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1.3 Admission Dates1.6 Graduate Nondegree Status2. THE MASTER OF SCIENCE (M.S.) DEGREE2.1 Purpose2.3 Plan of Study2.4 M.S. Degree Plans
4. CORE CURRICULUM4.1 Core Courses4.2 Graduate Seminars5. FINANCIAL SUPPORT5.2 Fellowships6. OFFICE FOR DISABILITY SERVICES7. NONDISCRIMINATION POLICYStudents are admitted to graduate programs in one of three categories: Regular, Conditional or Graduate Nondegree. Students apply directly to the OSU Graduate School, noting the ESGP as their desired program. Following are the admission requirements, in addition to those of the Graduate School. *An undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in a natural or physical science. Applications from those in fields not normally related to environmental science will be considered when special merit warrants. *A minimum of 4 quarter credits of college calculus and/or statistics; 7 quarter credits in physical science; 3 quarter credits in biological science. Students with limited deficiencies may be admitted conditionally and must remove the deficiencies within an academic year. *GRE scores must be submitted. Applicants are expected to have a combined score of at least 1200 on the verbal and quantitative sections. *Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score is required for international students whose first language is not English. Current university standards do not permit admission of applicants with TOEFL scores below 500. Because recent experience is that students with TOEFL scores below 550 are at risk, the Environmental Science Graduate Program will not admit applicants with scores below that level. *An international student whose first language is not English may not be appointed to a teaching associateship until the SPEAK test has been successfully completed and other requirements specified by the university have been satisfied. Further, all international students whose first language is not English must successfully complete a series of English courses designed to enable them to comprehend lectures and discussions in their courses. *Before final acceptance into the program, applicants are required to identify an Environmental Science faculty member who is willing to serve as that student's advisor. A list of the current faculty is available on the web page of the ESGP and should be used when completing the "Statement of Purpose" required for admission. Faculty members are notified about student applicants, but it is appropriate and often necessary for applicants to contact potential advisors prior to or while being considered for admission. No student is admitted to the program without an advisor. *Students applying for admission to the doctoral program will often have completed a M.S. in a relevant field and should have already met the criteria listed above. Applicants with some course deficiencies may be admitted conditionally and must remove all deficiencies within their first three quarters in the program. *Students enrolled in the Master of Science (M.S.) Program in the ESGP who wish to be admitted to the doctoral program upon completion of their M.S. degree are expected to satisfy the same admission criteria as other applicants. They must submit an application, by letter, to the chair of the Graduate Studies Committee who will establish an application file for the student, but no decision will be made until the applicant has completed his or her M.S. Examination. At that point, the applicant's Examination Committee will be asked by the chair of the Graduate Studies Committee to make a recommendation as to the candidate's suitability as a doctoral student. Upon receipt of this recommendation, the student's application will be activated. *Students completing M.S. degrees in other programs at this university who wish to pursue doctoral study the ESGP must initiate a Program Transfer process beginning with the Graduate School. They must also submit to the chair of the ESGP Graduate Studies Committee a letter requesting admission, a Statement of Purpose defining in as much detail as possible their research objectives, career and life goals and how they intend to use the doctoral program in environmental science to pursue those goals, and a letter of recommendation from their advisors on their M.S. thesis research. Students currently enrolled in the M.S. program who wish to transfer to the Ph.D. track without completion of the M.S. degree must formally request a transfer in writing to the Graduate Studies Committee of the ESGP.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early
each year for admission in the Autumn Quarter, that
begins in September. This is because admission to
the Graduate Program in Environmental Science is normally
in the Autumn Quarter.
The applicant's potential advisor will admit
students at other times of the year only under unusual
circumstances and then only with the express approval
of the Graduate Studies Committee upon recommendation. Students admitted for Autumn may begin in the preceding Summer Quarter
if the student's advisor supports request for such
admission. Admission to the ESGP is based on a number of factors.
No student is admitted to the program unless a faculty
member has been identified in writing as that student's
advisor. It
is understood that admitted students may change advisors
after they arrive on campus.
