Environmental Sciences Graduate Program

Subject abbreviation: ENSC College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

David Volz, Ph.D., Director Daniel Hirmas, Ph.D., Graduate Advisor for Continuing Students Hoori Ajami, Ph.D., Graduate Advisor for Admission John Herring Jr., Student Services Advisor

• (800) 735-0717 or (951) 827-2441

envisci@ucr.edu envisci.ucr.edu

The Environmental Sciences Graduate Program offers the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Environ- mental Sciences.

Advanced training in Environmental Sciences is becoming increasingly necessary to address complex problems involving natural resources and environmental quality. Although this task frequently requires specialized knowledge in various fields of science, it also requires un- derstanding and integration of a wide variety of interacting physical, chemical, biological, and societal influences. This interaction makes graduate study in environmental sciences distinct from many other scientific fields.

We have designed our program to offer advanced training in a number of specialized field areas within environmental sciences, operating within a single graduate degree program administered by the Department of Environmental Sciences. Students trained in the Environmental Sciences Graduate Program can fill many areas of expertise needed in the state and nation. Potential career opportuni- ties exist at regulatory agencies, consulting firms, government and academic research institutions, and industrial research facilities.

Admission Entry to the program requires completion of a baccalaureate degree in a field appropriate as preparation for graduate study in environmen- tal sciences. Students normally will come to the program from an environmental sciences related discipline such as atmospheric science, aquatic science, earth science, environmental chemistry, hydrology, or soil science; or a basic science such as biology, chemistry, or physics.

Students may conduct research under the supervision of a sponsoring faculty member in any of the following field areas.

In addition to the following requirements, all applicants must meet the general require- ments as set forth in this catalog under the Graduate Studies section.

Atmospheric Sciences The Atmospheric Sciences field area encom- passes diverse topics such as atmospheric chemistry and air quality, health effects of air pollution, drivers of radiative forcing and glob- al warming, remote sensing of the atmosphere, and atmosphere-ocean interactions. Students will receive training in observing, modeling, and understanding atmospheric circulation and the fate of atmospheric chemical species. Much of the research being conducted ad- dresses the societal impacts of air pollution and climate change.

Entrance requirements There are no entrance requirements for the Atmospheric Sciences area beyond the general requirements for admission to the ESGP. It is recommended that students have completed one year of chemistry, as well as courses in general physics, organic chemistry, calculus through integrals, and statistics. Students who have not completed courses required for their research may need to complete additional courses to remedy deficiencies.

Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology The Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicol- ogy field area focuses on the sources, physical and chemical transformations, and removal processes of chemicals in soil, water, and air, and their impacts on ecological systems.

Entrance Requirements There are no entrance requirements for the Environmental Chemistry area beyond the general requirements for admission to the ESGP. For Ecotoxicology, prospective students would be expected to have had courses in General Bi- ology/Zoology and Organic Chemistry. Students who do not have sufficient background to take the core course or specific elective courses may, however, need to first take prerequisite courses.

Environmental Microbiology The Environmental Microbiology field area encompasses the study of microbial processes in natural and agricultural ecosystems and the effects of microorganisms on environmental processes and environmental quality. Research topics include fundamental research on microbi- al physiology, genetics, and ecology as related to the environment, applied research on microbial effects on the fate and transport of pollutants, anthropogenic effects on microbial communi- ties, fate and transport of human pathogenic microorganisms in the environment, and the application of microorganisms and microbial assays as indicators of soil and water quality.

Entrance Requirements Students admitted to the Environmental Microbiology field area are expected to have a baccalaureate degree in biology, microbiology, or closely related field or demonstration of ex- tensive background in biology and microbiolo- gy. Recommended prior course work includes chemistry (general, organic, and biochemistry), biology (general and advanced course work), microbiology (general), and statistics (general). Deficiencies in these areas must be remedied during the first year of graduate school.

Environmental and Natural Resource Economics and Policy The economics and policy field area is not currently accepting new students. Students seeking advanced training in environmental and natural resource economics and policy should contact the Graduate Advisors in the Department of Economics and the School of Public Policy at UC Riverside for alternative programs of study. Hydrologic Sciences The Hydrologic Sciences field area offers com- prehensive training in the understanding and quantification of physical and biogeochemical processes that govern movement, storage, and quality of water in the environment. Students can specialize in a variety of areas including catchment hydrology, ecohydrology, vadose zone and groundwater hydrology, hydrologic modeling, irrigation and water management in agricultural fields and urban landscapes, catchment biogeochemistry, contaminant fate and transport, earth surface processes, and related areas.

Entrance requirements There are no entrance requirements for the Hydrologic Sciences area beyond the general requirements for admission to the ESGP. It is recommended that students have completed one year of general chemistry, general physics, organic chemistry, calculus through differential equations, statistics, and physical geology or physical geography.

Soil and Water Sciences The Soil and Water Science field area offers comprehensive training in the chemistry, physics, biology, and ecology of soils, surface waters and wetlands. Students can specialize in a variety of areas, including soil and aquatic chemistry, limnology, soil-plant relations, biogeochemistry, bioremediation, geomicrobi- ology, contaminant fate and transport, water resources management, hillslope processes, soil genesis, soil mineralogy and geomorphol- ogy, and related areas.

