content

DEPARTMENT OF EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE


Master of Science Degree in Environmental Science

The Department of Earth and Environmental Science offers opportunities for advanced study and research leading to the Master of Science degree in Environmental Science. The Master of Science degree is awarded to candidates who have displayed an in-depth understanding of the subject matter and demonstrated the ability to make an original contribution to knowledge in their field of specialty.

The regulations for this degree comply with the general University regulations as outlined in this catalog and indicated below.

Program Admission Requirements. In addition to satisfying the University-wide graduate admission requirements, all prospective students must have a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited university and a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in upper-division and graduate work. The degree should be in biology, ecology, environmental science, chemistry, geology, geography, engineering, or some other related scientific discipline. Additionally, it is expected that applicants will have taken coursework in organic chemistry and statistics. Applicants lacking these requirements will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants whose native language is not English must score at least 550 (paper) or 213 (computer) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant’s academic record, a letter of research interest, and scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). All supporting documents should be sent to the Department Chair. Incomplete applications will not be considered until all required items are in an applicant’s file. When GRE scores are used to determine admission, applicants will be compared to applicants with similar socioeconomic backgrounds.

The Graduate Studies Committee, comprised of members selected from the graduate faculty, will be responsible for recommending acceptance into the program and will take the lead in advising students. Some teaching assistantships, research assistantships, or research fellowships are available, but require a separate application; requests should be addressed to the Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Science.

Degree Requirements. The Master of Science degree requires a minimum of 36 semester credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree (exclusive of coursework or other study required to remove deficiencies). The faculty have six areas of specialization or emphases in the Environmental Science program that include water resources, environmental quality and remediation, environmental management, conservation ecology, spatial analysis, and natural hazards. A thesis option is recommended for students who want an opportunity to develop expertise in research, including experimental design, data collection, and data analyses. The thesis option is recommended for students who are planning a career in environmental education, research, or who are planning to go on and earn a doctorate degree. A nonthesis option is available for those who want the opportunity to earn the Master of Science degree primarily through organized coursework.

Research interests of the graduate faculty include the areas indicated above; however, specific information about research in progress is available from the department office or from individual faculty members. The broad nature of the environmental science program allows students the opportunity to broaden their scientific background at the graduate level. Individual programs are organized around each student’s interests in consultation with the student’s graduate advisor and graduate committee.

Degree candidates are required to complete a minimum of 36 semester credit hours approved by the student’s Graduate Advisor of Record. These credit hours are subject to the following conditions:

Core Curriculum Requirements. All candidates for the Master of Science in Environmental Science must complete the following 11 semester credit hours of coursework:

EES 5013 Survey of Environmental Science
EES 5023 Environmental Statistics
EES 5503 Environmental Policy and Law
EES 5981 Graduate Seminar in Environmental Science and Engineering
EES 6941 Environmental Science Colloquium

  1. A minimum of 20 semester credit hours of graduate credit in organized classes must be earned within the department; 11 of these 20 credit hours must include the core curriculum listed above. Up to 6 semester credit hours of approved upper-division undergraduate coursework and a maximum of 2 semester credit hours in a graduate seminar or 2 semester credit hours in colloquium (EES 5981 Graduate Seminar in Environmental Science and Engineering or EES 6941 Environmental Science Colloquium) may be applied to the 20 semester credit hours.

  2. An additional 16 semester hours of graduate credit as approved by the Graduate Advisor of Record is required. This may include 6 hours of EES 6953 Independent Study. Students electing the thesis option must complete 6 semester hours of EES 6983 Master’s Thesis as part of this total and only 6 semester credit hours can be applied to the Master’s degree program.

Thesis Option Requirements. All candidates for the Master of Science in Environmental Science with thesis option must complete a minimum of 6 semester credit hours of the following:

EES 6983 Master’s Thesis

Thesis Option. Candidates for the Master of Science degree electing the thesis option must also pass a comprehensive examination. The examination for thesis students will be oral, and will cover the thesis proposal prepared by the student in one of the areas of environmental science, and will take one to two hours to complete. Candidates must successfully defend the thesis research before their Graduate Committee. Part of the thesis defense will be a public presentation in an open, advertised forum.

Nonthesis Option Requirements. Nonthesis students should consult the Graduate Advisor of Record on their program of study. Candidates are required to pass a written comprehensive examination that will cover at least four major areas of environmental science, and will take three to four hours to complete. This examination is usually taken after the student has completed at least 30 semester credit hours of coursework. If EES 6961 Comprehensive Examination is taken, it does not contribute toward the 36-semester-credit-hour minimum.

Graduate Committee. As specified by University regulations, candidates for the Master of Science degree must have a Graduate Committee. The Committee will be chaired by the student’s graduate advisor and will consist of a minimum of two other members. The Committee should be appointed in the first semester of the student’s graduate program. Each student must decide if they are going to complete the thesis option or nonthesis option because that will determine the type of committee appointed. Certain rules must be adhered to concerning the composition of the Master’s Thesis Committee and the Master’s Comprehensive Examination Committee. Only tenured or tenure-track faculty members can chair these committees, and no more than one member of either committee can be a nontenured or a nontenure-track faculty member or be from another university or be from another department.

