Environmental Science and Management PhD Student Resources

Welcome to the PhD program in Environmental Science and Management at Montclair State University. Our interdisciplinary program takes a holistic approach to research and education, bringing together the physical, chemical, biological, social, and management dimensions of natural and human environments, all grounded in the philosophy of a sustainable world.

Our students study environmental problems at every scale. Recent areas of research include:

• reconstructing past ice sheets and their impact on sea level
• remediating inorganic and organic contaminants in coastal waterways
• the economics of biofuels and other renewable energy sources
• mapping Arctic tundra shrubs using satellite remote sensing
• human impacts on wetlands and aquatic ecosystems, such as turtle harvesting
• establishing safe migratory routes for species affected by habitat fragmentation
• restoring seagrass habitats
• understanding and managing jellyfish blooms
• modeling how coastlines respond to rising seas and more frequent storms
• numerical modeling of the spatial spread of diseases

Visit the current faculty and students pages for insight into what we are investigating.

The University is also home to several dynamic environmental research centers, including the Clean Energy and Sustainability Analytics Center (CESAC) and the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Science (ISS).

Most of our PhD students are based in the Center for Environmental and Life Sciences (CELS), a modern research building with a view of the Manhattan skyline. Our beautiful 252-acre campus is just 12 miles from New York City. Two rail stations and bus connections make it an easy trip into the city.

Key Milestones and Forms

Required Forms

1. Form A – Completion of the Qualifying Assessment; Admission to Doctoral Candidacy
2. Form B – Approval of the Dissertation Committee
3. Form C – Request for Approval of an Outside Dissertation Committee Member (if applicable)
4. Form D – Approval of the Dissertation Proposal
5. Form E – Application for Dissertation Defense Date
6. Penultimate Dissertation Draft – Submitted to committee in advance of defense
7. Form F – Report of Dissertation Defense
8. ETD (Embargo) Form – Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Release Form
9. Forms G/H – Dissertation Extension Application

PhD Events Timeline

1. Admission to Candidacy – Form A

• Trigger: Successful completion of the written and oral qualifying exams.
• Timeline: Before the end of the 2nd semester of Year 2 (after matriculation).
• Notes: Attach documentation of qualifying exam completion.

2. Creating the Dissertation Committee – Forms B and C

• Timeline: Before or immediately after admission to candidacy.

3. Dissertation Proposal – Form D

• Timeline: Before the end of Year 3 and prior to submission of Form E.
• Notes: Attach the full written proposal.

4. Scheduling the Dissertation Defense – Form E and Penultimate Draft

• Timeline:
  • Form E must be submitted at least 10 days before the defense.
  • Penultimate draft must be submitted to the committee at least 2 weeks before the defense date.

5. Report of Dissertation Defense Outcome – Form F

• Timeline: Submitted by the committee chair within 24 hours of the defense.

6. Final Dissertation Submission – ETD (Embargo) Form & Signature Page

• Timeline: After a successful defense and completion of revisions, submit electronically to required platforms.
• Notes: Must include a signature page with all committee signatures.
  • Graduation Deadlines:
    • Defense must occur at least 10 days before the semester ends.
    • Final submission deadline is the last day of the semester (e.g., if semester ends Dec 20, defense must occur by Dec 10).

7. Dissertation Extension – Forms G/H

• Timeline: Required after completing 30 credits of EAES 900 if the dissertation has not been successfully defended. Students must register for EAES 901 (1 credit per semester) until completion.