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Environmental Science Ph.D.
Doctoral Degree
Program type:
Major
Format:
On Campus
Est. time to complete:
4-5 years
Credit Hours:
72 (with Bachelor's) 42 (with Master's)
Sharpen your knowledge and explore research that helps build a sustainable future
for the next generations with a Ph.D. in Environmental Science.
The Environmental Science program specializes in a diverse array of research areas
with faculty from multiple departments. Ph.D. candidates have the flexibility to pursue
one of the preapproved concentrations or work with their advisors to build the degree
plan that will best suit their career interests.
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Request More InfoWhy earn an Environmental Science Ph.D.?
The Environmental Science program is an interdisciplinary collaboration among the Department of Biological Sciences, the Department of Geography, the Department of Chemistry, the Department of Philosophy and Religion Studies and other departments at UNT to examine major environmental issues through an interdisciplinary perspective.
The program offers graduate studies in environmental science that lead to the Ph.D., granted through the Department of Biological Sciences. The course of study, involving both core and elective courses, is designed for those students who desire an interdisciplinary perspective concerning human-environmental interactions.
Marketable Skills
- Communication to professional/lay audiences
- Design field-based research protocols
- Proficiency in environmental ethics
- Recognition of national/international issues
- Lead/direct research programs/projects
Environmental Science Ph.D. Highlights
Our faculty members include internationally renowned researchers who have earned recognition
from the National Science Foundation, the American Association for the Advancement
of Science and the American Society for Microbiology, among others.
The rigorous curriculum has helped students receive prestigious appointments and awards
from organizations including the Entomological Society of America.
The department’s facilities for research and graduate training occur in the Life Sciences
Complex; Science Research Building; and the Environmental Education, Science and Technology
Building.
The Life Sciences Complex, which has Gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design certification for sustainability, includes an aquatics laboratory and four
climate-controlled rooftop research greenhouses.
Qualified students are supported through competitive teaching assistantships or research
assistantships funded by research grants to faculty members. Nine-month stipends and
tuition scholarships are available for entering master’s and doctoral students.
Environmental Science Ph.D. Courses You Could Take
Remote Sensing (4 hrs)
Theoretical bases and practical aspects of digital remote sensing. Remote sensing
technology is reviewed and data analysis techniques are presented. Approaches to the
development of a remote sensing project are given. Hands-on experience is provided
in the laboratory.
Global Environmental Change (3 hrs)
Explores current scientific and policy perspectives on key issues of global environmental
change. Topics include climate change, land-use and land cover-change, terrestrial
and ocean acidification, and water pollution. Critically examines scientific evidence
for these phenomena and attendant consequences for Earth’s physical, chemical, and
biological systems. Involves comparisons and assessments of policy responses.
Community Ecology (3 hrs)
Structure, dynamics and diversity of biotic communities and ecosystems. Focus on population
interactions, niche relationships and processing of matter and energy.
Ecosystem SciencePrinciples and Applications (3 hrs)
General principles governing the flow of water, energy, and nutrients through ecological
systems. Examines the interactions between organisms and their physical environment
within ecosystems. Applies ecosystem structure, function, and linkages to urban environmental
problems and resource management issues through case studies and projects.
Mammalian Ecology and Evolution (4 hrs)
Mammalogy course with hands-on, laboratory-style format. Emphasis on diversity, morphology,
ecological roles, and contemporary field and analytical techniques. Identification
of mammals to family level using skulls, tracks, scats, pictures, and identification
of live individuals to species. Interpret and estimate diet of representative Texas
mammals through a diversity of techniques.
Environmental Modeling (3 hrs)
Modeling of environmental processes and human impacts on the environment to include
topics on sensitivity, calibration and evaluation, watersheds, non-point source pollution,
hydrological models, GIS, water and air quality models, pollutant transport and fate,
and ecotoxicology.
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