The Department of Environmental Sciences (EVSC) is an academic department offering instruction and conducting research in the areas of ecology, geosciences, hydrology, and atmospheric sciences. This unique juxtaposition of several sciences in one department fosters cooperation and exchange among traditional disciplines that share similar methodological and philosophical problems. The research endeavors of both faculty and graduate students, whether disciplinary or interdisciplinary, deal largely with problems of fundamental scientific interest. Research fields include environmental biogeochemistry, coastal processes, hydrogeology, catchment hydrology, microbial ecology, wetlands ecology, terrestrial ecology, boundary-layer meteorology, atmospheric chemistry, and climatology. Initiatives involving groups of faculty in contaminant hydrogeology, global environmental change, and coastal ecosystems encompass a number of graduate research opportunities.

The department offers three graduate degree programs: The Master of Arts, Master of Science and the Doctor of Philosophy. The M.A. degree candidate must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours, including 24 credits of course work at the graduate level. The student’s M.A. program of study is developed in consultation with the candidate’s major professor and includes a thesis. Training in ecology, hydrology, atmospheric science, and geosciences is expected of the degree candidate. The M.S. program emphasizes new scientific research in addition to fundamental coursework. A degree candidate must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours including 24 hours of graduate level coursework. One course from each of the four core areas of the department (ecology, hydrology, geosciences, and atmospheric sciences) is required. The Ph.D. program degree emphasizes original research and independent study. The degree candidate is required to complete the four core-area courses as for the M.S., one additional 700-level course and a minimum of 54 credit hours including thesis research. Thesis committees are usually interdisciplinary and are composed according to the type of research to be conducted. Ph.D. candidates must pass a written and oral comprehensive examination administered by their dissertation committee within four semesters of entering the program.

Research Facilities

Departmental facilities include field vehicles, boats, a machine and electronics shop, environmental chambers, analytical chemistry laboratories with extensive instrumentation, greenhouse facilities, state-of-the-art computers including a computational hydrology laboratory, GIS facility, NAFAX and FAA weather information, and GOES-Tap satellite receiver. Departmental field facilities include the Pace/Steger teaching/research site. Major interdisciplinary research initiatives with off-site research stations includes the Virginia Coast Reserve/Long-Term Ecological Research (VCR/LTER) studies of marsh and barrier island ecosystems on Virginia's Eastern Shore. Blandy Experimental Farm and the Orland E. White Arboretum are the focus of ecological research near Front Royal, VA. The Program of Interdisciplinary Research in Contaminant Hydrogeology (PIRCH), which includes EVSC and Engineering faculty and students, conducts research on hydrogeochemical and microbial processes in the subsurface. The Shenandoah Watershed Study (SWAS) investigates catchment biogeochemical and hydrological processes in the Blue Ridge region. An active research group focuses on the study of global environmental change.

Financial Aid

All students who complete applications by January 15 are considered for financial aid that is awarded on the basis of background and merit. Fellowships are awarded to the most academically qualified students. Teaching assistants teach laboratory sections of undergraduate and graduate courses. Research assistantships are available through individual professor's research projects; potential advisors should be contacted directly. At present, 98% of our graduate students receive financial support. A full stipend is $14,000-$15,600 for nine months; most students receive an additional $4,000-$5,000 summer research stipend. Most entering M.S. and Ph.D. students are awarded a full tuition fellowship. No teaching assistantship or Departmental Fellowship support is generally available to M.A. students. Small grants to support research and travel to professional meetings are routinely awarded.

Cost of Study

Tuition, depending on course load, ranges between $2,583 and $9,153 per academic year for Virginia residents and $2,594 and $20,153 per academic year for out-of-state students. Students with financial awards receive partial or complete tuition fellowships.

Living and Housing Costs

A variety of affordable housing options exists, from small apartments near Grounds to houses in the country. Most students live off-grounds in shared apartments or houses. The rent for an individual in a shared arrangement ranges from $250 to $400, excluding utilities. Living alone costs $400-$700. Most graduate students are able to meet their living expenses with their stipends.

Student Group

Currently 93 students are enrolled; 36 in M.S. and 57 in Ph.D. programs. 45% are women. Students choose at least one area of specialization in their graduate programs, but many do interdiscplinary researcg. Students come from a wide range of scientific backgrounds, including geology, chemistry, biology, physics, and engineering. Occasional students have completed non-science undergraduate degrees and have prepared for graduate study through continuing education.

Student Outcomes

EVSC maintains an exceptional placement record, largely due to the rigorous interdisciplinary training program, with emphasis on research, and the reputation and connections of departmental faculty. Ph.D. students find employment in universities and colleges, federal laboratories and agencies, and research institutes. M.S. students find employment in federal and state laboratories and agencies, in foundations, and in private industry. Examples include USGS, NASA, NOAA, EPA, and DOE national laboratories at the national level.

Location

The University Grounds are located in Charlottesville, beside the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in central Virginia. The University is 110 miles from Washington, D.C., with its varied cultural and scholarly resources, moments from the mountains, a two-hour drive from the Chesapeake Bay, and four hours from the Atlantic Ocean.

The University and the Department

The University of Virginia was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson. The original buildings, designed by Jefferson, represent one of the great achievements of American architecture and help to make the Grounds of the University of Virginia one of the most attractive campuses in the United States. The total University enrollment is 20,000 with 11,000 in the College of Arts and Sciences (9500 undergraduate, 1500 graduate). The Department of Environmental Sciences, founded in 1970, is among the oldest and best known interdisciplinary environmental sciences programs in the country.

Applying

There are three deadlines for applying for admission depending on the semester one wishes to begin and the type(s) of financial aid for which one wishes to be considered.

• for September admission
  • December 1   (for consideration for College and University-wide fellowships)
    
  • January 15   (for all departmental financial aid including research
                              and teaching assistantships)
• for January admission
  • October 15 :    (no financial aid)