graduate prograMs - Ph. D.

Doctoral Program - Requirements for the Ph.D.

The Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program offers a unique combination of faculty expertise and specialized course work in Environmental Politics and Policy. This program is designed to produce graduates who combine a specialization in environmental politics and policy with a broad knowledge of the traditional subfields of Political Science (American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Public Administration and Policy, Political Theory and Methodology). The program prepares doctoral students for university positions and a wide variety of public and private sector careers related to Environmental Politics and Policy. The department enjoys an exceptional placement record in academic institutions, both teaching and research, as well as non-academic positions.

Our Doctoral Program is now part of the Western Regional Graduate Program consortium. This is a program of the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education and includes unique programs of high quality. As a result of membership students from the 14 member states (not including California) can pay in-state tuition while attending our program. We hope that this will make it easier for some of your students to attend our program. For more information please visit http://www.wiche.edu/SEP/WRGP/index.asp.

Programs of study will be individually tailored to meet the student's training and career objectives. All students, however, must choose Environmental Politics and Policy as one of three subfields in Political Science offered in preparation for their degrees. Entry into the Ph. D. Program requires prior completion of an M.A. in Political Science or a related discipline (there is also a rollover option for exceptional students who have entered the Graduate Program at Colorado State University as master's students).

Because the department values interdisciplinary knowledge related to environmental and natural resource issues, applications from individuals with environmental specialization in the applied sciences, law and other disciplines will be given serious consideration. As a precondition for admission into the Ph. D. program, such individuals may be required to take as many as 5 Political Science courses in order to strengthen their preparation in Political Science.

Ordinarily, students may expect to spend three to five academic years beyond the Master's Degree in completing the Doctoral Program. This time period may be divided roughly as follows: one to two years of concentrated course work; the remainder of the second year or beginning of the third year preparing for their comprehensive exams and beginning research on the dissertation; and the remaining time completing the research and writing of the dissertation.

Individual programs of study are developed between the students and their committees. Each student's graduate committee will consist of at least three members of the graduate faculty in Political Science and one outside faculty member. The chair of the committee will also serve as the student's adviser and will supervise preparation of the dissertation.

Our Doctoral Program is now part of the Western Regional Graduate Program consortium. This is a program of the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education and includes unique programs of high quality. As a result of membership students from the 14 member states (not including California) can pay in-state tuition while attending our program.