Environmental Sciences (PhD, MS) — Programs and Facilities

Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sciences PhD Track, Environmental Biology PhD Track

Green Chemistry PhD Track, Molecular, Cellular, and Organismal Biology PhD Track

Environmental Sciences MS

The Doctoral Program in Environmental Science is composed of four multidisciplinary PhD tracks that are housed in the Departments of Environmental, Earth and Ocean Sciences (EEOS), Biology, and Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The University’s Master’s Program in Environmental Science is housed in the Department of Environmental, Earth and Ocean Sciences (EEOS). The EEOS graduate program is unique in that it brings together faculty with expertise in biology, chemistry, physics, geology, economics, management, planning, law, and policy into a single academic department to effectively address environmental, coastal and ocean science issues, solve management problems, and advance scientific understanding and education at the interfaces of disciplines. The EEOS vision is to develop the nation’s leading interdisciplinary research and educational program that integrates the natural and social sciences to generate and apply new knowledge for understanding and managing the impacts of anthropogenic perturbation on linked watershed and coastal marine systems. Both the doctoral and master’s degree programs in Environmental Science train individuals for leadership roles as environmental scientists in the public and private sectors. Students prepare for careers in industry, government agencies, health-related fields, and university teaching and research. The program offers advanced course work, research, and other training in a broad spectrum of environmental problems in both the laboratory and the field.

The EEOS master’s program in Environmental Science offers concentrations in applied marine ecology, aquatic chemistry, aquatic toxicology, environmental microbiology, environmental policy and law, and physical oceanography. Students in the master’s program may choose either a thesis or a non-thesis option.

The UMass Boston campus is located on Boston Harbor within easy commuting distance of the residential areas of metropolitan Boston. Near the campus are island systems, protected bays, exposed open ocean areas, and Georges Bank. The University’s field stations in Gloucester and on Nantucket Island provide access to additional marine, aquatic, wetland, and terrestrial ecosystems. Research facilities include modern, well-equipped laboratories, support facilities, the resources of the Healey Library’s science collection, computing facilities, and specialized equipment reflecting the research interests of the faculty.