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2018-2019 Graduate Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: CONTENT MAY NOT BE CURRENT. USE THE DROP DOWN ABOVE TO ACCESS THE CURRENT CATALOG.
Doctor of Philosophy - Environmental Science (ON HOLD)
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 Return to: UNLV Graduate Programs
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Plan Description
The School of Public Policy and Leadership administers an interdisciplinary program offering Environmental Science M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.
Description and Objectives of the Program
The graduate program in Environmental Science fosters an understanding of interrelationships between disciplines in addition to requiring depth of study in specialized areas. It emphasizes the need to understand the social context and environmental consequences of using science and technology to serve human needs. We require all students to take two core courses: Environmental Problem Solving (ENV 702), and Environmental Law and Policy Seminar (ENV 703). Other course work in support of a student’s specialization generally includes courses from several departments and student research often crosses disciplinary lines.
The general objectives of offering a Ph.D. degree in Environmental Science at UNLV are to:
- Promote the understanding of environmental systems, the relationship among science, environmental management and the human condition, and the effective management of that relationship.
- Respond to local, state, regional, national and international needs for environmental professionals with advanced degrees.
- Assist in the process of shifting toward more sustainable practices in our local community, state and throughout the world.
- Encourage graduate students, undergraduate students, and faculty from various departments, colleges and NSHE institutions to collaborate in an effort to find new and creative solutions to environmental problems.
- Assist in the development of expertise that will both support excellence in Environmental Science at UNLV and lead to the enhancement of disciplinary graduate programs of each department.
- Provide opportunities and encouragement for both disciplinary and interdisciplinary student and faculty interactions that will promote team-building; undergraduate, graduate, faculty mentoring activities; community problem-solving; and enhance instructional programs at UNLV.
- Support graduate student research with grants and contracts from extramural sources.
- Encourage faculty and graduate student research on environmental projects developed in cooperation with the UNLV International Programs Office and institutions abroad.
For more information about your program, including your graduate program handbook and learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Directory.
Plan Admission Requirements
Application deadlines
Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.
Applications are reviewed twice per year: February 15 and November 15. Requirements 1-5 below must be met before applying to the program. Items 7 and 8 must be submitted directly to the School of Public Policy and Leadership office prior to the application review dates.
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- Minimum of three credits of calculus or three credits of statistics and at least 12 credit hours in physical and/or biological sciences with grades of B or better.
- A GPA of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale is required for admission.
- Scores at or above the 50th percentile in all three areas of the Graduate Record Exam.
- International students must take and obtain a score of at least 550 on the TOEFL exam.
- Application to the Graduate College, submitted using the on-line application system.
- Three letters of recommendation from professors, employers and/or professional colleagues.
- A 1-2 page “Statement of Objectives.”
The Graduate Coordinating Committee uses the Statement of Objectives to determine whether the necessary physical and intellectual resources exist at UNLV to allow the applicant to achieve her/his objectives. The statement will be used to identify and appoint an appropriate advisor for the first year of graduate study, and make other decisions regarding admissibility.
All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.
Post-Master’s Track
Students who have completed an M.S. in Chemistry or Environmental Science (Environmental Chemistry) may qualify for the 48 credits Post-Master’s Track. However, additional credits may be required to address student deficiencies or build specialized expertise. Course selection will be based on the student’s research objectives, academic record and results of a preliminary examination. This examination will consist of the American Chemical Society Advanced Placement Examination or will be a three-part placement examination prepared by the Chemistry Department with assistance from faculty in other areas appropriate to the particular interests of the student.
Students are accepted into a degree program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding sub-disciplines and sub-plans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.
Subplan 1 Requirements: Post-Bachelor’s - Environmental Chemistry Track (On Hold)
Total Credits Required: 72
Required Courses – Credits: 6
Seminar Course – Credits: 6
Chemistry Courses – Credits: 9
Complete 9 credits of advisor-approved CHE or WRM graduate-level courses.
Elective Courses – Credits: 33
Complete 33 credits of advisor-approved elective coursework.
Dissertation – Credits: 18
Degree Requirements
- A minimum of 72 credits beyond the baccalaureate is required for the Ph.D. degree.
- At least 36 credits must be from 700-level courses.
- Requirements for completion of each of the fields in the degree program will frequently make it necessary for students to exceed minimum credit requirements.
- The student is advised to examine the specific information for each field of study for additional requirements.
- Each student admitted to the Ph.D. program in Environmental Science will be appointed an initial advisor. The initial advisor will help the student design an appropriate curriculum, evaluate possible research directions or opportunities, identify an advisor, and become aware of personnel and resources available in Environmental Science at UNLV.
