Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies

Canada

8

1

What will I learn?

The PhD in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies [PhD(NRES)] offers students the opportunity to develop an advanced level of understanding and training in any one or a combination of scientific discipline(s) related to natural environments, the processes (e.g., biological, chemical, physical) that govern them, or the human dimensions (e.g., social, economic, political, cultural) that interact with them. The PhD(NRES) promotes an integration of the linkages between social, ethical, political, and cultural dimensions, and an understanding of basic ecological, biological, and physical attributes of natural resources. Emphasis is placed upon the student to acquire an interdisciplinary base upon which to found a “disciplinary” area of concentration. Graduates from this program who have an area of concentration and a familiarity with how other disciplines can contribute toward solving environmental problems should be capable of addressing a variety of natural resources and environmental issues from a number of perspectives.

Students must complete 9 credit hours of interdisciplinary core courses: NRES 801-3, NRES 802-3, and NRES ese courses will provide all students with a framework, balanced in science and human dimensions, upon which a specific PhD program may be built. Also required is a compulsory seminar course (NRES 804-3), and a PhD thesis (NRES 890-12). Students may be required, at the discretion of their supervisory committee, to take additional courses within their area.

Students must pass three separate checks on their academic progress towards a PhD: a qualifying exam, a defence of thesis proposal, and a defence of the thesis. The qualifying exam is tailored to ensure a cross-disciplinary aptitude, and tests the student's grasp of the interdisciplinary nature of natural resource and environmental issues. The thesis proposal defence is tailored to ensure that a student has a grasp of his/her area of concentration, and therefore examines the level of knowledge within the area of concentration. Upon successfully passing both the qualifying examination and the thesis proposal defence, a student is granted candidate status, and embarks upon the thesis work under the supervision of his/her faculty advisor. Following completion of the research, the candidate must defend his/her thesis to an examination committee.

Summary:

  • Required Core Courses 9 credits
  • Graduate Seminar 3 credits
  • PhD Thesis 12 credits
  • Total Required 24 credit

Which department am I in?

Faculty of Environment

Study options

Full Time (3 Years)

Tuition fees
CAD$7,797.45 (4,72,888) per year
Medical Insurance Fee - International Students Only - CAD 190.00

*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please check with institution

Start date

May 2025

Venue

Prince George Campus

3333 University Way,

Prince George,

British Columbia,

V2N 4Z9, Canada

Full Time (3 Years)

Tuition fees
CAD$7,797.45 (4,72,888) per year
Medical Insurance Fee - International Students Only - CAD 190.00

*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please check with institution

Start date

January 2025

Venue

Prince George Campus

3333 University Way,

Prince George,

British Columbia,

V2N 4Z9, Canada

Entry requirements

For international students

Students will normally be expected to hold a Master's degree from an accredited post-secondary institution. In exceptional cases, individuals with significant and relevant life experience may be admitted on probation. Normally, applicants must hold a cumulative GPA of 3.33 (B+) from the Baccalaureate and Master's degree, to be calculated over the last 30 credits of graded academic work.

English language requirement:

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 90 or higher in the internet-based test, with not less than 20 in any of the Reading, Listening, Writing or Speaking components; or equivalent other TOEFL score.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Academic score of at least 6.5 overall, with not less than 6.0 in any of the four modules.

CAEL (Canadian Academic English Language Assessment) or the CAEL CE : overall 70, with no subtest below 60.

MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery): 85 final score, with 3 in the speaking test.

PTE (Pearson Test of English - Academic): 65 overall score, with a score of not less than 60 in reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Deadline: September intake: December 15, January intake: May 1, and May intake: December 15.

*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.

ADD TO MY FAVOURITES

About University of Northern British Columbia

Inspiring leaders for tomorrow by influencing the world today.

  • Main campus in Prince George, Northern British Columbia
  • Sunshine for 299 days per year
  • 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio
  • 1 in 4 students receive financial aid every year