Program Overview

Environmental Life Sciences, PhD

Program Description

The Environmental Life Sciences PhD program is a transdisciplinary program that prepares students to address global change and its consequences, from urban to remote ecosystems, using new and integrative approaches. This program provides doctorate-level training in different but integrated fields, with a focus on the interactions between organisms and their environment.

Degree Requirements

• 84 credit hours
• A written comprehensive exam
• An oral comprehensive exam
• A prospectus
• A dissertation
  • Required Core (3 credit hours): ELS 501 Grand Challenges in Environmental Life Sciences (3)
  • Electives (69 credit hours)
  • Culminating Experience (12 credit hours): ELS 799 Dissertation (12)
  • Additional Curriculum Information: Students are required to take ELS 501 in their first semester at ASU. For electives, students should see the academic unit for approved coursework. Students also may take ELS omnibus courses to fulfill some of the elective requirements.

Admission Requirements

• General university admission requirements: All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
• Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
• Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in a related discipline from a regionally accredited institution.
• Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
• Applicants must submit the following:
  • Graduate admission application and application fee
  • Official transcripts
  • Academic record form
  • Personal statement
  • Curriculum vitae or resume
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Proof of English proficiency

Tuition Information

When it comes to paying for higher education, everyone’s situation is different. Students can learn about ASU tuition and financial aid options to find out which will work best for them.

Application Deadlines

• Fall: 11/15 (Final)

Program Learning Outcomes

Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program’s learning outcomes include the following:

• Able to execute a research plan of their own design that addresses a significant scientific question about environmental life sciences.
• Able to effectively communicate environmental biology concepts in oral and written formats.

Career Opportunities

Environmental life scientists address ecological and environmental questions in social-ecological-technological systems, thus students often have a social science or related component in their dissertation. Graduates are prepared for a range of careers related to global environmental change, conservation and resource management, and sustainable industries among others.

• Career examples include:
  • Climate change analyst
  • Consultant
  • Environmental compliance inspector
  • Environmental engineer
  • Environmental safety and health coordinator
  • Insect ecologist and exhibits specialist
  • Oceans and climate manager
  • Professor
  • Public health scientist
  • Research director
  • Scientist
• Scientist, professor, consultant, and research director roles may involve specialization areas, including:
  • Atmosphere and space
  • Ecology (community, ecosystem, microbe, population, wildlife)
  • Ecosystem restoration
  • Forestry and conservation

Program Structure

The program is administered by ASU's School of Life Sciences, with eight additional schools participating in this interdisciplinary program to promote broad, collaborative training. The program focus is on collaborative, interdisciplinary, and integrative studies of the causes and consequences of environmental variation across scales ranging from molecules to organisms to the globe. The overall goal is to provide a valuable interdisciplinary doctoral program that encourages students to explore and solve complex problems in the context of environmental change.