Advance environmental research. Expand scientific understanding.

The environmental challenges shaping our future are complex, global, and deeply interconnected. Solving them requires researchers who can think across disciplines, ask ambitious questions, and generate knowledge that matters beyond the laboratory.

In the Earth and Ecosystem Science Ph.D. program at Central Michigan University, you will join a selective interdisciplinary research community where scientific discovery, faculty mentorship, and funded research define your doctoral experience.

Here, your work begins with real questions, questions about freshwater systems, climate, environmental engineering, ecosystem dynamics, geologic change, and the ways natural systems respond to a rapidly changing world.

Research that starts with discovery

From your first semester, you will work directly within active research programs led by faculty whose work addresses environmental challenges at regional, national, and international scales.

Your research may involve:

• Great Lakes freshwater ecosystems
• Atmospheric processes and severe weather
• Environmental engineering and water systems
• Biodiversity and conservation science
• Geologic and ecosystem change

Recent projects have taken students from the St. Clair–Detroit River system to Antarctic marine environments, reflecting the wide reach of research within the program.

Because environmental systems do not fit neatly into one discipline, your training will not either. You will develop the ability to integrate scientific perspectives across biology, geology, meteorology, and engineering.

Work closely with faculty who invest in your research

Your doctoral journey begins by identifying a faculty advisor whose research aligns with your goals. That mentorship shapes your experience from the beginning, helping you refine research questions, build technical expertise, publish scholarly work, and prepare for the next stage of your scientific career. In addition to your faculty advisor, you will work with a dissertation committee that provides broad interdisciplinary guidance as your research develops.

A program built around research productivity

The Earth and Ecosystem Science Ph.D. is designed for students who want to contribute to science while earning their degree.

Over the past five years:

• EES students contributed to 57 peer-reviewed publications
• Students delivered 114 professional conference presentations
• Faculty secured more than $26 million in external research funding
• 19 of 20 graduates entered careers directly aligned with their doctoral training

These outcomes reflect a program where students are expected, and supported, to produce meaningful scientific work.

Funding that supports your doctoral experience

Most admitted students receive financial support through a combination of research and teaching assistantships.

Funding typically includes:

• Graduate stipend
• Tuition waiver
• Research support
• Teaching experience

Many students contribute directly to grant-funded projects supported by federal and state agencies, allowing your doctoral work to develop within active scientific research already addressing current environmental priorities.

Develop the skills to lead scientific work

Throughout the program, you will strengthen the skills expected of today’s environmental researchers:

• Designing independent research
• Publishing scientific findings
• Presenting at scientific conferences
• Collaborating across disciplines
• Mentoring undergraduate and graduate researchers
• Communicating science clearly to diverse audiences

The goal is to help you graduate not only with advanced expertise, but with the confidence to lead future scientific work in your field.

Where your degree can take you

Graduates of the program move into careers across environmental science and research, including:

• Postdoctoral research appointments
• University teaching and faculty positions
• Government science agencies
• Environmental consulting
• Applied engineering and technical research sectors

Because your doctoral work is grounded in active research, you graduate with both scientific depth and professional experience.

Admission begins with faculty connection

Admission to the program begins with research fit. Before applying, you should contact a faculty member whose research aligns with your interests. Admission requires sponsorship by a participating faculty advisor who is prepared to support your doctoral research.

Meet the EES Faculty

Application deadline

All application materials must be received by February 1 for fall admission consideration. Review begins in January and continues until available positions are filled. Admission offers are typically sent by March 15, with decisions due by April 15.

Required application materials

Submit all materials through the graduate application portal:

• Graduate application
• Official transcripts
• Personal statement
• Three letters of recommendation
• CV or résumé
• English proficiency documentation (international applicants)

Your personal statement should describe your research interests, prior research experience, long-term goals, and the faculty member whose work most closely aligns with your interests.

Begin your research journey

If you are ready to pursue ambitious environmental questions, contribute original research, and build a future in scientific discovery, the Earth and Ecosystem Science Ph.D. offers a place where your work can make a lasting impact.

Dig Deeper Into EES at CMU