The Ph.D. program in Environmental Health Sciences is designed to prepare students for research careers in the environmental health sciences; graduates are trained for entry into positions in universities, colleges, research institutes and research-oriented settings. Areas of research emphasis correspond to those of the departmental faculty.
Doctoral students complete a program of study that emphasizes professional development, scientific competence, and research expertise. The Ph.D. requires a minimum of 60 hours of course work beyond the baccalaureate and includes 12 credit hours of dissertation preparation. A limited number of graduate course-work hours from a graduate program may be applied toward the Ph.D. with advisory committee approval. A minimum of 30 hours, including 12 hours of dissertation preparation must be unique to the doctoral program of study. Those students entering without a master's degree are required to take additional foundation course work in environmental health sciences equivalent to the master's degree. To achieve doctoral candidate status, students must pass a qualifying examination after the first year of study. Upon completion of all course and language requirements, doctoral candidates must pass an oral and/or written comprehensive examination. All doctoral candidates must prepare and defend a dissertation that represents significant research in their area of advanced study. Doctoral students must demonstrate a reading proficiency in a modern foreign language if deemed necessary by the doctoral advisory committee. The specific curriculum for the doctoral degree varies with the discipline and some programs require additional credit hours. Students enrolled in a doctoral program have eight years from the first term of enrollment in which to complete the degree. Students must be enrolled for at least one (1) credit during the term of graduation.
Learning Outcomes
- Students are expected to demonstrate an overall mastery of the core concepts of public health as it relates to environmental health sciences and display the ability to extend this understanding to relevancy and application to real-world environmental health sciences issues.
- Students will demonstrate an ability to write competitive research grant proposals.
- Students will demonstrate proficiency in effectively communicating technical and scientific information in oral, written, and web-based formats to scientific and public audience.
- Students will clarify critical gaps in scientific knowledge on environmental health issues and develop and perform original research that will lead to solutions.
- Students are expected to promote and actively participate in the dissemination of environmental health science research results in to further the overall knowledge of the field and broaden and diversify their communication skills.