Course Requirements and Committee Membership
Comprehensive Examination for Admission to Doctoral Candidacy
The Environmental Sciences program course requirements have been selected with a minimum number of required courses to allow the student an opportunity to design a curriculum to meet each students disciplinary interests and professional aspirations.
Prerequisite Courses
Degree in a related science, including 1 year of calculus and chemistry, and additional coursework in organic chemistry, biology and physics
Committee Membership
For a master's degree committee, the major professor (Chair) and one other member must be from the program. The Graduate School representative must be from outside of the program. The Graduate School representative does not have to be familiar with what the student is studying. All committee members must be listed on the Graduate Faculty .
For a doctoral degree, at the completion of twelve graduate credits, the student selects a committee chair and the student and chair arrange the appointment of the remaining four members of the committee. The committee and the director of the Environmental Sciences program supervise the student's course of study and examinations.
Committees consist of at least five members, all of whom must be listed as members of the Graduate Faculty by the University of Nevada Graduate School. In addition to the Committee Chair, at least two members will be from the student's major department, at least one will be from a department in a field related to the student's major, and at least one will be a Graduate School representative from the graduate faculty. Students may request the appointment of a committee member from the faculty of another university or from a relevant discipline or profession, provided the prospective member has achieved a record of distinction. Formal approval of the student's advisory/examining committee is made by the Graduate Dean.
Required Courses
All students must have one graduate course in statistics, and attend the NRES 790 Environmental Sciences seminar (3 credits for completion of a Master's degree; 4 for Ph.D.). Students must take 4 of the 10 courses listed below, unless a student’s advisor and committee members recommend substitutions that correspond with a specific research focus.
| Course Number | Course Title | # of Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ATM 612 | Introduction to Air Pollution | 3 |
| BIOL 620 | Aquatic Ecology | 3 |
| CEE 658 | Introduction to Environmental Chemistry | 3 |
| NRES 630 | Analysis of Environmental Contaminants | 3 |
| NRES 632 | Environmental Toxicology | 3 |
| NRES 682 | Small Watershed Hydrology | 4 |
| NRES 746 | Advanced Analysis Methods in Natural Resources | 1-3 |
| NRES 765 | Biogeochemical Cycles | 3 |
| PUBH 673 | Epidemiology | 3 |
| NUTR 728 | Food and Nutritional Toxicology | 3 |
Additional Course Requirements
In addition to the Core Courses listed above, all ES students must take:
| Course Number | Course Title | # of Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NRES 790 | Seminar | 3-4 |
| ##797 | Thesis (MS) | 6 |
| ###799 | Dissertaton (Ph.D.) | 24 |
Elective Courses
Each student's program of study is based on the disciplinary track she/he has chosen. Elective courses may be selected from a variety of departments, including but not limited to:
- Atmospheric Sciences (ATMS)
- Biochemistry (BCH)
- Chemistry (CHEM)
- Civil Engineering (CE)
- Environmental Resource Science (ERS)
- Nutrition (NUTR)
Upon admission to the Environmental Sciences Program and prior to beginning classes, each student and faculty advisor will design the academic course work for the first year. By the conclusion of the first year, the student's advisory committee will collaborate on the rest of the program of study. The MS student's program of study must include at least 30 credits, and a Ph.D. student's program of study must include at least 72.
Comprehensive Examination for Admission to Doctoral Candidacy
Written Examination:
The written examination is a general examination on environmental science and health. The student’s committee develops the written questions, which are in the general area of the student’s courses and program. The examination has 5-7 questions. For purposes of consistency, the program director will need to approve each written exam at least one week prior to the exam being given to the student.
The exam will be given during an 8-hour period and proctored by the student’s committee chair. It will be a closed book exam.
The following provide examples of how the exams could be structured.
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A student studying phosphorus, sediment and Lake Tahoe might be expected to understand spectroscopic methods, sorption processes, impacts of nutrients on watersheds, soil chemistry and the basis for regulatory actions regarding nutrients.
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A student studying gas exchange in plants might be expected to know atmospheric measurement processes, plant physiology, soil-plant relationships, and, global warming issues and impacts.
A student focused on public health might be expected to know epidemiology, toxicology, biochemistry and environmental contaminants that affect human health.
Oral Examination:
The oral examination is focused on the student’s knowledge of the specific area of research, and involves presentation of no more than 13 research slides followed by questions. The committee questions are generally in the specific area of research and designed to determine how well the student understands their own research and their ability to conduct research.