A PhD in sustainability does not just focus on sustainability practices, but it teaches students to explore their own areas of interest. It is often a student and teacher based course with a focus that is decided upon by both. It often involves research and in-depth understanding of a specific area of sustainability.

The PhD in Environmental Sustainability is an interdisciplinary degree that focuses on graduating professionals and academics specializing in the areas of environmental science, economics, law, and policy. The program is full time and offered in English and French. Under the regulations of the University of Ottawa, exams, assignments, or the thesis may be written in French or English. Students may also be supervised in French or English.

The objective of the PhD in Environmental Sustainability is to train leaders and professionals with the skills and capacities needed to be effective in developing, analyzing, and empirically evaluating public  policies and institutions designed to address the multiple challenges associated with the transition to sustainability. Students will be trained in considering environmental problems from the perspective of various disciplines of inquiry (with an emphasis on science, law, economics and policy) all of which are critical to the development, implementation and evaluation of solutions to environmental problems

The program aims to develop a strong comprehension of the complexity of environmental sustainability problems, a critical awareness of the broad range of contributing factors, and the methodological and communication skills required to develop and communicate candidate solutions.

Objective

The sustainability of development presents some of the most important policy challenges concerning the future of our planet, and it requires an interdisciplinary approach involving the social, natural, engineering, and health sciences. The PhD in Sustainable Development includes a set of rigorous core requirements in the social and natural sciences designed to provide a deep understanding of the interaction between natural and social systems, and provides students with the flexibility to pursue in-depth research in a broad variety of critical policy areas. No other doctoral program produces graduates with the unique combination of diverse skills and deep insight into the most challenging problems of future human welfare. Together with experts and faculty at Columbia, you’ll conduct research in a wide variety of areas, including climate change and its social consequences, causes and solutions to extreme poverty, energy systems, agricultural transitions, water resources, and more.

The PhD program in Sustainable Development is for those looking to pursue rigorous scholarship and research at the boundary between social and natural sciences. Students should have an interest in pursuing academic careers in interdisciplinary graduate and undergraduate programs with a focus on policy and the environment as well as in the more traditional social science disciplines. This degree is also ideal for students interested in a variety of non-academic career paths, including leadership roles in government ministries throughout the world, creating environmental and sustainable development policy for NGOs, in international institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank, or in private firms engaged in environmental and development projects.

Students have their choice of academic positions as tenure-track professors or post-doctoral fellows, as well as high-level positions in non-academic fields, such as the private or NGO sector, government, or finance, for example.

Students in the first two years of the program generally take a total of 60 credits in the areas of sustainable development, economics, qualitative analysis, natural sciences, and social science. This is followed by the planning and execution of research. In the third and fourth years, students may take electives as needed for ongoing research and preparation for the oral exam. The fifth year is highlighted by the dissertation defense.

The PhD program requires the following:

• Strong background in social science, including four courses in college-level social science with a minimum of two economics courses
• Quantitative skills, including at least two courses in college-level calculus through multivariate calculus (Calculus III in the US) and at least one college-level course in linear algebra
• Three or more college-level courses in natural science or engineering

Students must complete the following as part of this program.

• At least 60 overall credits
• Completion of an MA thesis
• Completion of a dissertation prospectus and oral examination for the MPhil
• Six semesters of teaching or research fellowships assignments
• Defense of dissertation

• Official Transcripts
• GRE Test Scores
• TOEFL Scores
• CV
• List of and grades received for economics, math and other quantitative coursework
• Statement of Purpose
• 3-4 Letters of Recommendation
• Application Fee

University of the Sunshine Coast

Study in Australia and Canada!

As a result of ongoing research collaborations between the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC) at Brock University and the Sustainability Research Centre (SRC) at the University of the Sunshine Coast, a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in 2016. Through this MOU, two students have begun their studies to complete a PhD in Sustainability at the University of the Sunshine Coast where they enjoy supervision by researchers from both universities, and study in Australia and Canada. At this time we do not have any additional opportunities for joint PhD positions.

ABOUT THE PHD IN SUSTAINABILITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SUNSHINE COAST

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is an advanced research program that fosters the development of independent research skills, scholarly analysis and an ability to communicate research findings. The University of the Sunshine Coast has a team of enthusiastic and experienced academics able to provide supervision across a broad range of research areas.

SUSTAINABILITY

The core focus of sustainability aligns with the social, behavioural and economic sciences. In addressing concerns of society and the environment, this important transdisciplinary research area offers a broad spectrum of opportunity. Combine research across a range of disciplines to explore your own view of this transforming concept.