Doctor of Philosophy (Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology)

The Department offers programs leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Agricultural and Resource Economics, Forest Economics, and Rural Sociology. A joint specialization in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics is offered collaboratively by the Department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology, and Economics (see Doctor of Philosophy with a specialization in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (Economics) )

Program Requirements

Students are required to complete a minimum of 18 units in coursework and a thesis.

Coursework

Agricultural/Resource and Forest Economics

Six 3-unit graduate-level courses from the Department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology, approved by the department
Programs will depend on the student’s academic background
Students are required to take microeconomic and macro-economic theory, graduate-level applied econometrics.
Additional coursework may be required.

Rural Sociology

Six 3-unit graduate-level courses approved by the department
Programs will depend on the student’s academic background
Students are required to take courses in social theory, quantitative methods, and qualitative methods, plus two courses that are directly or indirectly related to the student’s field of research
Additional coursework may be required.

Thesis

Registration in 900-level THES. All candidates for the PhD must prepare and defend a dissertation on an approved topic

Professional Development and Ethics Requirements

All REES PhD students are expected to participate in department and University professional development and ethics activities to comply with the University requirement of 8 hours of professional development and 8 hours of ethics activities. Students are also expected to participate in the department seminar series.

Comprehensive Exams

To prepare for their candidacy examinations, students in Agricultural/Resource and Forest Economics are required to take preliminary examinations in theory, a field of specialization and a supporting field.

Students in Rural Sociology are required to complete two comprehensive examinations: a preliminary examination (based on a pre-established reading list) and a specialization examination.

Candidacy Examination

Candidacy requires an oral examination to defend the student’s dissertation proposal.

Academic Standing Requirement

To remain in a REES PhD program students are required to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 with no grade less than C+.

Language Requirement

No language other than English is required for the degree.

Length of Program

The time required to complete the PhD will vary according to the academic background of the applicant and the nature of the research undertaken; however, a minimum of 36 months is normally required.

The maximum time to complete the PhD program as set by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research is six years.