NRESS students, from numerous foreign countries and the United States, study in a broad range of disciplines, from environmental science and natural resources to earth science, oceanography, atmospheric science, related social sciences and ethical and policy studies. The NRESS Ph.D. Program draws on the university's strengths in environmental and earth sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and ethical and policy studies to:
- Increase our understanding of environmental and natural resource problems and solutions at local, regional, and global scales;
- Provide the opportunity for graduate students to pursue interdisciplinary research on the environment; and
- Stimulate excellence in research and teaching through increased contact between students and faculty in different departments and colleges.
Two Ph.D. degree options are available as part of the NRESS program. Students choose the degree that best suits their area of study. Formal requirements for the two degrees are identical. Areas of study include, but are not limited to ecosystem science, biogeochemical cycling from local to global scales, geochemical systems, atmospheric science, geologic science including hydrology and oceanography, marine science, social science, ethical and policy issues, and multidisciplinary natural resources management. The breadth of research within the program is evident in the dissertation titles of NRESS program graduates and current students.
