Program Overview

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Environmental Social Science, PhD

Program Description

The Doctor of Philosophy program in environmental social science is one of the few doctoral degree programs in the U.S. that draw on the premise that reducing human impacts and developing more sustainable environmental practices are difficult, if not impossible, to achieve without a focus on the social dynamics of environmental issues using critical social science perspectives.

At a Glance

• College/school: The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Location: Tempe
• STEM-OPT extension eligible: Yes

Degree Requirements

• 84 credit hours
• A written comprehensive exam
• An oral comprehensive exam
• A prospectus
• A dissertation

Required Core

• ASB 530/ESS 530/SOS 553 Changing Human-nature Relationships (3)

Other Requirements

• ASB 500 Topic: Ethnographic Research Methods (3)
• ASB 500 Topic: Social Survey Research (3)
• ASB 500 Topic: Qualitative Data Analysis (3)
• ASB 501 Topic: Professionalism (3)
• ASM 579 Proposal Writing (3)
• BIO 517 Uncertainty and Decision Making (3)
• BIO 527 Environmental Ethics and Policy Goals (3)
• CHM 501 Topic: Science Policy for Scientists and Engineers (1-2)
• ESS 502 Political Ecology: Theory and Research (3)
• ESS 510 Urban Environments (4)
• ESS 514 Urban and Environmental Health (4)
• ESS 591 Topic: Decisions, Risk and the Environment (3)
• ESS 591 Topic: Water and Social Theory (3)
• GCU 585 Geographic Research Design and Proposal Writing (3)
• SOS 532 Sustainable Urban Dynamics (3)

Electives

• 39 credit hours
• Research (12 credit hours)
  • ESS 792 Research (12)
• Culminating Experience (12 credit hours)
  • ESS 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information

• For electives, students should see the academic unit for a course list approved by the chair.
• Other requirements coursework may be substituted with the approval of the academic unit.
• When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program may allow up to 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this program.
• If students do not have a previously awarded master's degree, the remaining coursework is to be made up of electives.

Admission Requirements

• General university admission requirements
• U.S. applicants
• International applicants
• English proficiency
• 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 from a regionally accredited institution.
• Undergraduate coursework in the social sciences is not a prerequisite for admission but is generally advisable.
• Students may be admitted without such a background and may be required to acquire knowledge of the social sciences in a manner to be specified at the time of admission.
• 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.
• All applicants must submit:
  • Graduate admission application and application fee
  • Official transcripts
  • Personal statement outlining educational and professional goals
  • Current 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
  • Session A/C
  • In Person
  • 12/01
  • Final

Career Opportunities

The program trains students to move into teaching and research positions or to assume leadership roles in government, industry or nongovernmental organizations.

• Acting as legal advocates in international cases
• Analyzing and proposing policies
• Conducting postgraduate academic research
• Consulting for private and public organizations
• Curating cultural resources
• Directing nonprofit organizations
• Directing programs in the private or public sector
• Managing culture or heritage resources in the private or public sector
• Planning communities
• Teaching

Research Areas

• Anthropology
• Cultural Ecology
• Cultural Geography
• Environment
• Globalization
• Health
• Landscapes
• Social Sciences
• Sustainability
• Urban Environments
• Demography
• Environmental Governance
• Environmental Justice
• Environmental Sociology
• Geography

Program Curriculum

The program is organized around theoretically based conceptual domains:

• Culture and the environment
• Environmental hazards and vulnerability
• Environmental justice
• Human environment impacts
• Political ecology
• Science and technology studies These are the bases for addressing various topical foci, including urban environments, technologies and their consequences, landscapes, institutions, and health and the environment. Students work with faculty members who have expertise in a broad range of fields, including:
  • Archaeology
  • Community resources
  • Cultural and medical anthropology
  • Demography
  • Environmental history
  • Geographic information systems
  • Human and physical geography
  • Planning
  • Public affairs
  • Science and technology studies
  • Sociology

STEM-OPT for International Students

This program may be eligible for an Optional Practical Training extension for up to 24 months. This OPT work authorization period may help international students gain skills and experience in the U.S. Those interested in an OPT extension should review ASU degrees that qualify for the STEM-OPT extension at ASU's International Students and Scholars Center website. The OPT extension only applies to students on an F-1 visa and does not apply to students completing a degree through ASU Online.