Environmental Studies

The doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) program in Environmental Studies at UCSC is an interdisciplinary program that draws equally from ecology and social sciences. Our interests in ecology engage most strongly with conservation biology, agroecology, and global change. Our interests in the social sciences bridge political ecology, geography, environmental policy, and politics, law, and environmental economics. We aim to train doctoral students to work effectively in disciplinary and interdisciplinary environments within the academy, in government agencies, and in public interest organizations and businesses.

Graduates of the program are expected to engage as scholars across natural and social sciences, to have deep intellectual strength in their area of specialty, and to have made substantial contributions toward the understanding of an environmental problem. We expect our doctoral students to be as skilled and intellectually rigorous within their research emphases as are students emerging from more traditional disciplinary programs but also to possess the knowledge needed to understand, analyze, and communicate in different but relevant fields of study. This expectation of intellectual breadth as well as disciplinary depth is a central goal of our doctoral program.

Given the strong interdisciplinary focus of the environmental studies Ph.D. program, study in other fields is encouraged. Most environmental studies faculty have secondary affiliations with other departments on campus. Students have the option of pursuing a “designated emphasis,” the equivalent of a graduate minor in another graduate program on campus. These provide a framework for in-depth study in specialized disciplinary fields and recognition of particular scholarly expertise. Designated Emphasis programs are available in numerous fields including ecology and evolutionary biology, anthropology, education, sociology, visual studies, statistics, politics, and Latin American and Latino studies.

The typical duration of the doctoral program is five to six years.

A dissertation in environmental studies is expected to present an original contribution to the understanding of a significant environmental problem or issue. It should demonstrate a clear understanding of the relevant literature, careful and rigorous research design, and effective communication of the results within the context of the student’s area of emphasis. The dissertation is guided by a committee that includes both natural and social scientists.

In addition to the dissertation, students are expected to complete required coursework and to serve as teaching assistants in undergraduate courses for two quarters.

The Environmental Studies Department does not offer a terminal master’s degree, except for students who have been advanced to candidacy but who do not complete the Ph.D. dissertation.

Program Prerequisites

The interdisciplinary nature of the core curriculum requires rigorous preparation at the undergraduate level. All entering students are expected to have completed at least one upper-division course in the following areas: economics, ecology/genetics, statistics, and either anthropology, sociology, politics or political economy.

Committees and Examinations

A three-person interdisciplinary guidance committee works to ensure that each student’s preparation is individually designed to meet particular needs and interests, to help ensure their success as scholars, and to help students fully engage interdisciplinary dimensions of their training and research. One committee member is the major professor and at least one member needs to be from a complementary meta-discipline from the student's general research area. For instance, a student whose interests are in conservation biology may have two committee members who are ecologists and one who is a political scientist.

The committee helps guide the student in preparation for prequalifying examinations in three general areas of scholarly interest, and depending on the student’s background, interests, and intentions, may require additional coursework, including courses from other departments. The prequalifying examination must be taken no later than winter quarter of the third year.

The qualifying examination committee includes an additional member from outside the environmental studies department, and helps guide the student to define and plan their dissertation research. This committee is responsible for certifying that the student is qualified to advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. The qualifying examination must be completed by the end of the third year.

If the venue of a student’s research is in a non-English-speaking country, certification of competence in the language of that country may be required before advancement to candidacy.

Required Courses

• Environmental Studies 201A, Keywords and Concepts: Geography and Ecology
• Environmental Studies 201B, Keywords and Concepts: Biogeochemistry and Environmental Policy
• Environmental Studies 201M, Interdisciplinary Research Methods
• Environmental Studies 201N, Interdisciplinary Research Design

An approved graduate course in quantitative methods that provides a basis in research design and analysis

Two of the following, one each from the social and natural sciences:

Social Sciences:

• Environmental Studies 210, Political Ecological Thought and the Environment or

• Environmental Studies 240, Public Policy and Conservation

Natural Sciences:

• Environmental Studies 220, Conservation Biology, or

• Environmental Studies 230, Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture

These courses are designed to ensure that students acquire disciplinary depth in their chosen research fields; gain experience of their research communities; and refine the research skills necessary to perform successfully in their professional arena.

In addition, every quarter before advancement to candidacy, all students are required to participate in:

• Environmental Studies 290, Interdisciplinary Research Seminar (2 credits)
• Environmental Studies 290L, Graduate Research Seminar (2 credits)
• Environmental Studies 292, Topics in Research in Environmental Studies (2 credits)

Graduate students are encouraged to participate in course Environmental Studies 291, Advanced Readings in Environmental Studies, in areas of interest.

Requirements for the Designated Emphasis in Environmental Studies

Doctoral students from other departments at UCSC may complete a designated emphasis in environmental studies by completing ENVS 201A, ENVS 201B, two advanced graduate courses in ENVS (from an approved list), and two quarters of ENVS 292. In addition, students must have an environmental studies faculty member on their qualifying examination and thesis reading committees, complete a significant scholarly written component on an environmental topic, and complete the requirements for Ph.D. in their own department.

Requirements

• Transcripts. You may upload a scanned copy of your unofficial transcripts to your online application, or send official copies to the Graduate Application Processing address
• Statement of Purpose. Recommended length is a concise 2-4 pages, single-spaced.
• The Personal History Statement is required of all applicants.This statement will be used in conjunction with your application for graduate admission and financial support. Please note that the Personal History Statement should not duplicate the Statement of Purpose.
• A résumé is required for some applications and optional for others.
• All recommendation letters are required to be submitted electronically through the online application.  You must register a minimum of three recommenders, and as many as five, via the Recommendations page of the online application.
• The application fee for the 2016-17 academic year is $105 for domestic applicants and $125 for international applicants. This fee can be paid by credit card or e-check (the e-check option is only available if you have a U.S. bank account). 
• Official GRE scores must be sent from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to UC Santa Cruz, School Code 4860 (no department code necessary).  Official scores must be received prior to the application deadline.
• If you are a non-native English speaker you will be required to take an English language competency exam.  UC Santa Cruz accepts the TOEFL or IELTS test.  Official scores must also be sent from the testing service to UC Santa Cruz, School Code 4860

Scholarships

• Regents Fellowships. A limited number of these fellowships are awarded to first-year graduate students in master's and doctoral programs. These awards provide a stipend and/or payment of university fees except non-resident tuition.
• Global Education