This is usually done in consultation with both
the new and the original advisors. Because the ESGP is interdisciplinary, otherwise
well-qualified applicants may have some course deficiencies
in their backgrounds. Such applicants may be conditionally admitted. The specific conditions, including course or
credit requirements and time limits, are spelled out
on the Referral Form and are included in the official
letter of acceptance sent by the Graduate Admissions
Office. Furthermore,
nontraditional students occasionally have grade records
that are not clear enough to enable the Graduate Studies
Committee to make a judgment about likely success
in our program. In
such cases, applicants may also be admitted conditionally
with the stipulation that they must maintain a 3.0
or higher grade-point average during their first 15
credits of graded graduate course work. Up to 10 quarter credits of graduate course work
earned while on Graduate Nondegree status may
be subsequently approved for transfer to a graduate
degree program at the discretion of the Graduate
Studies Committee, upon written request from the
graduate student, and with approval of the student's
advisor. Such requests will not be accepted until the
student has been admitted to the graduate program. Provide the chair of the Graduate
Studies Committee with evidence of successful completion
of a baccalaureate or higher degree.
Obtain written permission from the
chair of the Graduate Studies Committee on the appropriate
form for submission to the Graduate School.
************************************************************************************************************************************* The M.S. degree in the ESGP is designed to provide
students with advanced knowledge and skills in the
various fields of environmental science and opportunities
to learn how to design and carry out research or
other scholarly activities.
Students may follow either of two programs,
thesis or non-thesis, and are guided by their advisors
and Advisory Committees.
These exit skills will be developed by a combination of course work, seminars, internships, and research. To help ensure breadth in the student's program, M.S. students must choose at least one course from each of the following three focus areas:
as listed in the Core Curriculum sequence and
complete the ESGP seminar course. Each student's Advisory Committee should be appointed by the end of the second quarter of full-time enrollment or after 20 credits of part-time graduate course work. The committee will be comprised of at least three members of the ESGP faculty, including the advisor. At least one member must be from outside the student's specialty area but should have expertise appropriate and applicable to the student's thesis research problem. Unless significant changes in program direction occur or personal conflicts arise, the committee should remain unchanged through the duration of the student's program. The committee is responsible for approving the student's Plan of Study. The M.S. degree in the ESGP offers considerable flexibility, enabling students, their advisors, and committee members to design a Plan of Study that will satisfy the student's educational objectives. This Plan of Study thus becomes the official degree requirement for the individual student. There is a plan of study form in the main ESGP office, and students should complete one before they start their second year of graduate school.
********************************************************************************************************************************* 3. THE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Ph.D.) DEGREE PROGRAMThe Ph.D. is a research degree that provides students with opportunities to achieve a high level of scholarly competence and to develop the ability to contribute to the knowledge and theory base in the field of environmental science. The program includes a coherent program of course work, a Candidacy Examination taken after all required course work is completed, a research dissertation, and a Final Examination. During the program the student will be guided and assisted by his or her advisor and Advisory Committee. Upon completion of the degree, the student will be awarded the Doctor of Philosophy Degree.
The Plan of Study sets forth the detailed course
and credit requirements for the Ph.D.
All courses listed on the Plan of Study
must be completed before the student may take
the Candidacy Examination.
The Plan of Study must form a cohesive
body of course work, including but not limited
to, specific classes described in the Core Curriculum
of the ESGP. The student must work closely with his or her advisor and Advisory
Committee in designing the Plan of Study. While Plans of Study will vary among students with different scholarly
interests, all should be designed to prepare
the student for the Candidacy Examination and
for successful pursuit of dissertation research. Furthermore, the Plan of Study must combine
depth and breadth of course work designed to
foster research and scholarship in the student's
specialty while enabling the student to relate
his or her studies to those being done in allied
academic areas.
and fulfill the seminar requirements. A minimum of 135 graduate credits beyond the baccalaureate degree is required to earn a doctoral degree. If the student has an earned degree, then a minimum of 90 graduate credits beyond the degree is required. For M.S. credits to count towards the Ph.D., the student must submit a Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit form to the Graduate School. This form is available from the Graduate School Administrative Office, 247 University Hall, or the ESGP office at 365 Kottman Hall, and requires the signature of the Graduate Studies Committee Chair. Students must have earned a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 for all graduate course work completed at this university to qualify for graduation. ******************************************************************************************************************************** 4. CORE CURRICULUMAn essential component of graduate-level work
in Environmental Science is participation in
seminars and other forums where current research
results are presented and discussed. All
incoming ESGP students will take the Autumn
quarter seminar, ES 798 (1 credit), Seminar
in Environmental Science, which includes
new student orientation and presentations by
the ESGP faculty concerning their research programs.
