University General Course Catalog 2012-2013

Nov 24, 2024

University General Course Catalog 2012-2013 ARCHIVED CATALOG: LINKS AND CONTENT ARE OUT OF DATE. CHECK WITH YOUR ADVISOR.

Environmental Sciences, Ph.D.

210 Applied Research Facility
(775) 784-1938

The Environmental Sciences graduate program is based on the notion that graduate education in environmental sciences requires an interdisciplinary approach encompassing the fields of chemistry, geology, biology, ecology, physics and human health. The program is a Plan A (thesis/dissertation) graduate course of study and research for the M.S. and Ph.D. students. Faculty participation in the program comes from a variety of departments, programs and disciplines within the University of Nevada, Reno, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Desert Research Institute.

Prospective graduate students should have a GRE score exceeding 1,000 (verbal plus quantitative), TOEFL score exceeding 600 (international students), and an undergraduate or graduate degree in related science, including one year each of calculus and chemistry, and additional coursework in organic chemistry, biology and physics. Applicants for the M.S. and Ph.D. programs must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0. A more detailed list of entrance requirements is available from the program office or at http://environment.unr.edu/environmental-sciences/.

Candidates for both the M.S. and Ph.D. degree must satisfy all general requirements of the Graduate School. In addition, the Environmental Sciences program requires that all students must have one graduate course in statistics plus 4 of the 10 courses listed below, unless the advisor and committee recommend substitutions corresponding with a sprcific research focus.

I. Required Courses

A. Choose 4 of the following courses:

ATMS 612 - Introduction to Air Pollution (3 units)
BIOL 620 - Aquatic Ecology (3 units)
CEE 658R - Fundamentals of Environmental Chemistry (3 units)
NRES 630 - Analysis of Environmental Contaminants (3 units)
NRES 632 - Advanced Environmental Toxicology (3 units)
NRES 682 - Small Watershed Hydrology (4 units)
NRES 746 - Advanced Analysis Methods in Natural Resources (3 units)
NRES 765 - Biogeochemical Cycles (3 units)
CHS 673R - Epidemiology (3 units)

II. Additional Course Requirements

NRES 790 - Seminar (1 unit)
Thesis, M.S. (6 units) or Dissertation, Ph.D. (24 units)

Note(s):

For the M.S. degree, at least 30 credits of graduate courses must be completed, and at least 21 of these credits must be earned in on campus courses at the university. For the Ph.D. degree, a minimum of 72 credits are required, including at least 48 credit hours in formal course work. A more detailed description of course requirements is available from the environmental sciences program office or at http://environment.unr.edu/environmental-sciences/academics/.

Additional Requirements: Students in the Ph.D. program must pass a comprehensive examination including written and oral components, for admission to doctoral candidacy. The written examination is a general examination in environmental sciences. The student’s committee develops the written questions, which are drawn from the general area of the students courses and program. The oral examination if focused on the student’s knowledge of the specific area of research, and involves presentation of no more than 13 research slides followed by questions.

Upon completion of the research for both the M.S. and Ph.D., the candidate must present a public seminar and pass an oral defense of the thesis or dissertation. A complete description of the program can be obtained from the ES program office. Graduate fellowships are available.