Energy and Environmental Policy (PhD)

Program Educational Goals:

The Ph.D. degree in Energy and Environmental Policy is a research degree intended to advance interdisciplinary theory and analysis on society-environment-resource relationships and to improve the quality of research informing policy decisions in this field.

Learning goals:

Students will apply policy and governance theories and research to produce scholarship that addresses local, national, and global energy and environmental policy challenges.
Students will locate, assess, and collectively interpret the current interdisciplinary scholarship that represents the wide range of disciplines in energy and environmental policy studies.
Students will produce rigorous, original, and interdisciplinary research that demonstrates knowledge, understanding, and application of theories and methods used in the study of energy and environmental policy.
Students will demonstrate familiarity with a diverse range of qualitative and quantitative methods in energy and environmental policy research and exhibit expertise in the application of one or more methods in their independent research.
Students will develop requisite skills necessary for high-quality publication of energy and environmental policy research and to communicate their work to academic and policy audiences.

Requirements for the Degree:

The PhD degree in Energy and Environmental Policy is a research degree intended to advance interdisciplinary theory and analysis on society-environment-resource relationships and to improve the quality of research informing policy decisions in this field. Graduates of the PhD program are prepared to assume positions in academic, research and policy institutions and to provide leadership on questions of theory, analysis and research in the field. Prior completion of a master’s degree in a related field is required for admission to the doctoral program.

Students may choose among six specialty areas offered through the PhD program: Energy Sustainability, Water Sustainability, Environmental Justice, Political Ecology, Global Environments, and Sustainable Development. All PhD students complete a 21-credit core course curriculum. This includes six credits of advanced theory, six credits of methodological course work, a six-credit social science requirement, and three credits in science, engineering and public policy. In addition, students in the PhD normally take 15 credit hours in their area of concentration or specialization, including the 3-credit Doctoral Dissertation Proposal, and enroll for 9 credits of doctoral dissertation. All PhD students must successfully pass a Qualifying Examination administered at the end of the first year of doctoral study.

In the first year, students complete two 3-credit seminars in advanced theory. In addition, during the first year students fulfill a social science requirement by completing two courses selected from a list of 45 graduate courses ranging from environmental ethics to electricity policy and planning. Students also complete a 3-credit science, engineering and public policy requirement. Or students may substitute a 3-credit graduate course (including a tutorial course) in a natural science- or engineering-related topic to meet the science, engineering and public policy requirement.

Qualifying Examinations in Theory, Methodology and Policy Analysis are conducted in June and also during the Winter Term. Students who have completed all first-year required courses take the next available Qualifying Examination. The examination emphasizes the interconnected nature of theory, methods and policy analysis and serves as a diagnostic of the student’s preparedness to develop doctoral-level, interdisciplinary research advancing the field of energy and environmental policy.

The second year of the PhD program is devoted to course work that prepares the student to conduct doctoral-level research in their intended area of research concentration or specialization. Students are responsible, in consultation with their Guidance Committee, for selection of an area of research concentration or specialization (15 credit hours). Upon approval of the doctoral dissertation proposal, the student is admitted to doctoral candidacy and begins work on a dissertation.

Core Requirements:

The following courses should be taken by all students:

ENEP 820 - International Perspectives on Energy and Environment Credit(s): 3
ENEP 821 - Proseminar: Technology, Environment and Society Credit(s): 3
SPPA 861 - Academic and Professional Development for UAPP, DISA, ENEP Doctoral Students Credit(s): 0-1 *

Note:

*Students in the ENEP PhD program must take 1 credit of professional development each semester until they complete three credits or defend their dissertation proposal. Students are exepcted to enroll for zero credits each semester after proposal defense until the degree is completed.

Methodology Requirements:

Six credits of methodology course work are required and must be selected from the following list. Other UD courses may be substituted with prior permission.