Plan B (non thesis) M.S. students will also
enroll in 2 more quarters of ES 798. Students will prepare critiques of the other
presentations and during the second quarter
of enrollment these individuals will present
a seminar on a topic of environmental significance. Graduate study in Environmental Science at OSU represents a combination of course work, graduate seminars, teaching, internships, and research. To help ensure an interdisciplinary perspective, core course work is required in each of three focus areas: Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences and Engineering, and Social Sciences and Policy. M.S. students are required to take one course from each focus area, PhD students are required to take two courses from each focus area. Depth of knowledge in a specific area of environmental science comes from the development of a research thesis or dissertation in a specialized area of study. Please note, students who plan to get their M.S. in Environmental Science, then continue on to a Ph.D., will have to, over the course of their tenure here, take a total of three courses from each focus area. The courses taken as part of the M.S. degree can't be double-counted towards the Ph.D. CORE COURSES IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES:
*courses have not yet been approved by entire ESGP faculty. CORE COURSES IN PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING: The purpose of this portion of the core is to provide students with an understanding of the physical structure in which ecosystems must function and ways to assess the impact human activity can have on both that physical structure and the ecosystems. "Physical structure" means the soil, rock, water, air, thermal energy, nutrients, and other components of our physical world that influence the development and viability of ecosystems. It includes the major cycles such as the hydrologic cycle and seasonal changes. M.S. students take one of these courses, Ph.D. students take two.
CORE COURSES IN SOCIAL SCIENCES AND POLICY: The purpose of these core courses is to present key concepts regarding economic, institutional, and legal dimensions of the environment. M.S. students take one of these courses, Ph.D. students take two.
*courses have not yet been approved by entire ESGP faculty. ****************************************************************************************************************************** Financial aid to graduate students are of two
general types: University Fellowships are highly competitive and are largely restricted to entering graduate students. Successful candidates usually have overall grade point averages above 3.5 on a 4-point scale and high scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Fellows pursue a full-time schedule of courses or research (12 - 15 credits per quarter) and are not required to teach or provide other services. ESGP students have been very successful in this competition. Please note: International applicants for the 2006-07 academic year and beyond must have taken the GRE after October 2002 to be considered for a University Fellowship. Any GRE scores before that date, i.e. without the analytical writing section, will not be considered. A Graduate Associate (GA) is a currently enrolled,
full-time graduate student who holds an appointment
calling for the performance of services such
as classroom or laboratory instruction, advising
or supervision of students, grading papers and
examinations, research, developing curriculum
materials, administrative duties, etc. Graduate
Associates may be Teaching Associates (GTA),
Research Associates (GRA), or Administrative
Associates (GAA) according to the duties assigned.
The instructor of the specific course to which
an individual is assigned will determine the
responsibilities and duties of a GTA. The U. S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS) requires the University Admissions office
to certify the following for every international
student: The letter of award should state clearly the terms and duration of the award and whether or not it is renewable. Unless the international student applicant can provide documentation of sufficient funds either from personal resources or from the university, the Referral Form will be withheld from the ESGP. A letter of award will release the Referral Form to the Graduate Studies Committee for action. The Student Financial Aids Office, Room 440
Lincoln Tower, administrates student employment,
the work-study program, and loans. The Student Financial Aids Office serves only
registered students and their spouses. Students in need of financial assistance should contact a counselor
at the Student Financial Aids Office, 450 Lincoln
Tower, 1800 Cannon Drive, Columbus, OH 43210.
Specific
programs include: ******************************************************************************************************************************** Students with any disabilities
who may require special assistance are encouraged
to contact the Office for Disability Services, 150
Pomerene Hall, 1760 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210;
phone (614) 292-3307. This office coordinates physical and academic
support services and accommodations for individuals
who have special needs as a result of a permanent
or temporary disability. Individuals eligible for service include, but are not limited to,
those with mobility, hearing, visual, speech or learning
disabilities.
******************************************************************************************************************************* 7. NONDISCRIMINATION POLICYThe policy of The Ohio State University, both traditionally and currently, is that discrimination against any individual for reasons of race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, or Vietnam era veteran status is specifically prohibited.
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