Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants should meet the following program requirements:

• Baccalaureate Field Earth science, environmental science, other natural or physical sciences, or engineering (also applies to those applicants having an MS degree). Students from other areas are also encouraged to apply if their backgrounds indicate a reasonable chance for success in the program.
• Prerequisites Students entering with an MS degree in the sciences can receive up to 32 hours of credit toward the PhD. Highly qualified students lacking in one or more of the prerequisites may be considered for admission under “limited standing” with specific additional prescribed courses. Prerequisites for all applicants are listed below:
  • Baccalaureate degree in Earth and Environmental Sciences, related science or engineering field, or other (in special cases)
  • Chemistry (1 year)
  • Physics (1 year); alternatively, Physics (1 semester) and Biology (1 semester)
  • Calculus (1 year)
• Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study.
• Tests Required None.
• Minimum English Competency Test Score
  • TOEFL iBT 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21, OR,
  • IELTS Academic 6.5, with 6.0 in each of the four subscores, OR,
  • PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
• Letters of Recommendation Three required; preferably from professors familiar with the applicant’s academic work. 
• Personal Statement Required. Instead of an open-ended personal statement, applicants are asked to answer a set of guided prompts.
• Deadlines Application deadlines for this program are listed on the Graduate College website.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 96 past the baccalaureate are required.
• Coursework Minimum of 32 semester hours, with at least 3 EAES courses (minimum 3 semester hours per course) at the 500 level, excluding EAES 595, EAES 596, and EAES 599. Only 3 courses (minimum 3 semester hours per course) outside EAES will count toward this requirement. Each course must be taken for a letter grade, not on a credit/no credit basis. A maximum of 32 hours of coursework may be transferred in from a previous master’s degree program, with a limit of 16 hours credited toward the UIC coursework requirements. Of the 16 semester hours of content coursework left to complete for the PhD, only one course (minimum 3 hours) can come from outside EAES. Additionally, these remaining 16 semester hours must include two courses (minimum 3 hours per course) at the 500 level.
• Requirements beyond the stipulated semester hours of coursework
  • ​Students must take EAES 590 (2 semester hours) in their first year. 
  • Students can count no more than 4 semester hours of EAES 596 toward the required 96-hour minimum.
  • Students will be expected to enroll in EAES 595 Departmental Seminar (0 credits) every semester.
  • Students will be expected to present progress to their full research committee once a year.
• Examinations
  • Departmental Qualifying Examination: Required. Written and oral components required. Ordinarily completed during the student's third semester. 
  • Preliminary Examination: Required. Taken in the second semester after the qualifying exam.
• Dissertation Required. Students must earn at least 46 semester hours in EAES 599.