Graduate Requirements: Environmental Science and Engineering

During their first year, students, in consultation with their academic advisers, must design a program of graduate study that includes a minimum of 135 units of graduate work to be completed before the end of the third year. The course program should take into account the students' individual backgrounds and focus areas, educate them broadly in fundamental questions and methods of contemporary environmental science and engineering, and prepare them for their research.

The course program must include the core courses ESE 101, 102 and 103. Attendance at the weekly research seminar (ESE 104 and ESE 110abc) is required for first-year students and is expected of all graduate students. All students are expected to have knowledge of methods of applied mathematics and statistics on the level of graduate courses of Caltech. In cases of unusual preparation, students may petition to substitute a similar but more advanced course for one of the required courses.

Additionally, students are required to take 36 units of elective courses from the following menu:

• Environmental biology: ESE/Bi 166, ESE/Bi 168, Ge/ESE 170
• Environmental chemistry: ESE 175, ESE176, ESE/Ge/Ch 171
• Environmental physics: ESE 130–138, Ge/ESE 139, Ge/ESE 150, ESE/ChE 158

The remaining units of graduate work can be fulfilled by a combination of elective courses in ESE or related disciplines, reading or laboratory courses (ESE 100), and research (ESE 106, 300). Of the total required 135 units, no more than 45 units may be in research. No more than 27 research units may be taken during the first year of graduate study. Exceptions may be granted by petition.

A grade of C- or better is required for all course work that satisfies these requirements.

It is expected that each graduate student will, as part of the Ph.D. graduation requirement, serve as a teaching assistant for one course per year, following completion of the qualifying exam.