PhD Program

PhD Program

Prospective Students

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the Ph.D. degree program in Environmental Science and Technology an applicant:

  • Must have earned an M.S. Degree in a closely related field. In special cases, exceptional students may be admitted to a Ph.D. program without first completing an M.S. degree provided these students have:

    • An exceptional academic record and test scores

    • Demonstrated significant research experience during their B.S. program (such as completion of a research based honors thesis.

  • Must meet all admission requirements for the M.S. degree (i.e. Basic Science Requirement, etc).

How to Apply

General information regarding the application process: Graduate School Admissions Page

Apply to the University of Maryland Graduate School: Online Graduate Application

Applicants are required to submit transcripts, a personal statement of research interests, and contact information for three references. Prospective students are encouraged to contact graduate faculty within their area of interest:

Fall
Semester Application
Deadline
Domestic December 15
International December 15
Spring
Semester Application
Deadline
Domestic October 6
International September 22

Current Students

Ph.D. Degree Graduate School Requirements

To earn an Ph.D. degree, the University of Maryland Graduate School requires that the student complete:

  • A minimum of 12 credits of dissertation research (899)

  • Complete and successfully defend a dissertation based on original research

ENST Departmental Core Requirements

All ENST Ph.D. students are Students are expected to complete a minimum of 50 credits beyond the B.S. degree (in addition to research credits 898 and 899) and are required to complete the following:

  • ENST 602:  Research Principles and Methodology in Environmental Science and Technology (3 credits). This course should be taken once during either the M.S. or Ph.D. program.

  • ENST 702: Communication and Professional Development in Environmental Science and Technology (2 credits). This course should be taken once during either the M.S. or Ph.D. program.

  • ENST 798: Graduate Seminar (2 semesters – total of 2 credits). 

  • Minimum of two approved graduate level statistics courses (these can be taken either during the MS or PhD program).

Specialization Requirements

Within each specialization, Ph.D. students are expected to complete all M.S. specialization requirements plus two to three additional courses related to the specialization.

Graduate Assistantships

ENST offers a number of graduate assistantships to qualified applicants that are awarded on a competitive basis. To apply, use the form for requesting financial assistance included in the Graduate School application packet. In addition to a competitive stipend, graduate assistants receive tuition remission and are offered excellent health benefits by the University of Maryland.