- By the end of the second semester the student will select a chair of her/ his Advisory Committee and, in consultation with that chair recommend membership on the Advisory Committee. It will be composed of a total of four members representing appropriate expertise plus one representative from the Graduate College. The Advisory Committee and the chair are subject to approval by the Graduate Coordinating Committee. The Advisory Committee will assist the student in course selection and definition of a research topic for the dissertation.
- Students must make satisfactory progress each semester to remain in the program. Satisfactory progress is defined as filing an approved program before the completion of nine credits of course work, completion of the minimum required credits in the approved program per calendar year, maintenance of a GPA of at least 3.00, no grades below a C, and compliance with the Graduate Catalog. Any student whose GPA falls below 3.00 will be placed on probation and will have one semester to raise the GPA to a 3.00 or above.
- The program of study will be developed by the student and advisor and filed with the Graduate College. Prior to filing, the student’s graduate committee must approve the program. The program of study must be submitted by the second semester of study.
- Satisfactory performance on a written Comprehensive Examination prepared by the Chemistry Department (with collaboration from other appropriate faculty).
- Satisfactory oral defense of the student’s dissertation proposal before the student’s dissertation committee. The dissertation advisor shall be present but non-voting.
- Satisfactory performance on an oral final defense of the dissertation. The dissertation committee will be selected by the completion of the student’s first year and composed of:
- Three members of the Chemistry Department (usually the Dissertation advisor and two faculty members in related fields).
- Two members selected from the participating units in the Environmental Science Doctoral Program (including collaborating departments at UNLV and/or faculty from the DRI or UNR).
- One member appointed by the Graduate College.
Subplan 2 Requirements: Post-Bachelor’s - Environmental Policy and Management Track
Total Credits Required: 72
Required Courses – Credits: 9
Elective Courses – Credits: 45
Complete 45 credits of advisor-approved elective coursework.
Dissertation & Directed Readings – Credits: 18
Complete 0-6 credits of Directed Readings and 12-18 credits of Dissertation. A maximum of 18 credits in combination can be counted towards the degree.
Degree Requirements
- A minimum of 72 credits beyond the baccalaureate is required for the Ph.D. degree.
- At least 36 credits must be from 700-level courses.
- Requirements for completion of each of the fields in these degree programs will frequently make it necessary for students to exceed these minimum credit requirements.
- The student is advised to examine the specific information for each field of study for additional requirements.
- Students will design three areas of concentration in consultation with their advisor, each consisting of a minimum of three courses. Courses in an area of concentration do not need to have the same prefix or be from the same department. Areas of concentration should represent a subset of expertise that is relevant to the student’s program. Areas may include, but are not limited to: anthropology, biological sciences, chemistry, communication, economics, education, geology, risk analysis, history, mathematics, political science, public administration, sociology, or statistics. Areas of concentration must be approved by the student’s committee chair.
- Each student admitted to the Ph.D. program in Environmental Science will be appointed an initial advisor. The initial advisor will help the student design an appropriate curriculum, evaluate possible research directions or opportunities, identify an advisor, and become aware of personnel and resources available in Environmental Science at UNLV.
- Each student will be required to take ENV 701 during the first semester it is offered after the student joins the program and an advanced methods course during some subsequent semester.
- A minimum of 12 credit hours each calendar year and at least three each semester.
- By the end of the second semester the student will select a chair of her/ his Advisory Committee and, in consultation with that chair recommend membership on the Advisory Committee. It will be composed of a total of four members representing appropriate expertise plus one representative from the Graduate College. The Advisory Committee and the chair are subject to approval by the Graduate Coordinating Committee. The Advisory Committee will assist the student in course selection and definition of a research topic for the dissertation.
- Students must make satisfactory progress each semester to remain in the program. Satisfactory progress is defined as filing an approved program before the completion of nine credits of course work, completion of the minimum required credits in the approved program per calendar year, maintenance of a GPA of at least 3.00, no grades below a C, and compliance with the Graduate Catalog. Any student whose GPA falls below 3.00 will be placed on probation and will have one semester to raise the GPA to a 3.00 or above.
- The program of study will be developed by the student and advisor and filed with the Graduate College. Prior to filing, the student’s graduate committee must approve the program. The program of study must be submitted by the second semester of study. Students must also fulfill the requirements specific to their field of study as described below.
