Ph.D. in Sustainability
Rochester, USA
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2024
TUITION FEES
USD 41,424 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* $41,424 - $54,974 | based on credits taken
Introduction
A practically based program that fosters innovation and creativity in solving real-world challenges within social, economic, technological, and business realms. In this inherently interdisciplinary program, you’ll become part of a network of academics from across RIT who are working to optimize sustainable systems and practices in engineering, manufacturing, energy, education, and more.
Our approach to sustainability means working in the broader context of environmental assessment, economics, and policy. Each faculty member in the Golisano Institute for Sustainability sponsors a select number of students for specific research projects, with the scope varying from fundamental science to applied engineering to corporate sustainability applications. On acceptance into a sponsored research project, you will receive a fully-funded education, a stipend to help with living expenses, your own office space, and the time to develop your technical expertise in sub-areas dependent on your research.
In the Sustainability Ph.D., you’ll have the opportunity to learn from areas across the entire university to develop your own innovative approach to the field, building off of methodologies such as life cycle assessment, environmental risk and impact assessment, design for the environment, pollution prevention, closed-loop supply chain management, and product life assessment. Moreover, you’ll work side-by-side with our world-renowned faculty who are avid researchers in diverse areas including biofuels, transportation, energy policy, resource recovery, smart products and systems, and more.
The Ph.D. degree helps you think innovatively about how sustainability can positively impact systems all over the world through big-picture solutions, from training future business leaders to maximizing natural resources. You don’t need a background in sustainability to join this program; you just need a desire to create positive change in the world. We bring in students of all ages, from all backgrounds—from biotechnology to business—and from all over the world. You’ll also find a wide range of ages—many of the program’s students have 10+ years of career experience and/or education under their belts when they enroll.
The faculty are well-known scholars and active researchers who not only bring their knowledge into the classroom but also directly involve students in their scholarship. This work includes a wealth of hands-on experience in our impressive research facilities, including a 75,000 sq. ft. LEED Platinum certified research building with over 9 labs and 6 technology testbeds. With this level of experience, you’ll be prepared for diverse academic and industry jobs where you can make an impact on the way the world views and utilizes sustainable practices, from the macro to the micro.
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Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
RIT awards more than $37 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 5% of tuition all the way up to full tuition. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
RIT awards more than $30 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 10% - 40% of tuition. Our median scholarship amount is around 30% of tuition or $13,000. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
Optional Co-Op: cooperative education is paid work assignments with corporations and organizations around the U.S. and abroad. Co-op allows students to spend one or more semesters employed in a full-time, paid position related to their academic program before they graduate. Many students use co-op earnings to help finance their education.
Work-Study: graduate students studying full-time may apply to work part-time on campus. RIT has more than 9,000 jobs available each year, and students typically work 10 – 20 hours per week. International students studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa may work up to 20 hours per week on campus and 40 hours during break periods.
Curriculum
With the Ph.D. degree’s integrative curriculum, you will develop a deep foundation in sustainability science, sustainable systems, risk analysis, and more. You can also choose several electives from across colleges at RIT—from “Computational Modeling and Simulation” to “Principles of Statistical Data Mining”—to tailor your degree and create interdisciplinary relationships throughout the university.
Through your sponsored research project, you’ll have the opportunity to make novel and impactful contributions to the development and understanding of sustainable technologies. Recent dissertation examples include:
- Implications of Consumer Lifestyle Changes and Behavioral Heterogeneity on U.S. Energy Consumption and Policy
- Criticality of Byproduct Materials: Assessing Supply Risk, Environmental Impact, and Strategic Policy Response for Tellurium
- Development of an Integrated Reformer and Fuel Cell System for Portable Power Applications
You must complete 60 semester credit hours of course work and research to conclude this program.
Active research areas
Sustainable Energy
- Fuel cells
- Photovoltaics
- Energy supply/demand models
- Energy policy
Circular Economy
- Life cycle assessment
- Electronic waste and battery recycling
- Waste-to-energy processes
- Food waste management
- Remanufacturing
Sustainable Urban Systems
- Smart Cities
- Transportation systems analysis
- Food Waste Management
- Food-Energy-Water Nexus
Community involvement
Rochester, NY, is a hub for sustainability professionals and home to rich natural resources, such as fertile farmland and the nearby Finger Lakes. Many students share their passion for sustainability with the local community by working in volunteer service on projects like K-12 education, community gardens, farmer’s markets, and more. In addition, you will connect with the larger sustainability world by attending and presenting at professional conferences all over the world.
English Language Requirements
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