Physical and Environmental Sciences: Environmental Science PhD

Research and teaching are focused on the interfaces between traditional disciplines in dealing with fundamental scientific issues. Faculty members are cross-appointed from several departments including: chemistry, earth sciences, geography, ecology and evolutionary biology, cell and systems biology, engineering, forestry, physics, and social sciences. Research is clustered into six major concentrations:

  • Climate Change and the Environment

  • Contaminant Flux

  • Environmental Science in Transitional Economies

  • Great Lakes Ecosystems

  • Remediation and Restoration of Degraded Environmental Systems

  • Urban Geoscience

Applicants may be accepted into the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program via one of three routes: 1) following completion of an appropriate master's degree; 2) transfer from an appropriate master's program; or 3) direct entry following completion of an appropriate BSc degree.

PhD Program

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Graduate Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences' additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Applicants may be accepted into the PhD program following completion of the MEnvSc degree, an MSc degree in environmental science, or a related discipline, or the MASc degree in environmental engineering or related discipline, or equivalent from a recognized university with a minimum of B+ average in all work completed in the master's program.

  • Applicants must make clear in their written statement the agreement of a proposed supervising professor with which they plan to conduct their thesis research and their interest in conducting research in their chosen area.

Completion Requirements

  • Coursework. Students must successfully complete a total of 1.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

    • A mandatory 0.5 FCE (EES2200H Advanced Seminar in Environmental Science) plus 1.0 FCE to provide background for the student's research. Courses selected must be approved by the student's supervisor and the Graduate Chair. In some cases, additional courses may be required if a student's preparedness is assessed as being insufficient.

    • Students may apply to take a number of PhD-level courses taught by the core faculty within the Graduate Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences. Courses taught by faculty outside the Graduate Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences can be considered for the PhD degree as part (0.5 FCE) of their 1.0 FCE for the degree. However, all courses for the PhD degree must be approved by the student's supervisor and the Graduate Chair.

  • Thesis. The execution of an original piece of research in environmental science carried out under faculty supervision and presented in thesis form. The program requires the development and submission of a thesis proposal, and its examination in an oral thesis proposal appraisal (before the end of Year 2), a departmental oral examination of the completed thesis, and a Doctoral Final Oral Examination (FOE) carried out under the auspices of the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) involving examination by an appropriate at-arms-length external examiner.

    • The PhD proposal appraisal consists of a 20-minute presentation given by the student on the proposed thesis work followed by a question period where the student is examined on their proposal and their mastery of concepts in environmental science. The emphasis will be on the theory and proposed approach, rather than on progress to date. A negative outcome requires that the student retake the exam within four months after incorporating recommendations from the committee for improving the thesis research proposal. The outcome of the second exam will be either a pass or withdrawal from the program.

    • The Graduate Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences' PhD program requires that all PhD candidates complete two thesis defences: a Departmental Thesis Defence and an FOE with SGS. Normally, the Departmental Thesis Defence will be held at least eight weeks prior to the FOE. The committee will notify the Graduate Chair that the thesis is ready to be forwarded to SGS for the FOE. If the PhD candidate does not pass the Departmental Thesis Defence, the committee may recommend that the PhD candidate postpone their FOE.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 4 years full-time (typical registration sequence: Continuous)
Time Limit: 6 years full-time

 

PhD Program (Transfer)

Transfer Requirements

  • Applicants may be accepted into the PhD program by requesting transfer from a suitable master's program (see above); students may reclassify from the master's program after 12 months of full-time study. Transfer from the MEnvSc program is not permitted.

  • Applicants must make clear in their written statement the agreement of a proposed supervising professor with which they plan to conduct their thesis research and their interest in conducting research in their chosen area.

Completion Requirements

  • Coursework. Students must successfully complete a total of 1.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

    • A mandatory 0.5 FCE (EES2200H Advanced Seminar in Environmental Science) plus 1.0 FCE to provide background for the student's research. Courses selected must be approved by the student's supervisor and the Graduate Chair. In some cases, additional courses may be required if a student's preparedness is assessed as being insufficient.

