School of Earth, Environment and Society

Program Details | Earth, Environment and Society PhD

One of the goals of the program is to provide a broadly based understanding of environmental science and management, geography, geology or a related field coupled with scientific training in one or more specialty areas. Students follow a program of study and research approved by the program.

Requirements

At least 81 credits past the bachelor’s degree:

Course Requirements

At least 81 credits past the bachelor’s degree:

  • Four credits of seminar, which may be satisfied by any combination of ESM/G/Geog 507 Speakers Series, ESR 655/ESR 656/ESR 657 Professional Prep series, Research Group Seminars at the program 500-level, and Journal Clubs offered in the student’s area at the program 500-level (4 credits);
  • Two credits of professional development, ESR 655 and ESR 656 or other similar courses recommended by the Advisory Committee and subject to approval by the EES doctoral program director (2 credits);
  • One course in research methods, such as ESM 566 (Environmental Data Analysis), ESM 567 (Multivariate Analysis of Environmental Data), G 523 (Statistics and Data Analysis in the Geosciences), Geog 525 (Field Methods in Human Geography), Geog 597 (Advanced Spatial Quantitative Analysis), Geog 674 (Methods and Models in Socio-ecological Systems), USP 683 (Qualitative Analysis), Soc 592 (Qualitative Methods) or other similar course recommended by the advisory committee and subject to approval by the EES doctoral program director (3-4 credits);
  • Dissertation credits (27 credits);
  • Electives or previous graduate coursework as approved by the advisory committee (45 credits
    • If you only want to transfer in electives and have a completed master's degree, then a GO-21D (Proposed Transfer Credit - Doctoral Degree) is not needed. Instead, request your approval to apply the completed master's via a DARS exception.

In addition to the general requirements, each student will be required to complete any coursework necessary to indicate competence in environmental scholarship at the graduate level, as determined by the advisory committee. It is required that all EES doctoral students take at least one 1-credit seminar course (as defined above) for every term they're in residence until advancing to candidacy.

Comprehensive Exams

EES doctoral students must take a comprehensive examination that involves both written and oral components. The purpose of this exam is to test student mastery of the scholarly areas that are most relevant to the student’s expected research, as well as the student’s ability to critically analyze and communicate key ideas in the field. 

Students work with comprehensive exam committee members to select the field areas in advance of the exam and develop a reading list for each area that is articulated in the Comprehensive Exam Prospectus.

After the successful completion of the written exam, students meet with the entire comprehensive exam committee for the oral exam.  Students must pass both written and oral components of the exam in order to schedule the dissertation proposal defense.

Dissertation

The student must submit a research proposal suitable for the doctoral dissertation in Earth, Environment, & Society. This is done under the guidance of the student’s advisor and is approved by the dissertation committee and program director. The research for the dissertation is conducted under the guidance of the student’s dissertation committee. After the dissertation is complete and after advancement to candidacy, a final oral defense will be conducted, open to the public, within the subject area of the dissertation.

Advancement to Candidacy

As soon as the student has successfully completed the course and comprehensive examination requirements and has had the dissertation prospectus approved, the student is recommended for advancement to candidacy for the doctoral degree. This recommendation is approved by the dean of Graduate Studies.

Withdrawal

Any student who ceases to be enrolled for more than one academic term without formal leave of absence will be assumed to have withdrawn from the degree program and will be formally dropped from it. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress toward the degree may be dropped from the program.

The student can be readmitted only by formal application, subject to all current admission requirements. In addition, completion of the degree will be subject to the student’s meeting all current degree requirements.

Leave of Absence

Requests for a leave of absence must be approved by the program director and the Graduate School.

Ph.D. Checklist

It is your responsibility as a graduate student to ensure that all requirements of the program and Graduate School have been met. The doctoral milestones that you will complete throughout your program are listed below.

In order to be admitted and to continue in the program, you must have a doctoral advisor. Your advisor and admissions committee will provide a list of up to three courses that you must take upon entrance to the program.

  • Complete the CITI Responsible Conduct of Research training by the end of your first quarter. You can find the course you need by clicking “Register” in the top right corner, and then in the “Select Your Organization Affiliation” box start typing in Portland State and it should auto-populate. From there, follow the prompts to take the course.
  • After completion of nine credit hours, you and your advisor will form an advisory committee. Submit the ESR-006 form to Matt Swetnam via email or in person at Cramer Hall 341. 
  • Establish a course of study that includes admission committee recommendations, program requirements, and other courses as determined by your advisory committee.
  • Maintain continuous enrollment of at least one credit per term.
  • Every year by May 1, submit an annual report approved by your advisor to remain in the program.

  • Form a comprehensive exam committee. It can be the same as your advisory committee. Submit the ESR-007 form to Matt Swetnam via email or in person at Cramer Hall 341.
  • Create and submit to the committee a comprehensive exam prospectus. Be sure to include the cover sheet ESR-008.
  • Schedule a comprehensive exam and defense. Comprehensive exams should be taken by the beginning of your third year in the program.
  • After passing the written and oral portion of the comprehensive exam, submit the Report on Passing Comprehensive form (GO-22) to clasgrad@pdx.edu.
  • You have a maximum of three years from the completion of comprehensive exams to advancement to candidacy.

  • Complete all coursework, verified by a DARS report run by the Graduate School.
  • Form a dissertation committee using the Appointment of Doctoral Dissertation form (GO-16D). The committee must consist of four to six PSU faculty members. The chair of the dissertation committee and the Graduate Office Representative must be regular, full-time PSU instructional faculty, tenured or tenure-track, assistant professor or higher in rank. The other two to four committee members may include adjunct or fixed-term faculty.
  • Prepare and present a dissertation proposal.
  • Once the dissertation committee approves the proposal, you're recommended for advancement to candidacy via a Doctoral Request for Advancement to Candidacy (GO-23). You have a maximum of three years from the completion of comprehensive examinations to advancement to candidacy.
  • Complete research and write dissertation.
  • File the Application for Awarding of the Master's or Doctoral Degree form with the Graduate School no later than the first week of the anticipated term of graduation.
  • Present your dissertation in a public forum and defend it to the committee. A dissertation defense may be scheduled only during the regular academic terms, at least five weeks prior to the end of the term of anticipated graduation.
  • Submit your dissertation to the Graduate School using the Dissertation Signature Page and the ETD Access Form. The final dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate School no later than three weeks prior to the close of the term of application for graduation.
  • After your dissertation is completed and appropriately published, you're recommended for the degree using the Doctoral Recommendation form (GO-17D). You have a minimum of four months and a maximum of five years from the effective date of advancement to candidacy to complete all requirements for graduation, including defense of the dissertation and its final acceptance by the Graduate School.