Environmental and natural resource sciences comprise an association of several areas of study at Washington State University. These sciences focus on factors related to the understanding and management of the environment and therefore have a commonality of interest.

The Ph.D. program in Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences provides opportunities for doctoral study that involve integration and interaction among these various fields of science. The cooperation of WSU\’s faculties in environmental and natural resource sciences in this program foster important exchanges of knowledge that greatly enhance interdisciplinary education.

Graduates of the program will have a special responsibility to address the complicated physical, biological, social and political issues of environmental and natural resource management. As the world\’s human population continues to grow, the impacts on natural and modified environments and non-urban land uses will increase. It will take responsible, knowledgeable and committed people, backed by a strong ecological and cultural understanding, to integrate resource-oriented positions in policy and planning, and to communicate the principles necessary to resolve environmental and natural resource issues.

As environmental and resource problems are common to many countries (e.g., long-range transport of pollutants, waste management, deforestation of tropics, misuse of rangelands, onservation of wildlife species, growth management), it is expected that a significant international dimension of the program will develop.

Application Requirements:
General WSU Graduate School requirements for admission must be met, including a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 for the most recent 60 semester hours of undergraduate academic coursework. Specific requirements for the Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Sciences include a TOEFL score of 600 (Paper-Based), 250 (Computer-Based), or 100 (Internet-Based) for students with English as a second language. Normally completion of a Masterâs degree (or equivalent) is expected for admission to the doctoral program. Admission to the program without subject matter deficiency requires at least 10 semester credits of completed coursework in basic biological and/or physical sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics, geology, etc.). Students may be admitted with deficiency with the expectation that the deficiency will be met through completed coursework (for non-graduate program credit) within one year of admission. Each applicant must also be accepted by a faculty advisor before admission. Arrangements for a faculty advisor should be made through interaction between the student and the faculty member. The initial contact may be made either by the applicant or the faculty member.