Ph.D. Environmental Science
The Environmental Science Graduate Program is an interdisciplinary program offering M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. The program fosters an understanding of interrelationships between biophysical and social science 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.
The main objectives of the environmental science graduate program 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 cross-disciplinary collaboration to find new and creative solutions to environmental problems.
Graduate Degree Requirements
All environmental science graduate students complete three core courses: Environmental ProSeminar (ENV 701), Environmental Problem Solving (ENV 702), and Environmental Law and Policy Seminar (ENV 703). Students develop their degree programs in consultation with their faculty advisors. Other course work in support of a student’s specialization generally includes courses from several departments and student research often crosses disciplinary lines.
The Ph.D. degree requires 72 credits, including a minimum of 18 credits of dissertation development and writing (ENV 797 and 798) and successful defense of the dissertation.