- Students will have three additional semesters beyond completion of ENV 701 to advance to candidacy. Each student in the Ph.D. program must take a minimum of three credits of Directed Readings (ENV 797) each semester following completion of ENV 701 until he or she has successfully advanced to candidacy. A maximum of six credits of ENV 797 may count towards the 72 total credits required by the program. Each Ph.D. candidate must take a minimum of three credits of dissertation research (ENV 798) each semester until graduation. 18 credits of ENV 798 and ENV 797 combined may be included in the 72 total credits required by the program. No more than six of these may be ENV 797; a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 18 of these may be ENV 798.
- Following completion of course work from the three areas selected, the Advisory Committee will administer a qualifying examination. Students who fail the qualifying examination may be allowed to retake it one time. The student will then defend a dissertation proposal before the student’s Advisory Committee. The student’s Doctoral Advisory Committee must approve the dissertation proposal. The dissertation advisor shall be present but non-voting. Students are advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. upon the completion of all course work and approval of the dissertation research proposal. Completion of the dissertation and its successful defense will complete degree requirements.
- Satisfactory performance on a written Comprehensive Examination prepared by the Chemistry Department (with collaboration from other appropriate faculty).
- Satisfactory performance on an oral final defense of the dissertation. The dissertation committee will be selected by the completion of the student’s first year and composed of:
- Three members of the Chemistry Department (usually the Dissertation advisor and two faculty members in related fields).
- Two members selected from the participating units in the Environmental Science Doctoral Program (including collaborating departments at UNLV and/or faculty from the DRI or UNR).
- One member appointed by the Graduate College.
Subplan 3 Requirements: Post-Master’s - Environmental Chemistry Track (On Hold)
Total Credits Required: 48
Required Courses – Credits: 6
Seminar Course – Credits: 6
Chemistry Courses – Credits: 9
Complete 9 credits of advisor-approved CHE or WRM graduate-level courses.
Elective Courses – Credits: 9
Complete 9 credits of advisor-approved elective coursework.
Dissertation – Credits: 18
Degree Requirements
- A minimum of 48 credits beyond the master’s is required for the Ph.D. degree. Additional credits may be required to address student deficiencies or build specialized expertise.
- At least 24 credits must be from 700-level courses.
- Requirements for completion of each of the fields in the degree program will frequently make it necessary for students to exceed minimum credit requirements.
- The student is advised to examine the specific information for each field of study for additional requirements.
- Each student admitted to the Ph.D. program in Environmental Science will be appointed an initial advisor. The initial advisor will help the student design an appropriate curriculum, evaluate possible research directions or opportunities, identify an advisor, and become aware of personnel and resources available in Environmental Science at UNLV.
- By the end of the second semester the student will select a chair of her/ his Advisory Committee and, in consultation with that chair recommend membership on the Advisory Committee. It will be composed of a total of four members representing appropriate expertise plus one representative from the Graduate College. The Advisory Committee and the chair are subject to approval by the Graduate Coordinating Committee. The Advisory Committee will assist the student in course selection and definition of a research topic for the dissertation.
- Students must make satisfactory progress each semester to remain in the program. Satisfactory progress is defined as filing an approved program before the completion of nine credits of course work, completion of the minimum required credits in the approved program per calendar year, maintenance of a GPA of at least 3.00, no grades below a C, and compliance with the Graduate Catalog. Any student whose GPA falls below 3.00 will be placed on probation and will have one semester to raise the GPA to a 3.00 or above.
- The program of study will be developed by the student and advisor and filed with the Graduate College. Prior to filing, the student’s graduate committee must approve the program. The program of study must be submitted by the second semester of study.
- Satisfactory performance on a written Comprehensive Examination prepared by the Chemistry Department (with collaboration from other appropriate faculty).
- Satisfactory oral defense of the student’s dissertation proposal before the student’s dissertation committee. The dissertation advisor shall be present but non-voting.
- Satisfactory performance on an oral final defense of the dissertation. The dissertation committee will be selected by the completion of the student’s first year and composed of:
- Three members of the Chemistry Department (usually the Dissertation advisor and two faculty members in related fields).
- Two members selected from the participating units in the Environmental Science Doctoral Program (including collaborating departments at UNLV and/or faculty from the DRI or UNR).
- One member appointed by the Graduate College.
Subplan 4 Requirements: Post-Master’s - Environmental Policy and Management Track
Total Credits Required: 48
Required Courses – Credits: 9
Elective Courses – Credits: 21
Complete 21 credits of advisor-approved elective coursework.
