Earth and Environmental Sciences
The Ph.D. program in Earth and Environmental Sciences spans the social, natural, and physical sciences, encouraging students to pursue diverse topics.
Learn more about the programDegree Offered
Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Sciences
Full-time
3 Specializations
Admissions Deadlines
December 15 for fall enrollment
(No spring enrollment)
From its inception in 1983, the Ph.D. Program in Earth and Environmental Sciences has identified itself with "promoting teaching and research in the study of the earth." With faculty in atmospheric sciences, environmental sciences, environmental psychology, geography, and geology, the Earth and Environmental Sciences program at the CUNY Graduate Center spans a broad array of subjects focusing on the earth, its environments, human activities, and the linkages between them.
Whether they are paleontologists or cultural geographers, Earth and Environmental Sciences students become part of a strong academic community supported by our accomplished faculty who foster curiosity and the pursuit of social justice.
Our Program
Graduate Center students are encouraged to work across disciplines. This interdisciplinary approach is supported by our accomplished faculty members who have a variety of research interests. Along the path to degree, students are encouraged to attend academic conferences, write articles to submit for publication, and many will teach undergraduate courses at a CUNY college.
Students must complete 4-5 core courses and can choose elective courses within the Earth and Environmental Sciences program and in other doctoral programs at the CUNY Graduate Center. Most required courses and courses for the Geography and Environmental Psychology specializations are conducted at the CUNY Graduate Center, while laboratory courses and courses for the Environmental and Geological Sciences specialization are offered at the various affiliated departments throughout CUNY.
Earth and Environmental Sciences hosts a weekly colloquium and is part of an inter-university consortium that allow students to further discuss and pursue their research while working with colleagues within CUNY and from other schools in the region.
Graduates of the program go on to work in academia and in the public and private sector.
Access the vital GC Commons site for the Earth and Environmental Sciences community >>
Prospective Students
Our students are diverse, and we welcome those who are passionate about their studies and have varied interests. We are a public institution with opportunities for fellowships and financial aid; many of our students graduate debt-free. Annually, the Earth and Environmental Sciences program admits 14 full-time students. For more information visit the admissions and aid page, and explore our courses and paths to degree. Please note: The annual admissions deadline is December 15. The GRE is not required and will not be considered. TOEFL is required for applicants for whom English is a foreign language, though there is no minimum score required.
Admissions and Aid
Hear from Our Students and Professors
Students and professors talk about their research, the diverse academic nature of the Earth and Environmental Sciences program, and why they are thriving at the CUNY Graduate Center.
Our Faculty
Support Our Program
Your gift demonstrates that you believe public higher education is important and worthy of investment. Contributing directly to our program will have a positive and lasting impact. Thank you for making a difference.
Donate NowFrom Our Students
"The Graduate Center is home to some amazing, very committed faculty members and students who are activists and organizers, movers and shakers. We come with a lot of experience, and make sure that the communities where we come from and the communities we're forming are taken care of."
— Marlene Nava Ramos
Ph.D. candidate
Read more
Earth and Environmental Sciences Spotlights
Our Sciences Spotlight series profiles students, faculty, and alumni associated with GC Sciences programs. Learn about our community:
Student: Corey Scher
Corey Scher is helping to uncover scientific discoveries on glacier melt in the Himalayas as a second year PhD student in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
Faculty: Cecilia McHugh
Professor McHugh's research focuses on marine geology and sedimentation processes to understand earthquake and tsunamis, sea-level changes, climate, and the impact of anthropogenic activities in the local rivers and estuaries such as the Hudson and Long Island Sound.
Alumni: Gisselle Mejía
Now a postdoctoral fellow at Dartmouth, Mejía studies soil microbes in urban and rural forests.
Recent News
Feb 22, 2023
Alumna Becomes Delaware's First Environmental Justice Coordinator
The Earth and Environmental Sciences grad will work with marginalized communities to address water quality and climate change.
- GC Stories
- Alumni News
Feb 14, 2023
How Valuable Is Public Space? Priceless, Argues a New Book by Setha Low
"Why Public Space Matters" analyzes the role of parks, plazas, and other communal places in our public culture.
- GC Stories
- Faculty News
Feb 6, 2023
Science Alumni Spotlight: Gisselle Mejía (Ph.D. ’22, Earth and Environmental Sciences)
Now a postdoctoral fellow at Dartmouth, Mejía studies soil microbes in urban and rural forests.
- Alumni News
Feb 1, 2023
Celebrating Our Scholars During Black History Month
From a book on Black-owned bookstores to the first CUNY Kennedy Center honoree, Graduate Center scholars are writing and changing Black history.
- GC Stories
- Faculty News
- Student News
- Alumni News
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