The School of Science and the Environment offers a program in Transdisciplinary Sustainability leading to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. Full-time and parttime options are available.

1. Admission to the program is limited and competitive.

2. To be considered for admission, applicants shall normally hold a Master’s degree from an institution recognized by the Senate, and have an excellent academic record, basic research skills and demonstrated ability for creativity, independent thought, advanced study and original research.

3. Applicants may come from diverse fields of study, including but not limited to: biology, earth sciences, agricultural sciences, sustainable agriculture (agronomy, plant science, soil science, plant physiology), ecology, environmental science, engineering, business, economics, environmental studies, environmental policy, geography, law, public administration, political science, and planning.

4. Students in the Master of Arts in Environmental Policy and Master of Science in Boreal Ecosystems and Agricultural Sciences programs may request a transfer to the doctoral program after a minimum of 12 months in their program of study, and completion of all Master’s course work requirements with a minimum of 75% and clear evidence of exceptional research productivity. Such transfer should take place no later than the 5th semester of the student's Master's program.

5. Other students may be considered for admission to the program provided that they have been registered in a Master's program for a minimum of 12 months, and have demonstrated, to the satisfaction of the Graduate Committee, their ability to pursue research at the doctoral level.

6. In exceptional cases, applicants holding a Bachelor's Degree with Honours, or equivalent, in a relevant field, from a university of recognized standing, and having a minimum of 5 years of full-time professional experience, preferably in an environmental-related field, may be considered for direct admission into the Ph.D. program.

7. To be eligible for admission, applicants shall exceed the English Proficiency Requirements described under General Regulations, Qualifications for Admission - English Proficiency Requirements, Additional Requirements, and English Language Requirements Subsequent to Admission, both in the TOEFL and in the IELTS tests.

1. A Supervisory Committee shall be appointed for each student in accordance with the General Regulations, Supervision, Ph.D. and Psy. D. Candidates.

2. Students will normally be required to successfully complete a minimum of 9 credit hours of graduate program courses as follows: TRSU 7001, TRSU 7002, and an elective course. All courses will normally be completed within the first two semesters of the program.

3. Students may be required to take further graduate courses, beyond the minimum number, depending on their background and needs. These courses will be selected by the Supervisory Committee.

4. Students are expected to actively participate in graduate research seminars in the Fall and Winter semesters in each of the first two academic years of the program, in order to foster their scholarly discourse.

5. Students shall submit to a comprehensive examination in accordance with the School of Graduate Studies General Regulations, Comprehensive Examinations. The Comprehensive Examination will consist of a written component and an oral component. The examination will be normally scheduled upon completion of all course work, and no later than the seventh semester of the student’s program.

6. Students must submit a written thesis proposal for presentation to the Supervisory Committee, normally within six weeks of completion of the comprehensive examinations, but no later than the end of the fifth semester of the program.

7. Students must submit a thesis, examined and defended in accordance with the General Regulations, Theses and Reports, Evaluation of Ph.D. and Psy.D. Thesis. The thesis is expected to bring a substantial contribution to research in transdisciplinary sustainability while also contributing to practical solutions to address contemporary sustainability challenges.

8. All graduate students are required to follow the Memorial University of Newfoundland's Policy for Integrity in Scholarly Research.

9. The duration of the program is normally four years. The program will be delivered on the Grenfell Campus of Memorial University of Newfoundland with the option for courses to be taken and supervisory involvement from other Memorial University of Newfoundland Campuses or other universities as well.

A selection of the following graduate courses will be offered to meet the requirements of students, as far as the resources of the School of Science and the Environment will allow:

Boreal Ecosystems and Agricultural Sciences

• 6021 Organic Farming for Sustainable Agriculture
• 6030 Chemical Speciation Modeling for Environmental Matrices
• 6031 Soil Functions Soil as a Bioreactor
• 6033 Soil and Water Conservation
• 6041 Applied Hydrology
• 6051 Applied Bioinformatics

Environmental Policy

• 6001 Applied Environmental Problem Solving: A Case-Based Approach
• 6003 Environmental Political Thought
• 6053 Ecological Economics
• 6056 Risk Assessment and Analysis
• 6057 Energy Policy
• 6058 Management and Regulation of Water Resources
• 6520-6530 Special Topics Courses (excluding 6520, 6521, 6522)
• 6520 Policy and Planning for Sustainable Communities
• 6521 Global Governance
• 6522 Sustainability Monitoring and Assessment

Transdisciplinary Sustainability

• 7001 Foundations of Sustainability and Sustainability Science
• 7002 Transdisciplinary Methods in Sustainability Research