New Ph.D. program at GSU, only one in Georgia
By: Jamari Davis
At the beginning of the 2023 fall semester, Georgia Southern welcomed a new Ph.D. program to its curriculum.
The Environmental Science Ph.D. program offered at Georgia Southern makes it the first and only university in Georgia to provide this program.
The journey of adding the Ph.D. program into the curriculum was not an easy process. For a program to be offered at a university it has to be approved by the Board of Regents, which can take a few months. After that, the proposal has to be accepted by the necessary accredited agencies which can also take another few months if approved.
It took nearly 20 years for the environmental science Ph.D. program to finally be accepted.
Daniel Gleason, who has been the director of the School of Earth Environment and Sustainability, which is a new school that has been open since July 1, has been on the front line working to support the new Ph.D. program. Gleason was also the staff member who pitched for the program to be taught at Georgia Southern.
The goal for this program is to provide students with the tools for success, “Opportunities exist across all science and mathematics disciplines for study and research in a wide range of natural laboratories that include forests, beaches, salt marshes, rivers and more along southeast Georgia’s coastal plain as well as abroad. Graduates are equipped with the writing, math, presentation, technical, and essential skills that are critical for success in today’s economy,” according to the Georgia Southern Environmental Science website.
“We're gonna have to do what we need to do to be different from what other people have in the state and this would also be a very useful program and one that could make a difference in the future,” said Gleason.
The Environmental Science Ph.D. program is an interdisciplinary program so faculty all across the College of Science and Math. This means that any faculty who work within the biology, chemistry, physics, or geology discipline can teach in this program.
“We brought in our first cohort of Ph.D. students in the fall, so this semester, and I figured if we brought in two or three, that'd be good. But we actually have eight Ph.D. students and so it's a lot more than we expected to bring in the first year,” said Gleason. “So, there is interest among the faculty and having Ph.D. students because there are a lot of advantages to having Ph.D. students and bringing them into your lab if you research because they're much more experienced.”
Jesse Imonje is one of the current students in the environmental science Ph.D. program. Imonje is from Nairobi, Kenya who Gleason reached out to and shared that someone else with the program is conducting similar research as he was.
“I didn’t find Georgia Southern. Georgia Southern found me,” said Imonje.
To apply for a Ph.D. program, you have to already hold a master’s degree and undergraduate degree. Many students choose their programs based on their research plan that they chose to work on with their supervisor.
“I had to apply for it. So, with the Ph.D. program, it's different from the master's program because when you're doing the PhD program, before you even apply, you have to have a supervisor,” said Imonje. “He's the one…. he's going to be guiding you in your research too. The university cannot allow you to apply if you do not have a determined supervisor.”
The next step in applying for the Environmental Science Ph.D. program, like others, students will have to discuss with their supervisor the proper amount of space needed to conduct their research and if they will have all the finances necessary available to cover their expenses. Scholarships are available for students within this program that they can also apply to when considering expenses.
Once all of this is settled with the supervisor and the supervisor approves the university, then will the student be able to apply and start the normal application process.
Students who participate in this program will have to complete a total of 78 credit hours which usually takes around 4 to 5 years to graduate with.
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