Dissertation & Directed Readings – Credits: 18
Complete 0-6 credits of Directed Readings and 12-18 credits of Dissertation. A maximum of 18 credits in combination can be counted towards the degree.
Degree Requirements
- A minimum of 48 credits beyond the master’s is required for the Ph.D. degree. Additional credits may be required to address student deficiencies or build specialized expertise.
- At least 24 credits must be from 700-level courses.
- Requirements for completion of each of the fields in these degree programs will frequently make it necessary for students to exceed these minimum credit requirements.
- The student is advised to examine the specific information for each field of study for additional requirements.
- Students will design three areas of concentration in consultation with their advisor, each consisting of a minimum of three courses. Courses in an area of concentration do not need to have the same prefix or be from the same department. Areas of concentration should represent a subset of expertise that is relevant to the student’s program. Areas may include, but are not limited to: anthropology, biological sciences, chemistry, communication, economics, education, geology, risk analysis, history, mathematics, political science, public administration, sociology, or statistics. Areas of concentration must be approved by the student’s committee chair.
- Each student admitted to the Ph.D. program in Environmental Science will be appointed an initial advisor. The initial advisor will help the student design an appropriate curriculum, evaluate possible research directions or opportunities, identify an advisor, and become aware of personnel and resources available in Environmental Science at UNLV.
- Each student will be required to take ENV 701 during the first semester it is offered after the student joins the program and an advanced methods course during some subsequent semester.
- A minimum of 12 credit hours each calendar year and at least three each semester.
- By the end of the second semester the student will select a chair of her/ his Advisory Committee and, in consultation with that chair recommend membership on the Advisory Committee. It will be composed of a total of four members representing appropriate expertise plus one representative from the Graduate College. The Advisory Committee and the chair are subject to approval by the Graduate Coordinating Committee. The Advisory Committee will assist the student in course selection and definition of a research topic for the dissertation.
- Students must make satisfactory progress each semester to remain in the program. Satisfactory progress is defined as filing an approved program before the completion of nine credits of course work, completion of the minimum required credits in the approved program per calendar year, maintenance of a GPA of at least 3.00, no grades below a C, and compliance with the Graduate Catalog. Any student whose GPA falls below 3.00 will be placed on probation and will have one semester to raise the GPA to a 3.00 or above.
- The program of study will be developed by the student and advisor and filed with the Graduate College. Prior to filing, the student’s graduate committee must approve the program. The program of study must be submitted by the second semester of study. Students must also fulfill the requirements specific to their field of study as described below.
- Students will have three additional semesters beyond completion of ENV 701 to advance to candidacy. Each student in the Ph.D. program must take a minimum of three credits of Directed Readings (ENV 797) each semester following completion of ENV 701 until he or she has successfully advanced to candidacy. A maximum of six credits of ENV 797 may count towards the 72 total credits required by the program. Each Ph.D. candidate must take a minimum of three credits of dissertation research (ENV 798) each semester until graduation. 18 credits of ENV 798 and ENV 797 combined may be included in the 72 total credits required by the program. No more than six of these may be ENV 797; a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 18 of these may be ENV 798.
- Following completion of course work from the three areas selected, the Advisory Committee will administer a qualifying examination. Students who fail the qualifying examination may be allowed to retake it one time. The student will then defend a dissertation proposal before the student’s Advisory Committee. The student’s Doctoral Advisory Committee must approve the dissertation proposal. The dissertation advisor shall be present but non-voting. Students are advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. upon the completion of all course work and approval of the dissertation research proposal. Completion of the dissertation and its successful defense will complete degree requirements.
- Satisfactory performance on a written Comprehensive Examination prepared by the Chemistry Department (with collaboration from other appropriate faculty).
- Satisfactory performance on an oral final defense of the dissertation. The dissertation committee will be selected by the completion of the student’s first year and composed of:
- Three members of the Chemistry Department (usually the Dissertation advisor and two faculty members in related fields).
- Two members selected from the participating units in the Environmental Science Doctoral Program (including collaborating departments at UNLV and/or faculty from the DRI or UNR).
- One member appointed by the Graduate College.
Plan Graduation Requirements
- The student must submit all required forms to the Graduate College and then apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing his/her degree requirements.
- The student must submit and successfully defend his/her dissertation by the posted deadline. The defense must be advertised and is open to the public.
- After the dissertation defense, the student must electronically submit a properly formatted pdf copy of their dissertation to the Graduate College for format check. Once the dissertation format has been approved by the Graduate College, the student will submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest. Deadlines for dissertation defenses, format check submissions, and the final ProQuest submission can be found here.
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