PhD Environmental Science
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Environmental Science is a university-wide and interdisciplinary program focusing on theoretical and methodological issues in environmental science and management. Graduates of this program are expected to deal competently with contemporary concerns in environmental analysis, planning and management. The resolution of environmental problems requires linking together several disciplines and organizing knowledge to have a holistic view of the factors determining environmental conditions in a given time and place. The ability to integrate biophysical, social and cultural information is crucial in analyzing and resolving environmental problems. The program aims to sharpen the understanding of contemporary environmental issues and problems using tested analytic techniques, like case analysis, modeling and simulations. Students are expected to be able to formulate new methodologies of studying environmental phenomena.
Admission Requirements
For admission to the program, the student must have a Master’s degree in Environmental Science or a related discipline from any institution of higher learning recognized and accredited by the UPLB Graduate School. To be considered for admission, the applicant must comply set by the Graduate School. Additionally, the Ph.D. applicant is required to submit a statement of research interest or research proposal. Statement of research interest should include reasons for undertaking graduate work at UPLB-SESAM. Statement of research proposal should include a statement of the problem, the significance of the research, research questions, objectives, theory that you would like to explore or use to address the research questions, and methodologies.
A duly accomplished application form must be submitted to the UPLB Graduate School together with the following documents:
- Official transcript of records in English for each college previously attended.
- Three letters of recommendation from former major professors. These must be sent to the UPLB Graduate School by separate mail.
- Certification of English proficiency by a professor of English. This is required only of applicants from other countries where English is not the medium of instruction nor the native language.
- A non-refundable application fee of P100 for Filipino citizens or US$25 for foreign nationals in bank draft or international money order remitted to the UPLB Graduate School.
All documents must be received by the UPLB Graduate School not later than January 31, for First Semester (June) admission, and June 30 for Second Semester (November) admission.
Program Outcomes
After completing the program, the student is expected to be able to:
- Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the body of knowledge in his/her chosen area of specialization in environmental science;
- Undertake original and independent research on topics related to his/her area of specialization which would elucidate theories on and resolution of environmental problems; and;
- Contribute to the body of knowledge in environmental science by undertaking quality scholarly work.
Minimum Course Requirements
MS EnvSci (Major)
| Courses | Units |
|---|---|
| Core Courses ENS 242 Economic Valuation for Environmental and Natural Resource Systems (3) ENS 270 Dynamics of Population, Resources and Environment (3) ENS 299 Graduate Seminar (1) | 7 |
| Major Courses | 9 |
| Dissertation (ENS 400) | 12 |
| Cognate Courses | 9 |
| Total | 37 |
Non-MS EnvSci Graduates
| Courses | Units |
|---|---|
| Foundation Courses (ENS 201 plus any two other core courses) in MS EnvSci 9 or 10 ENS 201 Ecosystem Structure and Dynamics (3) ENS 211 Systems Analysis and Quantitative Methods in Natural Resource Management (3) ENS 275 Contemporary Issues in Environment and Development (3) ENS 296 Environmental Impact Assessment: Perspectives from the Natural and Social Sciences (4) | 13 |
| Core Courses ENS 242 Economic Valuation for Environment and Resource Systems (3) ENS 270 Dynamics of Population, Resources and Environment (3) ENS 299 Graduate Seminar (1) | 7 |
| Courses from Area of Specialization | 6 |
| Dissertation (ENS 400) | 12 |
| Cognate Courses | 12 |
| Total | 50 |
Requirements for Candidacy
A student seeking to qualify for candidacy to the Ph.D. degree must have taken and passed any three of the four foundation courses in UPLB.
In addition, the student must pass a qualifying examination to be given by a guidance and advisory committee at a time within the schedule of course work prescribed by the committee. To pass the examination, the student must not receive any negative vote from any member of his/her advisory committee before registering in the second semester of residency.
Consistent with the existing rules of the UPLB Graduate School, courses taken in an MS degree may not be credited in the Ph.D. degree, the core course which had already been taken in MS EnvSci will have to be substituted by other ENS courses. This is to ensure that the student fulfills the total units required in the program.
To be conferred with a degree, the student must pass both the written and oral examination given by the examination committee and must be able to defend the dissertation.
Areas of Specialization
Environmental Security and Management
This area of specialization provides advanced training in policy analysis and research methodologies related to the study of the environmental impact and threats to human and other populations, to communities and groups, and to their life-support ecosystems and on how these can be regulated and controlled. A specialization in this area calls for a substantial understanding of environmental and resource economics, environmental policy and governance, biophysical and ecological processes and conceptual and methodological frameworks for environmental and resource analysis, planning and management.
Ecosystem restoration can be tools for protecting biological diversity on the planet, it requires the recreation of prior structure and function including ecosystem services. Areas of focus include degraded forest and agro-ecosystem services. Areas of focus include degraded forest and agro-ecosystems management, degraded aquatic ecosystems management, mined-out area restoration, volcanic debris restoration and riverbank stabilization.
This area of specialization provides advanced training in the analysis of human-resource interactions and how these become the bases for designing environmental resource policies and programs. This specialization focuses on matters related to societal issues in environmental management, social theory clarification and construction, and the formulation of appropriate research methodologies to address environmental problems
