The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Environmental Science is a university-wide, interdisciplinary program focusing on theoretical and methodological issues in environmental science and management. Graduates of this program are expected to deal competently with contemporary concerns in environmental analysis, planning and management.

The resolution of environmental problems requires linking together several disciplines and organizing knowledge to have a holistic view of the factors determining environmental conditions in a given time and place. The ability to integrate biophysical, social and cultural information is crucial in analyzing and resolving environmental problems. The program aims to sharpen the understanding of contemporary environmental issues and problems using tested analytic techniques, like case analysis, modeling and simulations. Students are expected to be able to formulate new methodologies of studying environmental phenomena.

Objectives

After completing the program, the student is expected to be able to:

• Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the body of knowledge in his/her chosen area of specialization in environmental science;
• Undertake original and independent research on topics related to his/her area of specialization which would elucidate theories on and resolution of environmental problems; and;
• Contribute to the body of knowledge in environmental science by undertaking quality scholarly work.

Minimum Course Requirements

MS EnvSci Graduates

Major Courses 28 units

Core Courses .......................... 7

ENS 242 Economic Valuation for Environmental and Natural Resource Systems (3)

ENS 270 Dynamics of Population, Resources and Environment (3)

ENS 299 Graduate Seminar (1)

Courses from area of specialization 9
ENS 400 Doctoral dissertation 12

Cognate Courses ..................... 9

Total Number of Units 37

Non-MS EnvSci Graduates

Major Courses

Foundation Courses (ENS 201 plus any
two other core courses in MSEnvSci) 9-10

ENS 201 Ecosystems Structure and Dynamics (3)

ENS 211 Systems Analysis and Quantitative Methods in Natural Resource Management (3)

ENS 275 Contemporary Issues in Environment and Development (3)

ENS 296 Environmental Impact Assessment: Perspectives from the Natural and Social Sciences (4)

Core Courses 7

ENS 242 Economic Valuation for Environment and Resource
Systems (3)

ENS 270 Dynamics of Population,Resources and Environment (3)

ENS 299 Graduate Seminar (1)

Courses from Area of Specialization 9

ENS 400—Doctoral dissertation 12

Cognate Courses 9
Total Number of Units 46 to 47

Admission Requirements

For admission to the program, the student must have a Master’s degree in Environmental Science or a related discipline from any institution of higher learning recognized and accredited by the UPLB Graduate School. To be considered for admission, UP graduate student must have a GWA of 1.75 or better without a grade lower than 2.5 in any graduate course taken to be considered for regular admission. Applicant with GWA of 1.76 to 1.85 maybe considered for provisional admission subject to the recommendation of the Area of Specialization Committee (AOSComm). For non-UP graduate applicant, a GWA of 1.5 or better without a grade lower than 2.5 in any graduate course taken is required to be considered for regular admission. Applicant with GWA of 1.51 to 1.75maybe considered for provisional admission subject to AOSComm recommendation.

The following must be submitted to the graduate school prior to admission.

• Official transcript of records in English for each college previously attended.
• Three letters of recommendation from former major professors. These must be sent to the UPLB Graduate School by separate mail.

Certification of English proficiency by a professor of English. This is required only for applicants from other countries where English is not the medium of instruction nor the native language.

A non-refundable application fee of P100 for Filipino citizens or US$25 for foreign nationals in bank draft or international money order remitted to the UPLB Graduate School.

Requirements for Candidacy

A student seeking to qualify for candidacy to the PhD degree must have taken and passed any three of the four foundation courses in UPLB.

In addition, the student must pass a qualifying examination to be given by a guidance and advisory committee at a time within the schedule of course work prescribed by the committee. To pass the examination, the student must not receive any negative vote from any member of his/her advisory committee before registering in the second semester of residency.

Consistent with the existing rules of the UPLB Graduate School, courses taken in an MS degree may not be credited in the PhD degree, the core course which had already been taken in MS EnvSci will have to be substituted by other ENS courses. This is to ensure that the student fulfills the total units required in the program.

To be conferred with a degree, the student must passed both the written and oral examinations given by the examination committee and must be able to defend the dissertation.

Areas of Specialization

Environmental Security and Management

This area of specialization provides advanced training in policy analysis and research methodologies related to the study of environmental impact and threats to human and other populations, to communities and groups, and to their life support ecosystems and on how these can be regulated and controlled. A specialization in this area calls for substantial understanding of environmental and resource economics, environmental policy and governance, biophysical and ecological processes and conceptual and methodological frameworks for environmental and resource analysis, planning and management.

Protected Areas Planning, Development and Management

This area of specialization provides advanced training to develop expertise in planning, managing and developing protected natural areas. Courses are drawn from various disciplines concerned with water and soil resource conservation, management and development; biogeophysical and biosocial resources; and methods for protected areas planning and management.

Social Theory and Environment

This area of specialization provides advanced training in the analysis of human-resource interactions and how these become the bases for designing environmental resource policies and programs. This specialization focuses on matters related to societal issues in environmental management, social theory clarification and construction, and the formulation of appropriate research methodologies to address environmental problems