PhD Program

To be admitted to the Ph.D. degree program in Environmental Science and Technology an applicant:

• Must have earned an M.S. Degree in a closely related field. In special cases, exceptional students may be admitted to a Ph.D. program without first completing an M.S. degree provided these students have:

  • An exceptional academic record and test scores

  • Demonstrated significant research experience during their B.S. program (such as completion of a research based honors thesis.

• Must meet all admission requirements for the M.S. degree (i.e. Basic Science Requirement, etc).

Applying to the ENST M.S. program is a two-part process:

1. Identify an ENST faculty member whose research aligns with your interests
2. Submit your application through the University of Maryland Graduate School

Step 1 – Review the ENST program and specializations:

Before applying, explore the ENST graduate program and the four areas of specialization:

• Soil and Watershed Sciences
• Ecological Technology Design
• Wetland Science
• Ecosystem Health & Natural Resource Management

This will help you determine whether your background, research interests, and career goals are a good fit for the program.

Step 2 –  Identify faculty whose interests match yours:
As a prospective student, you must secure a faculty advisor before you formally apply. Review ENST faculty profiles and identify faculty members whose research interests align with your own. Because graduate study in ENST is research-centered, faculty fit is an important part of the admissions process.

Step 3 – Contact potential faculty advisors (one or two months before application deadline):

Reach out to one or more faculty members in your area of interest before or while preparing your application. A concise introductory email should typically include:

• A brief introduction and your academic background
• Your research interests and why ENST is a good fit
• Your cv or résumé
• Unofficial transcripts, if available
• Any relevant research, field, lab, or professional experience

This step helps applicants clarify research fit and determine whether a faculty member may be available to advise them.

Step 4 – Prepare your application materials:

Once an ENST faculty member has agreed to support your admission, you should prepare the materials required by ENST and the UMD Graduate School:

• Transcripts
• A personal statement of research interests
• Contact information for three references

UMD Graduate School also provides general admissions guidance and handles the online application portal. Recommendation letters are submitted electronically.

Step 5 – Submit the online Graduate School application:

Submit your application through the University of Maryland Graduate School online application system, following all Graduate School instructions for transcripts, recommendations, and other required materials.

Note: Refer to the ENST page in UMD's Graduate Catalog for further details and application deadlines.

To earn an Ph.D. degree, the University of Maryland Graduate School requires that the student complete:

• A minimum of 12 credits of dissertation research (899)
• Complete and successfully defend a dissertation based on original research

All ENST Ph.D. students, in addition to the 12 credits of 899, are required to complete the following:

• ENST 602:  Research Principles and Methodology in Environmental Science and Technology (3 credits). This course should be taken once during either the M.S. or Ph.D. program.
• ENST 702: Communication and Professional Development in Environmental Science and Technology (2 credits). This course should be taken once during either the M.S. or Ph.D. program.
• ENST 798: Graduate Seminar (2 semesters – total of 2 credits). 
• Minimum of two approved graduate level statistics courses (these can be taken either during the MS or PhD program).

Within each specialization, Ph.D. students are expected to complete all M.S. specialization requirements plus two to three additional courses related to the specialization.

• Soil and Watershed Sciences

• Ecological Technology Design

• Wetland Science

• Ecosystem Health & Natural Resource Management