGER REQUIRED - GRE scores of at least 300 (Quantitative + Verbal) and 3.5 (Analytical Writing) for students entering any concentration within the Environmental Sciences Ph.D. degree program.
  • International applicants must satisfactorily complete the English Language Requirement on one of the following: TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic, FLS, ELS, TOEIC, CEFR, SLEP.
  • In addition, a graduate faculty member must have agreed to direct the student’s doctoral program and financial support must have been identified for a stipend and for research needs. Please click here for the form: Graduate Advisor Acceptance Form (PDF)

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants who do not fully meet the above requirements may be admitted in Provisional Standing on the basis of a favorable recommendation to the College of Graduate Studies by the appropriate departmental chairperson and the Director of the Environmental Sciences doctoral program.

Admission with Provisional Standing

This classification indicates that in the opinion of the appropriate department and the Director of Environmental Sciences, the student did not qualify for Full Standing and that specific deficiencies must be removed before the completion of 15 graduate hours.

Deficiencies may be either:

• Insufficient undergraduate grade average
• Insufficient background preparation for the specific field, indicating the necessity for certain prerequisite courses as preparation for pursuing the proposed graduate program
• Lack of satisfactory scores on admission tests.

The student must apply for reclassification after having satisfactorily removed all deficiencies and met any special conditions or requirements as stated on their admission form by using the form below.

Request for Reclassification to Full Standing

Admission with Special Standing

Students who declare a non-degree graduate objective or transient students who have been admitted to graduate schools of other institutions are assigned to Special Standing. This classification enables a student to enroll for graduate credit in certain academic areas, but it does not guarantee that such credit will be counted toward a degree objective.

When a student in Special Standing has been reclassified to Provisional or Full Standing, a maximum of 9 semester credits earned in Special Standing may be counted toward a degree objective, provided approval is given by the department in which the student wishes to concentrate, the Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies, and the Director of Environmental Sciences. A student classified as Special Standing who has already completed 9 hours should file for reclassification or admittance before additional course work is undertaken.

NOTE: Since Special Standing students are not at that time potential degree candidates, they may be denied permission to enroll in certain courses.

 

Admission for Candidacy

Admission to the Graduate School in any of the categories described previously does not imply admission to candidacy for a graduate degree. A student is formally admitted as a Candidate for his/her Ph.D. degree in Environmental Sciences based on the recommendation of the student's Graduate Advisory Committee.

The student must have:

• • Completed eighty percent of the course work in the program of study.
  • Satisfactorily completed the comprehensive examination.
  • Submitted a proposed doctoral research project (research plan) that has been approved by the Graduate Advisory Committee.

It is the responsibility of the student to have their research advisor submit the proper memo to the College of Graduate Studies.

Sample Memo for Recommendation for Candidacy (PDF)