Entrance Requirements Admission to the Soil and Water Sciences field area requires a baccalaureate degree with preparation in both physical and life sciences. It is recommended that students have completed one year of general chemistry, as well as cours- es in general physics, organic chemistry, calcu- lus through integrals, general biology, statistics, and physical geology or physical geography.

Environmental Sciences and Management The Environmental Sciences and Management field area is not currently accepting new students. Students seeking advanced training in environ- mental management and policy should contact the Graduate Advisors in the Department of Economics and the School of Public Policy at UC Riverside for alternative programs of study.

Course Work The Ph.D. and M.S. degree programs both require completion of the following courses.

• • Each student must complete ENSC 227.

• • Each student must complete either ENSC 200 or ENSC 232.

• • Each student must complete at least

one additional graduate-level, four- unit elective within or outside of the Department of Environmental Sciences. This requirement can also be met by taking an upper division ENSC course concurrently with ENSC 292.

Each student may complete additional upper-division undergraduate courses and/ or graduate-level courses depending on the student’s field area and research focus. Students with a M.S. objective may need to take additional courses to fulfill the requirements of the Plan I (Thesis) or Plan II (Comprehensive Examination) options. Upon acceptance to the program, the student will select an Advisory Committee made up of three members of the participating faculty in the ESGP to assist in the planning of the individualized curriculum. Electives are chosen in consultation with the Advisory Committee. Students are encouraged to attend a seminar each quarter (to be chosen in consultation with the major advisor). Students must complete 2 units of ENSC 401 (Professional Development in Environmental Sciences) within their first year of entering the ESGP. There is no foreign language requirement for the program.

The Department of Environmental Sciences offers the M.S. degree in Environmental Sciences under the Plan I (Thesis) and Plan II (Comprehensive Examination) options. The general requirements for the M.S. degree are found in the Graduate Studies section of the General Catalog. All stu- dents are required to give a presentation annually at the Environmental Sciences Graduate Program Student Symposium.

Plan I (Thesis) Plan I (Thesis) Students must complete a minimum of 36 quarter units of graduate and upper-division undergraduate courses in, or significantly related to, Environmental Scienc- es. These must include the course require- ments given above. At least 24 of the 36 units must be in graduate courses. A maximum of 12 of these units may be in graduate research for the thesis. No more than 4 units of ENSC 290 and 2 units of graduate seminar courses may be applied toward the degree. A thesis must be written and accepted by the M.S. thesis committee members, and a final oral defense of the thesis must be passed.

Plan II (Comprehensive Examination) Students must complete a minimum of 36 quarter units of graduate and upper-division undergraduate courses in, or significantly related to, Environmental Sciences. These must include the course requirements given above. At least 18 units must be in graduate courses. Students may count no more than 2 units of graduate seminar courses and 6 units of grad- uate internship courses toward the required 18 units and no units from graduate research for thesis or dissertation.

Students must take a comprehensive written examination that covers fundamental topics in environmental sciences. The written examina- tion, which is three to four hours long, is pre- pared and evaluated by a committee appoint- ed by the field director. The examination is taken during the latter part of the final quarter in the M.S. program. Students must wait at least eight weeks before retaking a failed examination. Students failing the examination twice are dismissed from the program.

Normative Time to Degree 2 years

The Department of Environmental Scienc- es offers the Ph.D. degree in Environmental Sciences. The general requirements for the Ph.D. degree are found in the Graduate Studies section of the General Catalog.

Course Work Students must complete the course requirements given above. All students are required to give a presentation annually at the Environmental Sci- ences Graduate Program Student Symposium.

Ph.D. Written Qualifying Examination Following completion of all course work pre- scribed by the student’s Advisory Committee, a Ph.D. Written Qualifying Examination will be prepared and administered to the student by a Ph.D. Written Qualifying Examination Commit- tee. The Ph.D. Written Qualifying Examination Committee will consist of at least three faculty members with interests in the student’s line of research. The purpose of this examination is to determine that the student has gained suffi- cient knowledge in the chosen field to perform professionally and competently. This exam may be attempted only twice. If this exam is failed twice, the student may be redirected to the M.S. degree if the student does not already hold an M.S. in Environmental Sciences or terminated from the program.

Ph.D. Oral Qualifying Examination

A student who satisfactorily passes the Ph.D. Written Qualifying Examination may proceed with the Ph.D. Oral Qualifying Examination, which will focus on the dissertation proposal. This examination is conducted before the Oral Qualifying Examination Committee, consisting of five faculty members, one of whom must be from outside the ESGP. This examination may be attempted only twice. If this exam is failed twice, the student will be redirected to the M.S. degree if the student does not already hold an M.S. in Environmental Sciences or terminated from the program. The Ph.D. Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations will normally be taken at the end of the second year of graduate study and before the start of the third year.

Dissertation All Ph.D. students must write a doctoral dis- sertation, which must be read and accepted by all members of the Doctoral Dissertation Committee, comprised of at least three faculty members from the ESGP. A final oral disserta- tion defense in front of at least three Doctoral Dissertation Committee members is required.

Relationship between Master’s and Doctoral Programs The M.S. and Ph.D. programs are separate. Students who enter the Ph.D. program do not need to acquire a M.S. degree first, although students may elect to take both.

Normative Time to Degree 5 years