Doctor of Philosophy in Earth System Science

The program will follow the general admission requirements for graduate students that are in place at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. A non-waivable and non-refundable application fee must be received before the application is processed. Each applicant must file the following documents: 

• A completed application form. 
• Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate records. 
• Three letters of recommendation written by individuals qualified to judge the ability of the applicant to carry on graduate work and research. 
• Official scholastic test scores. 
• GRE score is NOT required
• The official score report for the "Test of English as a Foreign Language" (TOEFL) for students from countries where English is not the national language.

The goal of the program is to produce graduates in the field of Earth System Science with expertise within the student’s core discipline while developing a deep understanding of processes and connections within and across multiple earth system components. These components are the geosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. Foundation courses will provide a broad and deep understanding of the basic principles of Earth System Science and research. 

The Ph.D. program will provide the student with the ability to perform independent high-quality research within their discipline while being able to engage in inter- and cross-disciplinary collaborations with other researchers and professionals. Graduates of the program will have excellent critical thinking, analytical, and communication skills. The students in the program will further have significant technology-based and hands-on experiences and systems thinking expertise. Students are expected to perform original research for their dissertation by formulating testable scientific hypotheses, designing and conducting field and laboratory experiments, performing numerical computations, constructing and using computer models and/or developing and applying analytical techniques. They will expand the frontiers of knowledge in their respective field, present their work at professional meetings, and write a dissertation on their research. Alumni of successful Earth System Science programs are employed in the public and private sectors, including environmental consulting and remediation, energy and natural resources development, weather and climate forecasting, water resources management, aviation industry, the agriculture sector and education.