Opportunities for Graduate Study
Today there is a critical need for well-trained interdisciplinary scholars, particularly in the earth and environmental sciences that have such a profound impact on society.
One of the fundamental missions of SAGE is to train the next generation of scholars to work across multiple scientific disciplines, and to bridge science and policy. With this in mind, we aim to provide graduate students with:
• an understanding of global environmental processes, including the relationships among climate, atmospheric chemistry, natural and managed ecosystems, hydrological processes, natural resources, emerging diseases, and human activities
• expertise in multi-disciplinary research methodologies, including new methods of measurement and data interpretation, and the use of models (i.e., conceptual and numerical) as a means to integrate subjects across traditional disciplinary boundaries
• ability to work individually and as part of an interdisciplinary team, with an emphasis on communicating effectively with people in other disciplines
• ability to convey technical information to the general public on issues of pressing concern
SAGE is not an academic department, and we cannot offer degrees of our own. Instead, we work closely with several academic departments and programs across the campus, where our students pursue advanced degrees, including the M.S. and Ph.D. Graduate programs that we work with include:
• Land Resources (a highly interdisciplinary M.S. and Ph.D. program offered by the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies)
• Environmental Monitoring (a M.S. and Ph.D. program offered by the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies)
• Air Resources Management (a graduate certificate program offered by the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies)
• Energy Analysis and Policy (a graduate certificate program offered by the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies)
• Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences
• Civil & Environmental Engineering
• Limnology and Marine Sciences
• Population Health Sciences
• CHANGE-IGERT: Graduate Certificate and PhD Funding
Faculty from SAGE and the Nelson Institute working on issues of vulnerability and sustainability of the global environment were recently awarded an Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant will provide two years of support to a small number of exceptional PhD students and will establish a new graduate Certificate on Humans and the Global Environment (CHANGE). The CHANGE program involves faculty members in departments ranging from atmospheric and oceanic sciences to sociology. The CHANGE-IGERT web pages have information on the certificate program (which will be open to all graduate students) and the CHANGE Fellowships.
We also work with graduate students in other programs, including Conservation Biology & Sustainable Development, Forest Ecology & Management, Soil Science, Geography, Rural Sociology, and Public Affairs.
SAGE does award funding (through assistantships and fellowships) to a select number of graduate students, after a highly competitive review process. In a typical year, over 100 students contact us for funding, but we typically can only offer 3 to 5 positions. We look for students with outstanding academic credentials (typically with GPAs over 3.5, and GRE scores in the highest percentiles) and previous research or work experience. We also strongly emphasize communication skills and intellectual maturity in our selection process.
If you wish to explore opportunities for graduate research, please contact SAGE (contacting the faculty member or research scientist most closely affiliated with your interests) and the office of the most appropriate graduate program on campus.
Courses We Offer
Faculty and staff affiliated with SAGE offer a wide variety of courses, which cut across the environmental sciences and the science-policy interface.
• Environmental Systems (Environmental Studies 461, cross-listed with Botany and Forest Ecology & Management). A general systems approach to environmental problems: a conceptual framework and a quantitative methodology for dealing with critical environmental issues that cross the boundaries of traditional disciplines. The nature of general systems, concepts and laws; the role of perspective in identification of system properties; the structure and behavior of environmental and ecological systems; mathematical and modeling approaches to environmental problem solving. For students with strong interests in environmental problems. Some computing modeling (using a simple, graphical language, Stella, will be required.) Contact Jon Foley for more information.
• Humans and the Changing Biosphere (Environmental Studies 400, cross-listed with Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences 401). A web-based course focused on the changing biological, chemical, and physical systems of the planet and how they are linked to human activity. This course is aimed at upper-level undergraduates and non-traditional students who are interested in examining the changing nature of the human-environment system on global scales. The course lectures are taught entirely over the web, with frequent interactions among students and faculty through electronic bulletin board discussions. An optional series of field trips is also offered. Some introductory science coursework (biology or earth science, for example) is required. You may also contact Carol Barford or Chris Kucharik for more information.
• Biosphere and Climate (Environmental Studies 520, cross-listed with Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences). A synthetic view of the Earth's biosphere and physical climate system, considered as a fully coupled entity. Principles of meteorology and climatology as they relate to problems in biology and agricultural production. Also, introduction to global ecological systems, biogeography and global biogeochemical cycles. Requirements are a basic biology, geography or meteorology course. Contact Jon Foley for more information.
• Air Resources Science & Policy (Environmental Studies 539). This course aims to familiarize students with key issues involved in air resource management. Topics covered include energy use, atmospheric emissions, weather prediction, El Nino and seasonal climate predictability, global warming, and air pollution on local, regional, and global scales. Through analysis of these topics, basics in uncertainty assessment and communication, environmental modeling, data analysis, and the policy process will be discussed. Class projects will employ and develop both quantitative and qualitative skills through computer-based assignments, problem-solving, writing, presentations, and in-class discussion. A term paper will allow students to bring their own expertise to class, and relate issues in class to a particular area of interest. Contact Tracey Holloway for more information.
• Atmospheric Dispersion and Air Pollution (Environmental Studies 535, cross-listed with Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences). Key topics in atmospheric chemistry and pollutant transport with be covered, with a focus on tropospheric ozone and aerosols. Atmospheric dispersion on local to global scales will be discussed. Students will engage in model development and model-aided research, complemented by analytic methods in problem sets. Required prerequisites: chemistry 101 or equivalent, calculus up through differential equations. Contact Tracey Holloway for more information.
• Global Environmental Governance (Public Affairs 886). This course provides a broad overview of developments and patterns in global environmental governance as they have emerged over the past three decades. The course has three overarching objectives: (1) Deepen students' understanding of emerging patterns of global governance through an in-depth examination of one of the most important and extensive arenas of international policymaking. The course will investigate a variety of important topics, including processes of globalization, geopolitical divisions in international society, the structure and evolution of international institutions and regimes, and the challenges of regulatory harmonization; (2) Develop students' knowledge of the political and policy challenges posed by reimagining the environment as an integrated, global system. As we reconsider human-nature interactions in planetary terms, how is this changing our notions of citizenship, politics, and regulation? How can we formulate and implement policies capable of coordinating human behavior around the planet?; (3) Strengthen students' skills in international policy analysis. Students will analyze an area of emerging arena of policy conflict in global environmental governance. Contact Clark Miller for more information.
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