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Geoscience 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)
Unlock critical insights into the delicate interactions between soil, water, and air
and research new ways to preserve our natural resources.
Geoscience is the scientific study of Earth processes from an interdisciplinary perspective
that combines perspectives from Geography, Geology, Biology, Ecology, Chemistry, and
other disciplines. The Geoscience Ph.D. candidates refine their understanding of how
humans are driving environmental change and helps them create research to solve problems
to preserve biodiversity for future generations.
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Request More InfoWhy Earn a Geoscience 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 PhD, 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
Geoscience Environmental Science Ph.D. Highlights
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.
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.
Geoscience 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.
Soils Geomorphology (3 hrs)
Methods and applications of soils and landform analysis. Soils classification, formation
processes and relationships to landforms and vegetation are stressed. Methods of soils
description, mapping and physical-chemical analysis are taught, and applications to
study of landscape changes and land-use planning are emphasized.
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.
Surface Water Hydrology (3 hrs)
Study of hydrological processes with emphasis on the hydrological cycle; soil moisture
and infiltration; watersheds and drainage systems; flow mechanics, sediment transportation
and deposition; and river response to climatic change and other impacts of human activity.
Requires completion of an individual research project on a topic in surface water
hydrology.
Introduction to Groundwater Hydrology (3 hrs)
Topics include principles of groundwater flow; aquifer properties and characteristics;
geology of groundwater occurrence; groundwater development and methods of assessing
and remediating ground water contamination. Students independently acquire, evaluate
and interpret hydrogeological data and report the results in a research paper.
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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