PhD in Environmental Sustainability (Back-up)no-publish

The goal of the PhD in Environmental Sustainability is to train leaders and professionals with the skills to develop, analyze and empirically assess policies and institutions that address the multiple challenges associated with the transition to sustainability. You will learn to consider environmental problems from the perspective of various disciplines (with an emphasis on science, law, economics and policy), all of which are critical to developing, implementing and evaluating solutions to environmental problems.

You will develop a strong understanding of the complexity of environmental sustainability problems, a critical awareness of the broad range of contributing factors and the methodological and communication skills you need to develop and share potential solutions.

Admission Criteria

Admissions requirements

For the most accurate, up to date information on application deadlines, language tests and other admission requirements, see our specific requirements.

To be eligible, you must meet the following requirements:

Hold a master’s or other graduate degree with thesis or research paper in a relevant discipline. Examples of relevant disciplines include environmental studies (broadly construed), geography, economics, environmental science, political science, international development, environmental engineering, and law.
Have an average of 75% (B+) calculated according to University guidelines.
Provide two confidential letters of recommendation.
Provide a up to date CV
Provide a letter of intent outlining your career goals.
Name at least one professor who is available to act as your thesis supervisor.
Provide an outline of your proposed research project.

Language requirements

You must be able to understand and fluently speak the language of instruction (French or English) in the program to which you are applying. We might require proof of your linguistic proficiency.

If your first language is neither French nor English, you must provide proof of proficiency in the language of instruction.

Note: You are responsible for any fees associated with language tests.

Program Requirements

The department might require you to take additional courses, depending on your background.
You must meet the following requirements:

Courses
Compulsory courses

EVD8100/EVD 8500 Theory and Practice in Environmental Sustainability (3 units)
EVD8901 Research Design and Methods for Environmental Sustainability / Conception recherche et méthodologie pour la recherche en durabilité de l’environnement (3 units)
One elective course at the graduate level (3 units)
EVD9997 Qualifying Examination
EVD9998 PhD Thesis Proposal
THD9999 PhD Thesis

Notes

For EVD8901, you must have an active knowledge of English and at least a passive knowledge of French. You can replace EVD8901 with a detailed research methods course related to your research and approved by the thesis advisory committee and program director.

You must complete both the written and oral component of the qualifying examination (QE). The QE evaluation committee, using your research proposal summary (RPS) as a guide, will identify two fields of knowledge related to your proposed research.

You must usually complete the written and oral components of the qualifying exam by the end of your fifth term. If you do not, we consider this a first failure of the qualifying exam and you must register for the qualifying exam in your sixth term. You then have one last opportunity to pass both the written and oral components of the qualifying exam. If you fail either component, you are deemed to have failed the qualifying exam for the second time and must withdraw from the program.

Thesis advisory committee

Your thesis advisory committee normally includes the following:

professors from at least two substantively different disciplines (such as, but not limited to, economics, science, law, policy, engineering, health sciences, geography or management)
a non-academic stakeholder who can provide practical mentorship and encourage a link between research and practice, where appropriate

Course progress

PhD	Fall	Winter	Spring/Summer
Year 1	All students must take EVD8100 Theory and Practice for Environmental Sustainability / EVD8500 Théorie et pratique en durabilité de l’environnement. All students prepare the research proposal summary (RPS) for the qualifying examination (QE), and organize a meeting with their thesis advisory committee (TAC) at the end of the first term. Possible elective	All students receive feedback from their thesis advisory committee regarding the research proposal summary. In some cases, the TAC will identify knowledge gaps, and recommend a combination of the following to fill them: additional coursework independent research suggested articles to review All students continue to work on a “final” RPS to submit to the QE evaluation committee. All students must take EVD8901 Research Design and Methods for Environmental Sustainability / Conception de recherche et méthodologie pour la recherche en durabilité de l’environnement.[1] Possible elective Possible additional coursework (if TAC determines a need)	Possible elective Possible additional coursework Possible approval of the final RPS by the TAC, and TAC support to request the QE for fall of year 2
Year 2	Possible additional coursework* Possible approval of the research proposal summary (RPS) by the thesis advisory committee (TAC), and TAC support to request the QE for winter, year 2 OR Qualifying examination (if the TAC approves the request for the QE) *You should not take additional coursework at the same time as the QE.	Last opportunity to get TAC approval of the RPS to complete the QE in the spring-summer term, year 2. Qualifying examination (If TAC approved the request for the QE) OR Thesis research proposal (If QE is successfully completed) If you fail to complete the qualifying exam (QE) by the end of your fifth term, you receive a first failure. You can take the QE in your sixth term. However, you must pass both the written and oral component on your first try or withdraw from the program.	Last opportunity to take the qualifying examination* OR Thesis research proposal (if you pass the QE) OR Thesis research (if thesis proposal is successfully completed) * You must pass both the written and oral component on your first try or withdraw from the program.
Year 3	Thesis research and writing	Thesis research and writing	Thesis research and writing
Year 4	Thesis research and writing	Thesis research and writing	Thesis submission and defence