Comprehensive Examination. Candidates for the Master of Science degree must pass a comprehensive examination administered by their Graduate Committee. The student should normally schedule this examination the semester before the degree requirements are to be completed. The student’s Graduate Committee will determine the content of the examination. Normally, the examination will consist of academic material that the student is expected to have mastered during his or her course of study. The examination may only be taken twice. If it is not passed the first time it may be scheduled again in the following semester.


(TOP)

Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Environmental Science and Engineering

The degree program bridges two Colleges, the College of Sciences and the College of Engineering, and two departments, the Department of Earth and Environmental Science (EES) and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), which share responsibilities in providing classes, research, and facilities for the program. Areas of research emphasis include water resources, environmental quality, environmental remediation, pollution control, conservation ecology, spatial analysis, remote sensing, and natural hazards. The Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering (ESE) is awarded to candidates who display an in-depth understanding of the subject matter and demonstrate the ability to make an original contribution to knowledge in their field of specialty.

The regulations for this degree comply with the general University regulations (refer to Chapter 3, General Academic Regulations, and Chapter 6, Doctoral Degree Regulations).

Admission Requirements. In addition to satisfying the University-wide graduate admission requirements, all prospective students must meet the following minimum requirements for admission to the Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Science and Engineering degree program:

For unconditional admission, applicants must have either a Master of Science or Engineering degree from an accredited institution with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in all graduate coursework and either a Bachelor of Science or Engineering degree from an accredited institution with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework. Applicants who do not meet the above criteria may be admitted conditionally. Generally, students admitted conditionally are required to take leveling courses and meet other requirements as specified by the Doctoral Studies Committee (DSC).

Applicants must submit:

  • An electronic application through Embark. https://apply.embark.com/grad/utsa/32/.
  • Original and sealed official transcripts from all universities the applicant attended. Transcripts more than a year old will not be accepted.
  • Three original letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant’s academic potential and readiness to enter a Ph.D. program. Letters of recommendation more than six months old will not be accepted.
  • Original documentation of General Aptitude Test on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). GRE scores more than five years old will not be accepted.
  • A personal statement of research experience, interests, and goals with current résumé/curriculum vita.

Applicants whose native language is not English must meet University requirements for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL; see Chapter 2, Admission, of this catalog for TOEFL score requirements). The TOEFL notification letter must be an original, not a photocopy.

Admission is competitive. Satisfying these requirements does not guarantee admission. To receive consideration, all of the above-listed admission materials must be received by the Graduate School by February 1. All new students begin in the Fall Semester. The Graduate School may require additional documents.

Degree Requirements. The Doctoral program in Environmental Science and Engineering will require students to complete a minimum of 60 semester credit hours beyond the Master’s degree. This coursework will include courses that have been designed to provide advanced instruction in areas considered to form the foundation for the disciplines of Environmental Science and Engineering. Any grade lower than “B” in a graduate coursework will not count toward the 60 hours required. Remedial coursework require a “B” or better and does not count toward the 60 hours. Students can apply, with approval from their Dissertation Advisor and DSC, up to 12 semester credit hours of graduate coursework toward degree requirements, if not applied towards their M.S. degree.

Students with only a baccalaureate degree will have to meet additional requirements as specified by the University, the DSC, and the Dissertation Advisor.

Program of Study

  1. Core Curriculum (9 semester credit hours required):

    CE 6113 Global Change
    or
    EES 5043 Global Change

    CE 6273 Analyses of Environmental Problems
    or
    EES 6273 Analyses of Environmental Problems

    and a minimum of one of the following courses:

    CE 5813 Risk and Design Analysis in Civil Engineering
    EES 5233 Experimental Design and Analysis

    CE 6033 Multivariate Analysis in Environmental Science and Engineering
    or
    EES 6033 Multivariate Analysis in Environmental Science and Engineering

  2. Seminars (minimum 3 semester credit hours):

    CE 6221 Graduate Seminar in Environmental Science and Engineering
    or
    EES 5981 Graduate Seminar in Environmental Science and Engineering

  3. Doctoral Research and Dissertation (minimum 30 semester credit hours):

    CE 7211-3 Doctoral Research (15 hours minimum)
    or
    EES 7211-3 Doctoral Research (15 hours minimum)

    AND

    CE 7311-3 Doctoral Dissertation (15 hours minimum)
    or
    EES 7311-3 Doctoral Dissertation (15 hours minimum)

  4. Electives (18 semester credit hours are required):

    The 18 semester credit hours of electives that are required will be determined by the student in conjunction with their Dissertation Advisor and must be approved by the student’s Dissertation Committee. The elective hours may come from classes from the other departments with approval of the Dissertation Advisor and must be stated on the Program of Study.

