PhD Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Programme overview

Graduate students will earn a degree in Earth and Marine Sciences. The program aims to provide students with rigorous, individually tailored educational and research experiences that prepares them for research, teaching and other careers in EMES-related fields. Both masters (M.S.) and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree programs are offered, including a M.S. bypass option. This graduate program will enable students to learn about current concepts and issues in the natural sciences and develop skills for analysis of contemporary and future local, national and global problems in earth, marine and environmental sciences.

Faculty: College of Arts and Sciences | Department: Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences | Study mode: full-time | Location: Chapel Hill, NC, United States

What you will study

Requirements for the master of science degree are 30 semester hours (including a minimum program residence credit of two full semesters and three hours of EMES 993 To obtain a concentration, students are required to take a minimum of 9 credits from a list of upper-level classes within a subdiscipline.

Career pathways

The program aims to provide students with rigorous, individually tailored educational and research experiences that prepares them for research, teaching and other careers in EMES-related fields. A strong emphasis is placed on preparing students to enter the workforce and continue their research careers in a broad number of academic disciplines.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Graduate School minimum (applies to all graduate programmes): a four-year bachelor's degree (or international equivalent) from an accredited institution completed before graduate study begins and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B) or better; application via the Graduate School online application with transcripts, three recommendation letters, statement of purpose and CV, plus any programme-specific tests/materials; international applicants add a TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test score; admission decisions are made by each programme. Programme-specific: For admission to the EMES department graduate program, an undergraduate degree is generally required in a physical or natural science such as physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology, microbiology, botany, zoology, geology, marine science or in computer science or engineering. Please note that the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is no longer required of applicants. Many students have completed a master's degree before being admitted to the doctoral program, but some students enter the Ph.D. program having completed only an undergraduate degree.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate applicants apply for a start term; fall is the main start term. Very few programmes admit new students for spring or summer terms.

Graduate applications and payment must be received by the deadline of the academic programme applied to, which varies by programme; the application closes at 11:59pm Eastern Time on the deadline date. The Graduate School recommends complete applications by December 15, 2026 for full fellowship consideration.

Apply through the official page: https://gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions/

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