All students follow the same academic path in terms of coursework, preparing the research proposal summary, writing and defending the written and oral qualifying exams, writing the thesis proposal and completing the thesis.

[1] You might want to substitute a different course for EVD8901, either for pedagogical reasons (e.g., you need a more advanced methods course) or to complete the program in French or English only. If so, you can replace EVD8901 with a relevant research methods course offered by another academic unit.

Required Documents

You must submit these documents to complete your application:

Letter of intention

Provide an overview of your academic interests and career goals, and explain why you want to pursue this program. Describe your relevant studies or experience, and explain anything unusual in your academic history.

If your undergraduate degree is in something unrelated to environmental sustainability, indicate what background, experience or motivation you will bring to our program.

Recommendation letters

We require two (2) academic letters of recommendation. They must come from qualified academic scholars who can attest to and demonstrate your potential for graduate-level study or research.

The information about the individuals providing letters of recommendation is entered in your uoZone account, the student portal. You will receive an e-mail, with instructions, after your submit your OUAC application.

Let the individuals know that the University of Ottawa’s letter of recommendation process is done online and is entirely confidential. They will receive a link by email to the secure online system.
It is helpful to provide the individuals with a deadline in order to ensure they submit their letters of recommendation before the application deadline. Your application will not be considered complete (and thus not evaluated) until all your letters of recommendation are received.
Letters of recommendation must be in English or French.
We do not accept letters of recommendation from family members, friends, students, former or current classmates, employees or teaching assistants.
It’s best to provide academic or work email addresses for those providing letters of recommendation. Email address from Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, etc. are discouraged.

Statement of Research Interests

The Statement of Research Interests shows your understanding of environmental sustainability issues, and your ability to describe the research you expect to conduct. It also helps to match you with a suitable supervisor, or to confirm that a supervisor you have contacted is right for you.

We understand that if you are admitted, your research area may change due to further research and guidance from your supervisor.

Your Statement of Research Interests should be no more than 1,000 words. It should identify an area of research in environmental sustainability that spans more than one discipline/knowledge area and has potential policy relevance.

Ensure that your statement is well written and structured. It should address the following, using sub-headings for each section (the word counts for each section are offered as guidelines only).

Research area: The area of research that interests you, including the problem you wish to address. (300 words)

Research question/hypothesis: One or more research questions you wish to examine. Narrow your scope enough that your project can be completed. A research question like “What is the impact of climate change on Africa?” is too broad, whereas a question like “How does over-exploitation of groundwater in Africa affect girls’ attendance at school?” is clearly defined and possible to answer well. (100 words)

Research methodology: How you propose to go about answering your research question, with a focus on the methodological approach. (250 words)

Relevant experience: How your previous studies and/or your professional or community experience will help you address your proposed area of research. (150 words)

Relevance: How your research will improve the current state of knowledge in the proposed area, and its potential policy relevance. (200 words)

You may want to consult some of the many texts about choosing research and research methods. Two examples for introductory empirical economics and public policy are:

Wooldridge, J.M. Introductory Econometrics. 4th ed. South-Western, 2009. (chapter 19)
Weimer, D. and Vining, A. Policy Analysis: Concepts and Practice. 5th ed. Longman, 2010. (chapters 1, 9, 14, 15)

Letter of Approval from your potential Supervisor

A written statement from your potential uOttawa supervisor confirming their availability to act as your thesis supervisor.

CV

An updated CV with your academic, professional and volunteer experience in environmental sustainability.

Submission of documents

Once you have submitted your application and it has been transferred to uOttawa’s servers, you will receive an email with instructions on how to access uoZone, where you will be able to upload your documents.

You must upload a full set of documents for each program you are applying to through uoZone, the student portal.

We highly recommend that you convert your documents to PDF formats.

Applying Online

Apply online through the Ontario Universities Admission Centre (OUAC). Learn more about the steps to apply.

Contact

For questions about your application or the application process, contact Institute of the Environment.

PhD in Environmental Sustainability