There are currently 61 students enrolled in the NRESS Ph.D. program, making NRESS one of the largest Ph.D. programs at UNH. The NRESS program offers a wide variety of academic, research, funding, career and professional development, and social resources to support our students.
Academic Resources
| Year | Timeline/Forms | Coursework | Exams |
| 1st year | Full-time students:
1. Preliminary Course Approval Form to Program Coordinator (does not require committee signatures) 2. Guidance Committee Form to Program Coordinator |
Required Core Courses:
1. Natural Sciences: 3-4 cr. |
|
| 2nd year | Part-time students:
1. Preliminary Course Approval Form to Program Coordinator (does not require committee signatures) 2. Guidance Committee Form to Program Coordinator |
Core courses must be taken after enrolling in the NRESS program, and be 800 level or above. Additional Coursework: |
|
| 3rd/4th year |
1. Finalized Course Approval Form with guidance committee signatures to Program Coordinator 2. Candidacy Form to Program Coordinator |
Comprehensive Exam Proposal Exam Order in which student takes the Proposal Exam and the Comprehensive Exam is determined at discretion of advisor |
|
| End of 4th Year - Advance to Candidacy | |||
| 7th year | Student files Intent to Graduate Form with Graduate School (check deadline) and copy to NRESS | Complete and Defend Dissertation Advisor to notify Program Coordinator when student passes |
| Year | Timeline/Forms | Coursework | Exams |
| 1st year | Full-time students:
1. Preliminary Course Approval Form to Program Coordinator (does not require committee signatures) 2. Guidance Committee Form to Program Coordinator |
Required Core Courses:
1. Natural Sciences: 3-4 cr. Core courses must be taken after enrolling in program and must be 800 level or above. |
|
| 2nd year | Part-time students:
1. Preliminary Course Approval Form to Program Coordinator (does not require committee signatures) 2. Guidance Committee Form to Program Coordinator |
Additional Coursework: Minimum of 36 Credits for All coursework must be completed prior to advancing to candidacy. |
|
| 4th/5th year |
1. Finalized Course Approval Form with guidance committee signatures to Program Coordinator 2. Candidacy Form to Program Coordinator |
Comprehensive Exam Proposal Exam Order in which student takes the Proposal Exam and the Comprehensive Exam is determined at discretion of advisor. |
|
| End of 5th Year - Advance to Candidacy | |||
| 8th year | Student files Intent to Graduate Form with Graduate School (check deadline) and copy to NRESS | Complete and Defend Dissertation Advisor to notify Program Coordinator when student passes |
STATUS DEFINITIONS
Full-Time Students - Graduate students registered for 9 or more credits, Master's Continuing Research (Grad 900), or Doctoral Research (999) are classified as full-time students. Students holding assistantship appointments are also considered full time and must register for a minimum of 6 credits, Master's Continuing Research (Grad 900), or Doctoral Research (999) each semester.
Three-Quarter-Time Students - Graduate students not on an assistantship and registered for 7 or 8 credits are classified as three-quarter-time students.
Half-Time Students - Graduate students not on an assistantship and registered for 5 or 6 credits are classified as half-time students.
Maximum Load - The maximum graduate load allowed is 16 credits (12 credits for a student on a full assistantship).
All Doctoral candidates must register for Doctoral Research (999) each semester after advancement to candidacy until their degree is conferred, even if the minimum requirement (two semesters) has been met.
A preliminary Course Approval Form (no signatures required) form must be submitted within the first year of the student's program as an outline of the student's coursework plan. A final version, signed by the student's committee, must be submitted once all required coursework is completed, prior to advancement to candidacy.
The NRESS Student Checklist has information about committees, courses, language proficiency, enrollment without a master's degree, advancement to candidacy, and final dissertation exams.
All other graduate school forms and documents are available through the Graduate School.
NRESS Student Resources
The NRESS Ph.D. Program is pleased to offer current students awards to fund travel and research expenses. The NRESS Student Support Funds total $10,000 annually and are awarded to selected students for travel to conferences to present their research, for equipment purchases and supplies to assist with research, and for supporting lab analysis or field work sampling. Awards are disbursed in increments of $500 for travel and up to $800 for research expenses. Each request must include a letter of support from the student's advisor.
Apply for NRESS Student Support Funds
Current NRESS students are encouraged to apply for Student Support Funds early in the Fall semester. Requests for funds will be reviewed and awarded on a continuing basis until the funds are exhausted. Awards must be spent by mid-May of the current academic year. Preference will be given to those who have not received funding in previous years. Students who are awarded funds are asked to complete the standard UNH form to recover expenditures.
The NRESS Student Network aims to foster community across the highly interdisciplinary NRESS student body. The Student Network coordinates professional and career development activities and provides student support, guidance, and mentoring through monthly student-sponsored lunches and morning coffee meetings, student talks, seminars, and annual social events.
Other Resources
- The UNH Office of National Fellowships provides information, counsel, and editorial support to highly motivated students (undergraduates, graduate students, and UNH alumni) applying for national and international fellowships and scholarships; assists faculty members who serve as mentors and recommenders
- The UNH Research Office offers resources for finding and applying to funding opportunities for graduate students and post-docs.
- More financial aid, graduate assistantship and fellowship information is available from the Graduate School.
- The Earth Institute at Columbia University is a good resource for conducting your own research on organizations offering scholarship and fellowship awards in the fields of earth and environment.
- ECOLOG-L - Faculty Openings, Post-doc Opportunities, Conference Announcements
- My IDP (An individual development plan) - Explore career possibilities and set goals to follow the career path that fits you best
- Science Careers - Search all the latest jobs, explore career tools, create job alerts, upload your CV and manage your applications
- Versatile PhD - Helps graduate students and PhDs envision, prepare for and excel in non-academic careers
- Careers at the Nature Conservancy
- UNH Graduate School professional development opportunities
There are many additional resources available through the grad school, such as graduate school deadlines, how to enroll in courses, brushing up on policy and procedure and links to many of our other graduate student services.
