The current degree requirements are below. Remember you are required to fulfill the requirements from the academic year you were admitted. Please refer to the handbook from your year of admission as needed.

84 credit hours, an oral and written exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (3 credit hours)

• ELS 501 Grand Challenges in Environmental Life Sciences (3) to be taken in the first semester at ASU

Electives (69 credit hours)

Research

• ELS 792 Research (12 minimum credit hours required)

At least 6 credit hours selected from different broad categories. Some examples include:

• Earth sciences (e.g., geology, hydrology)

• Organismal biology (e.g., physiology and behavior)

• Evolutionary biology (e.g., population genetics)

• Ecology/ecosystems/biogeochemistry

• Sustainability/social/policy

At least 3 credit hours in quantitative/modeling/statistics (e.g., BIO 514 Statistical Models for Biology)

The department and the student's advisor determine additional elective courses in conjunction with the student. Some examples include the following (not an exhaustive list):

• ELS 792 Research (additional)

• BIO 514 Statistical Models for Biology

• BIO 507 Advanced Evolutionary Medicine

• BIO 510 Evolutionary Medicine and Global Health

• BIO 521 Landscape Ecology

• BIO 530 Scientific Teaching

• BIO 539 Computing for Research

• BIO 579 Data Analysis and Visualization in R

• BIO 591 Society and Natural Resource Management

• BIO 591 Social-Ecological Systems & Adaptation

• BIO 591 Drylands in a Changing Earth

• BIO 591 Population Genetic Reading Group

• BIO 591 Communication for Scientists

• BIO 591 Genetics and Genomics of Behavior

• BIO 620 Research Prospectus Writing

• ELS 591 Ecosystems Reading Group

• ELS 591 Resilience and Robustness in Social Ecological Systems

• ELS 591 ESSA Reading and Reflection

• EVO 501 Current Topics in Evolutionary Biology

• EVO 601 Principles of Evolution

• EVO 610 Research Areas of Evolution

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours)

• ELS 799 Dissertation (12)

*Taken after advancing to candidacy

*Note: It is very important you do exactly 12 dissertation credit hours. You may begin completing dissertation credits after advancing to candidacy. These 12 can be divided and taken over multiple semesters, but they must sum 12 credits exactly (no more, no less) to avoid issues when graduating. If you need to enroll in dissertation or equivalent hours after meeting your 12 total, please take ELS 792 Research hours instead, which has no maximum limit.

Please communicate with your faculty advisor and refer to your academic year's SOLS handbook for specific details about what is required for your comprehensive exams and prospectus defense. The Environmental Life Sciences PhD program requires you complete this by the end of your 4th or 5th semester. You must pass your oral and written exams as well as your prospectus defense in order to advance to candidacy.

To schedule your exams:

• • Confirm your iPOS is approved and your faculty committee section is up to date.

  • Please fill out this form to both schedule and initiate your electronic pass/fail form. This will be sent to your committee members and Program Director. 

After your exams:

• Once your pass/fail form has been completed, the SOLS Graduate Office will input your results in your iPOS. If you passed each component, you will advance to candidacy and receive a formal candidacy letter from ASU.

• If you advance to candidacy by the deadlines detailed here, you will receive a post-candidacy pay increase the following semester (and each subsequent semester).