After years of effort, the Department of Environmental Sciences has finally introduced its new Ph.D. program with its first class of students this fall.
Christopher D’Elia, dean of the School of the Coast and Environment, said the program was officially proposed in 2004 and finally approved by the Board of Regents in March 2012.
Lawrence Rouse, chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences, said eight students are enrolled in the first cohort of the Ph.D. program. The first students are expected to receive their degrees in about three years.
What makes this specific Ph.D. program so unique is the various aspects of the environmental field the coursework covers. Students will gain a comprehensive knowledge of every aspect of their field, allowing them more job opportunities, Rouse said.
The coursework places emphasis on biophysical studies, environmental planning and management and environmental assessment and analysis.
Rouse said this Ph.D. program is the only one of its kind in the area.
The only other school in the area that offers a Ph.D. in the environmental field is Southern University, but that Ph.D. is specified in Environmental Chemistry.
“[Our Ph.D. program] is precisely tailored for students’ interests and needs,” Rouse said.
D’Elia said the new Ph.D. program will only help the School of Coast and Environment further prosper and will help generate revenue.
“It strengthens what we have at no additional cost,” D’Elia said.
Job outlook for environmental scientists and specialists is expected to increase 19 percent by 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Rouse said graduates with a Ph.D. will have more job opportunities across the field.
“A Ph.D. program is a draw to get a quality person that we as a university want to have,” Rouse said.
D’Elia emphasized that this Ph.D. program will attract professors to the University and help to keep current professors.
There are currently seven full-time and two part-time faculty members in the program, and Rouse said the department is still looking to grow. More faculty members will allow more courses and assistance for the program to expand.