    Approved course offerings and descriptions are listed both in the College of Sciences, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, and in the College of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Dissertation Committee. Students must choose a Dissertation Committee that consists of five graduate faculty members, including their Dissertation Advisor, with a minimum of one graduate faculty member from each department. The Dissertation Committee is responsible for the qualifying examinations and supervising the Dissertation. Students must submit the names of the Dissertation Committee to the DSC by the end of the completion of 18 semester credit hours of graduate coursework. Before scheduling the written qualifying examination, students must choose the members of the Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Committee members remain the same for the qualifying examinations unless a change is approved by the DSC.

Advancement to Candidacy. Students seeking a doctoral degree at UTSA must be admitted to candidacy. Admission into the doctoral program does not guarantee advancement to candidacy. In order to advance to candidacy, students must:

  • file an approved Program of Study with the DSC and the Graduate School;
  • successfully complete the core curriculum;
  • pass the written qualifying examination;
  • submit an acceptable, original, written research proposal; and
  • pass the oral qualifying examination.

The Program of Study, with all required approvals, must be filed before the written qualifying examination can be scheduled. Students must also complete the core curriculum and any additional, required courses before taking the written qualifying examination. The written qualifying examination must be passed before the oral qualifying examination can be scheduled. Students must also have received all required approvals for the written research proposal before taking the oral qualifying examination.

Students should consult the University’s Doctoral Degree Regulations (Chapter 6 of this catalog) for all other requirements.

Written Qualifying Examination. The written qualifying examination will come from the core curriculum courses and from elective courses taken in the student’s research area. This examination will provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate both knowledge of environmental science and engineering and preparation for conducting Ph.D.-level research at UTSA. Students must take the written qualifying examination before the completion of 30 semester credit hours of Ph.D.-level coursework. Students will take the written qualifying examination before the end of the third long semester of enrollment in the Ph.D. program. Part-time students may have to deal with alterative deadlines.

To schedule the written qualifying examination, students must notify the DSC, in writing, of the Dissertation Committee membership and of the proposed examination time schedule. A minimum of four weeks is required for the Dissertation Committee members to prepare the components of the written qualifying examination. The Dissertation Committee will decide how many components the examination will contain; there will be a minimum of three and a maximum of five components; and there will be at least one component from each of the CEE and EES departments. Each component administered must be passed. The Dissertation Committee will evaluate the written examination and will notify the student of the results. The Dissertation Advisor reports the written qualifying examination results to the DSC and the Graduate School.

Students who fail their first attempt at the written qualifying examination will be allowed one additional attempt. No more than two attempts to pass the written examination will be permitted. Upon successful completion of the written qualifying examination, the oral qualifying examination can be scheduled.

Research Proposal and Oral Qualifying Examination. Students will write their research proposal and take their oral qualifying examination at the end of the semester in which the written qualifying examination was taken or at the beginning of the subsequent semester. Students must notify the DSC, in writing, at least three weeks before the oral qualifying examination is scheduled. Students will write and submit for approval an original research proposal that includes an introduction, objectives, methods, possible results, some discussion and appropriate literature citations and references. The student’s Dissertation Advisor and Dissertation Committee must approve the student’s research proposal before the oral qualifying examination can be scheduled.

The oral qualifying examination is a defense of the student’s proposed research. It will provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate both the depth of knowledge and the level of preparation for the proposed research. The oral presentation will include the dissertation topic, the experimental approach, the originality of the research, and the potential contribution to the scientific field. At the conclusion of the oral qualifying examination, including questions and answers, the Dissertation Committee will privately discuss and vote on the student’s performance. Unanimous approval of the Dissertation Committee is required to pass the oral qualifying examination. The Dissertation Advisor will report the oral qualifying examination result to the DSC and the Graduate School.

Students who fail the first oral qualifying examination will be allowed one additional attempt. No more than two attempts to pass the oral qualifying examination will be permitted.

Dissertation. Candidates must demonstrate their ability to conduct independent research by completing and defending an original dissertation. The Dissertation Committee guides and critiques the candidate’s research. Candidates are encouraged to publish the results of their research. The format of the dissertation document will follow the guidelines and rules published by the Graduate School and general University regulations in Chapter 6, Doctoral Degree Regulations.

Final Oral Dissertation Defense. The Dissertation Advisor must notify the Graduate School in writing at least two weeks prior to the final scheduled oral defense. The final oral defense consists of public presentation of the dissertation, including questions and answers; the Dissertation Committee will privately discuss and vote on the student’s performance. The Dissertation Advisor will report the oral defense results to the DSC and the Graduate School. Awarding of the degree is based on the approval of the Dissertation Committee and the acceptance of the Graduate School. The Dean of the Graduate School certifies the completion of all University-wide requirements.

(TOP)

Table of Contents | Catalog Home | Previous Page

text size– | + | R |