    • Students may apply to take a number of PhD-level courses taught by the core faculty within the Graduate Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences. Courses taught by faculty outside the Graduate Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences can be considered for the PhD degree as part (0.5 FCE) of their 1.0 FCE for the degree. However, all courses for the PhD degree must be approved by the student's supervisor and the Graduate Chair.

  • Thesis. The execution of an original piece of research in environmental science carried out under faculty supervision and presented in thesis form. The program requires the development and submission of a thesis proposal, and its examination in an oral thesis proposal appraisal (before the end of Year 2), a departmental oral examination of the completed thesis, and a Doctoral Final Oral Examination (FOE) carried out under the auspices of the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) involving examination by an appropriate at-arms-length external examiner.

    • The PhD proposal appraisal consists of a 20-minute presentation given by the student on the proposed thesis work followed by a question period where the student is examined on their proposal and their mastery of concepts in environmental science. The emphasis will be on the theory and proposed approach, rather than on progress to date. A negative outcome requires that the student retake the exam within four months after incorporating recommendations from the committee for improving the thesis research proposal. The outcome of the second exam will be either a pass or withdrawal from the program.

    • The Graduate Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences' PhD program requires that all PhD candidates complete two thesis defences: a Departmental Thesis Defence and an FOE with SGS. Normally, the Departmental Thesis Defence will be held at least eight weeks prior to the FOE. The committee will notify the Graduate Chair that the thesis is ready to be forwarded to SGS for the FOE. If the PhD candidate does not pass the Departmental Thesis Defence, the committee may recommend that the PhD candidate postpone their FOE.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 5 years full-time (typical registration sequence: Continuous)
Time Limit: 7 years full-time

 

PhD Program (Direct-Entry)

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Graduate Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences' additional admission requirements stated below.

  • In the case of exceptional students, applicants may be accepted into the PhD program by direct entry; that is, after completing an honours BSc degree in a related discipline with a minimum University of Toronto average of A– or equivalent.

  • Applicants must make clear in their written statement the agreement of a proposed supervising professor with which they plan to conduct their thesis research and their interest in conducting research in their chosen area.

Completion Requirements

  • Coursework. Students must successfully complete a total of 2.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

    • A mandatory 0.5 FCE (EES2200H Advanced Seminar in Environmental Science) plus 2.0 FCEs to provide background for the student's research. Courses selected must be approved by the student's supervisor and the Graduate Chair. In some cases, additional courses may be required if a student's preparedness is assessed as being insufficient.

    • Students may apply to take a number of PhD-level courses taught by the core faculty within the Graduate Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences. Courses taught by faculty outside the Graduate Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences can be considered as part (up to 1.0 FCE) of their 2.0 FCEs for the degree. However, all courses for the PhD degree must be approved by the student's supervisor and the Graduate Chair.

  • Thesis. The execution of an original piece of research in environmental science carried out under faculty supervision and presented in thesis form. The program requires the development and submission of a thesis proposal, and its examination in an oral thesis proposal appraisal (before the end of Year 2), a departmental oral examination of the completed thesis, and a Doctoral Final Oral Examination (FOE) carried out under the auspices of the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) involving examination by an appropriate at-arms-length external examiner.

    • The PhD proposal appraisal consists of a 20-minute presentation given by the student on the proposed thesis work followed by a question period where the student is examined on their proposal and their mastery of concepts in environmental science. The emphasis will be on the theory and proposed approach, rather than on progress to date. A negative outcome requires that the student retake the exam within four months after incorporating recommendations from the committee for improving the thesis research proposal. The outcome of the second exam will be either a pass or withdrawal from the program.

    • The Graduate Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences' PhD program requires that all PhD candidates complete two thesis defences: a Departmental Thesis Defence and an FOE with SGS. Normally, the Departmental Thesis Defence will be held at least eight weeks prior to the FOE. The committee will notify the Graduate Chair that the thesis is ready to be forwarded to SGS for the FOE. If the PhD candidate does not pass the Departmental Thesis Defence, the committee may recommend that the PhD candidate postpone their FOE.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 5 years full-time (typical registration sequence: Continuous)
Time Limit: 7 years full-time

 

Physical and Environmental Sciences