APEC 807 - Math Programming with Economic Appls Credit(s): 3
ENEP 660 - Eng. Econ Analysis for Sust. Energy Credit(s): 3
ENWC 615 - Wildlife Techniques Credit(s): 3
GEOG 604 - GIS for Environmental Research Credit(s): 3
GEOG 670 - Geographic Information Systems and Science Credit(s): 3
GEOG 671 - Advanced Geographic Information Systems Credit(s): 3
MUSC 620 - Large Ensemble Credit(s): 0-1
MAST 672 - Benefit-Cost Analysis Credit(s): 3
MAST 681 - Remote Sensing of Environment Credit(s): 3
POSC 816 - Philosophy of Science and Research Design Credit(s): 3
STAT 608 - Statistical Research Methods Credit(s): 3
UAPP 691 - Quantitative Analysis in Public and Nonprofit Sectors Credit(s): 3
UAPP 801 - Processes of Social Inquiry Credit(s): 3
SPPA 808 - Qualitative Research Methods Credit(s): 3
For students with strong background in economics, the following 3-credit courses may be added to the list above:
ECON 622 - Applied Econometrics I Credit(s): 3
ECON 822 - Econometric Theory I Credit(s): 3
ECON 823 - Econometric Theory II Credit(s): 3

Social Science Requirements:

Six credits of social science course work are required and must be selected from the following list of three-credit courses. Other UD courses may be substituted with prior permission

DISA 650 - Overview of Disaster Science and Management Credit(s): 3
DISA 651 - International Comparative Analysis of Disasters Credit(s): 3
DISA 666 - SPECIAL PROBLEM Credit(s): 1-12
DISA 866 - Special Problem Credit(s): 1-12
DISA 868 - Research Credit(s): 1-9
ENEP 625 - Energy Policy and Administration Credit(s): 3
ENEP 626 - Climate Change:Science, Policies & Political Economy Credit(s): 3
ENEP 661 - Sustainable Energy Financing Credit(s): 3
ENEP 802 - Electricity Policy and Planning Credit(s): 3
ENEP 810 - Political Economy of the Environment Credit(s): 3
ENEP 824 - Sustainable Energy Policy and Planning Credit(s): 3
ENEP 866 - Special problem Credit(s): 1-12
ENEP 868 - Research Credit(s): 1-6
ENEP 870 - Readings Credit(s): 3

Science, Engineering and Public Policy Requirement:

Students complete the science, engineering and public policy requirement by choosing a 3 credit graduate course (including a tutorial course with a number such as 666, 868 or 870) in a natural science or engineering related topic to meet the science, engineering and public policy requirement. The course must be taken with a member of the University’s science or engineering faculty and should be linked to the student’s research interest.

CIEG 636 - Biological Aspects of Environmental Engineering Credit(s): 3
CIEG 650 - Urban Transportation Systems Credit(s): 3
CIEG 654 - Urban Transportation Planning Credit(s): 3
CIEG 655 - Civil Infrastructure Systems Credit(s): 3
CIEG 666 - SPECIAL PROBLEM Credit(s): 1-12
ELEG 620 - Photovoltaic Materials and Devices Credit(s): 3
ELEG 628 - Solar Energy Technology and Application Credit(s): 3
ELEG 637 - Energy Systems Credit(s): 3
ENWC 620 - Behavioral Ecology Credit(s): 3
GEOG 652 - Seminar in Climatology Credit(s): 3-12
MAST 606 - Ocean and Atmosphere Remote Sensing Credit(s): 3
MEEG 642 - Introduction to Fuel Cells Credit(s): 3

Specialization:

Students are expected to take 12 credits in preparation for completing their dissertation. Three of the twelve will; include the 3-credit Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Course (SPPA 863 ).

This will prepare students for their doctoral level research. Concentrations include Energy Sustainability, Water Sustainability, Environmental Justice, Political Ecology, Global Environments, and Sustainable Development.

Students must have areas of concentration approved by their PhD Advisor and their Guidance Committee. If students meet the requirements of one of these concentrations, their transcript will formally indicate that the degree is awarded in this concentration.

Alternatively, students may elect to specialize in other areas. Areas of specialization must be approved by the student’s faculty advisor and do not appear on a student’s transcript.

Students must take (3) three concentraiton/specialization courses approved by their advisor.
SPPA 863 - Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Credit(s): 3

Other Requirements:

SPPA 969 - Doctoral Dissertation Credit(s): 1-12