The PhD program in Resource and Environmental Management provides an opportunity for pursuing high-level research and interdisciplinary education in natural resources and environmental management. This degree is intended to be a truly interdisciplinary research degree. Students have to demonstrate core knowledge of Environmental Science, Ecological Economics, and Environmental Policy in a comprehensive exam. Furthermore, their research must incorporate two of these areas. Since 1994, we have attracted outstanding students to this program and the research they produce has been excellent.

Program Requirements
Students complete an introductory field course (REM 698), three additional required graduate courses, a thesis proposal defense examination (REM 898), and a thesis which is subject to oral defense (REM 899). Students must maintain a minimum A- average across all required courses.

Required Courses
REM 698-5: Field Resource Management Workshop — This is a mandatory workshop that is held in late August for new REM students. It provides an opportunity for students and faculty to get acquainted, and to introduce students to a variety of resource management issues that are discussed in the program.

Students will also complete at least one course in each of the three core areas (environmental sciences, resource and environmental policy and planning, and environmental economics). Although it is strongly recommended that students complete all three core courses in their first fall term, the timing will be determined by the student and the senior supervisor in conjunction with the supervisory committees. The recommended courses to fulfill this requirement are normally:

REM 611-5: Population and Community Ecology*

REM 621-5: Ecological Economics

REM 644-5: Public Policy Analysis and Administration

Substitutions of other graduate courses to fulfill the core requirements may be recommended by the supervisory committee, with the approval of the graduate studies committee.

One of these REM core courses may be waived on the basis of substantial prior experience, with agreement from the supervisory committee, the course instructor, and the REM graduate studies committee. If a student receives a course waiver, the student is not required to replace the course for which the waiver was received.

Course selection must be approved by the senior supervisor or the supervisory committee, who may recommend additional courses to strengthen the student's background in areas directly related to their thesis research. Elective courses may be completed outside of the School of Resource and Environmental Management. Students who transfer from the REM master's program into the REM PhD program are not required to complete REM 611, 621, 644 and 698 a second time if they have completed these courses with a minimum of an A- average across all of these courses.

The student's progress will be evaluated annually in accordance with the graduate general regulations.

* normally completed in the first fall term

Thesis Proposal Defense

No later than at the end of their fifth term, each student will successfully defend their thesis research proposal during a comprehensive exam before an approved oral examination committee comprised of the student's supervisory committee and additional REM faculty as needed to provide coverage for the three core research areas. The thesis research proposal must show how at least two of the core areas will be incorporated into the student's research. Through the thesis proposal and oral defense, the student will demonstrate

-their general preparedness in disciplines related to their research
-their specific readiness to conduct the proposed research
-and that the proposed research is feasible, has merit, and could form the basis of a thesis if completed adequately.

Detailed information about the examination procedures, dates and deadlines are provided in the REM PhD Handbook.

Thesis
A written thesis on the candidate's original research, which meets the requirements of interdisciplinarity, must pass a formal thesis defence, which is conducted in accordance with University regulations. All other PhD general requirements are as outlined in the graduate general regulations.

Academic Requirements within the Graduate General Regulations
All graduate students must satisfy the academic requirements as they are specified in the Graduate General Regulations, as well as the specific requirements for the REM PhD program.