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Ph.D. in Environmental Science

Ph.D. in Environmental Science

Program overview

O’Neill’s Ph.D. in Environmental Science Program provides skills and training in the basic and applied sciences to solve contemporary environmental problems. You’ll research and learn how to communicate solutions to policy makers, natural resource managers, and the general public. Through our interdisciplinary program, you’ll benefit from collaborative research among scientists from various natural and social science disciplines.

As a student in our Ph.D. in Environmental Science Program, you’ll:

Acquire substantial knowledge in a primary environmental science concentration
Develop breadth in related environmental science fields
Become proficient in advanced research methods and develop expertise in a chosen dissertation topic
Develop expertise in a chosen research topic, composing a dissertation of original research with careful and thoughtful analysis and interpretation of the findings

How to apply

Explore the Environment, Society, and Sustainability Institute

Learn more about Water at IU

Chris Craft, director, Ph.D. Program in Environmental Science, talks about rising salt water levels on PBS Newshour.

Work with faculty with wide ranging expertise

Our environmental science faculty conduct research in a number of areas including applied ecology, atmospheric chemistry, biogeochemistry, bioremediation and environmental microbiology, conservation biology, contaminant fate and transport, forest ecology, environmental chemistry, GIS applications, global climate change, surface and groundwater hydrology, limnology, mathematical biology and statistics, meteorology and climatology, and toxicology and developmental neurobiology. Dissertation research may be interdisciplinary or may focus on a sub-discipline of environmental science. Specific research projects are highlighted in individual faculty profiles.

Explore our research areas

Featured faculty focused on environmental science

Meet all environmental science faculty

Admissions information

Applicants to this program should possess a baccalaureate degree in science, mathematics, engineering, or a closely related field. A Master’s degree is not required for admission. A statement of research interests is a key component of the admissions application and is used to match your research interests with those of one or more faculty members. Your statement should refer to a specific area (or areas) of research interest and identify potential research mentors by name. It is highly recommended to initiate contact with potential advisors prior to application, as students are not admitted unless there is a match with a faculty.

How to Apply

Degree requirements

The Ph.D. in Environmental Science requires the completion of 90 credit hours in advanced study and research beyond the bachelor's degree. A student must complete 30 credit hours of advanced course work and 30 credit hours of research, typically taken as SPEA-E 625. The student, with approval of his/her advisory committee, should complete a combination of additional course work and research credit to meet the 90-credit hour requirement.

The exact nature and amount of course work in each of three areas, principal field of study, breadth in environmental science, and research methods, will be determined by the Advisory Committee after review and approval of the student's plan of study.

Adequate knowledge for qualifying examinations
Appropriate preparation for a research project
A mixture of courses that meet the individual professional goals of the student

Each student should define a principal field of study which may be interdisciplinary. The student should prepare a proposal outlining a program of course work that the student believes lies within that principal field.

Each student should also prepare a program of course work that fulfills the requirement of breadth in environmental science and policy. The breadth requirement may be fulfilled by using a wide spectrum of environmentally related courses, including areas such as economics, law, and management, in addition to other science courses.

Each student is also required to prepare a statement of courses or activities for meeting the research methods requirement. Normally these include subjects such as computer science, geographic information systems, remote sensing, statistics, and mathematical modeling, although other technical skill areas such as electronics and analytical chemical techniques may be appropriate for some students.

How to Apply