Department of Biology

PhD ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE

Overview

Students in the Environmental Health Science (EHS) PhD program will be trained in the fundamental understanding of environmental problems and their consequences on human health and well-being. Core courses will focus on the effects on environmental perturbations on ecosystem and community function and species survival, and toxicological consequences on physiological and cellular processes, as well as genome structure and gene function. Core courses will also include workshops to provide a hands-on introduction to practical analytical tools used in environmental health sciences. During their first year, students will have the opportunity to participate in the research of three faculty labs through lab rotations, leading to the selection of a faculty dissertation advisor.

Core Courses

Students entering the program will be required to successfully complete a core curriculum of courses totaling 17 hours. Some incoming students may have completed some of the required courses or have relevant experience. For this reason, the background of each new student will be evaluated by the Graduate Studies Committee upon entry into the program.

Elective Courses

Students in consultation with the Graduate Studies Committee and/or faculty research advisor will select additional courses that pertain to their area of research to fulfill their degree requirements.

Graduate Course Descriptions

Research

Research training is the main focus of the EHS program. Faculty research interests include a wide variety of topics related to environmental health science, including disease ecology, terrestrial and freshwater/riparian ecosystems, and molecular mechanisms of gene/environment interactions. At the completion of the laboratory rotations, the student will identify a research advisor with approval from the selected faculty member. The student in consultation with the faculty research advisor will formulate a research question and project.

Admissions Requirement for the PhD Program in EHS

An applicant must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the sciences and show training in the fundamentals of biology, which includes the successful completion of courses equivalent to our undergraduate core curriculum for the BS degree in biology. However, students with degrees in other fields will be considered. A student who has been admitted to a master's degree program must reapply for doctoral study. GRE less than five years old must be submitted.

Documents to be submitted to graduate school for admission: For the 2012 - 2013 Academic Year - Due February 15, 2012.

For more information see Application and Admissions

Degree Requirements

1. Total hours required

A total of 55 – 64 credit hours are required for the Ph.D. degree. These include a minimum of 43-52 non-dissertation credit hours beyond the master's degree and 12 required credit hours of dissertation.

2. Proportion of courses open only to graduate level students to be required in program

All core course work will be at the 600-level and above. No more than 25% of total credits, excluding the dissertation hours, may be at the 500 level.

3. Grades required.

Students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 and students need to attain a B or better in each core class.

4. Amount of transfer credit accepted.

Up to nine hours of non-dissertation credit hours beyond the master's degree may be transferred with approval from the Graduate Studies Committee.

Advisory/Doctoral Dissertation Committee

A student must establish an advisory committee and advisor preferably by the end of the first year after admission. The advisor will direct the student research. The dissertation committee must consist of at least four members, two of which must be members of the graduate faculty and one member from outside the Biology Department. The student's advisor serves as the committee chair.

Admission to Candidacy

To be admitted to doctoral candidacy, a student must prepare a grant proposal related to his/her proposed doctoral research, which must be presented publicly and defended to his/her advisory committee. Generally, this is completed by the end of the second year.

Plan of Study

A plan of study for the doctoral degree must be outlined by each student and her/his advisory committee before the completion of 18 semester hours.

Annual Report

Each year every student will prepare a brief written report that details research progress. The student will submit the report to her/his advisory committee and schedule a meeting to review the report.

Dissertation

Students will be required to write a dissertation based on their independent research. Students will present a public seminar on their dissertation research and defend their research to their dissertation committee.

Teaching

A doctoral student must be a teaching assistant for an undergraduate course for at least one semester.

Time Frame

The doctoral degree will typically be completed in 4 to 5 years. For a student who enters the program without a master's degree, the doctoral degree must be completed within ten years of admission. For students with a master's degree, the doctoral degree must be completed within seven years of admission.

A Suggested Plan of Study for Accepted Students

Information regarding Financial Support