Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER)

Courses offered by the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources are listed under the subject code ENVRES on the Stanford Bulletin's ExploreCourses web site.

Mission of the Program

The Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources develops the knowledge, skills, perspectives, and ways of thinking needed to understand and help solve the world's most significant environmental and resources sustainability challenges. E-IPER strives to be a model for interdisciplinary graduate education. E-IPER offers a Ph.D. in Environment and Resources, a Joint M.S. exclusively for students in Stanford's Graduate School of Business or Stanford Law School, and a Dual M.S. for students in the School of Medicine or a Ph.D. program in another department. E-IPER's home is the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences; affiliated faculty come from all seven Stanford schools.

Graduate Programs in Environment and Resources

The University’s basic requirements for the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are discussed in the “Graduate Degrees” section of this bulletin. The E-IPER Ph.D. and M.S. degrees are guided by comprehensive requirements created with faculty and student input and approved by E-IPER's Executive Committee. To access the current Ph.D. and M.S. degree requirement documents, see the E-IPER web site.

Learning Outcomes (Graduate)

Completion of the Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Environment and Resources provides students with the knowledge, skills, perspectives, and ways of thinking needed to understand and help solve the world's most significant environmental and resources sustainability challenges.

Master of Science in Environment and Resources

Students may not apply directly for the M.S. in Environment and Resources degree. The M.S. is an option exclusively for M.B.A. students in the Graduate School of Business, J.D. students in the Stanford Law School, M.D. students in the School of Medicine, students pursuing a Ph.D. in another Stanford department, and for E-IPER Ph.D. students who do not continue in the Ph.D. degree program.

Joint Master's Degree

Students enrolled in a professional degree program in Stanford's Graduate School of Business or the Stanford Law School are eligible to apply for admission to the Joint M.S. in Environment and Resources Degree Program (JDP). Enrollment in the Joint M.S. Program allows students to pursue an M.S. degree concurrently with their professional degree and to count a defined number of units toward both degrees, resulting in the award of Joint M.B.A. and M.S. in Environment and Resources degree or a joint J.D. and M.S. in Environment and Resources degree.

The Joint M.B.A./M.S. degree program requires a total of 129 units (84 units for the M.B.A. and 45 units for the M.S., compared to 105 units for the M.B.A. and 45 units for the M.S. if pursued as separate degrees) to be completed over approximately eight academic quarters.

The Joint J.D./M.S. degree program requires a minimum of 113 units. The J.D. degree requires 111 units (minimum of 80 Law units and 31 non-Law units) and the M.S. degree requires 45 units. The joint degree allows up to 43 overlapping units, inclusive of the 31 non-Law units allowed within the J.D. degree and 12 professional school units allowed within the M.S. degree. Students may need to take additional units beyond the minimum 113 to satisfy the degree requirements for both the J.D. and M.S. The joint J.D./M.S. may be completed in three years.

The student's program of study is subject to the approval of the student's faculty adviser and E-IPER staff. The joint degrees are conferred when the requirements for both the E-IPER M.S. and the professional degree programs have been met.

In addition to requirements for the professional degree, all joint M.S. students are required to complete 45 units within the parameters outlined below and must achieve a 'B' (3.0) grade point average in all letter-graded courses taken toward the M.S. degree.

1. Completion of a required introductory core course and a capstone project seminar:

   		Units
   ENVRES 280	Introduction to Environmental Science	2
   ENVRES 290	Capstone Project Seminar in Environment and Resources *	1-3

   * The capstone project integrates the student's professional and M.S. degrees and must be taken for a minimum of 3 units over one or two quarters.

2. Completion of a minimum of four letter-graded courses from one Joint M.S. Course Track (specific track course listings below):
   1. Cleantech
   2. Climate and Atmosphere
   3. Energy
   4. Freshwater
   5. Global, Community, and Environmental Health
   6. Land Use and Agriculture
   7. Oceans and Estuaries
   8. Sustainable Built Environment
   9. Sustainable Design
3. Completion of at least four additional 3-5 unit letter-graded elective courses at the 100-level or higher. Courses may be taken from the student's selected course track, another course track, or elsewhere in the University, provided they are relevant to the student's environment and resources course of study.

Among the courses fulfilling the M.S. requirements, the student must complete at least 23 units at the 200-level or above. Courses numbered under 100 are not allowable.

Additional restrictions on course work that may fulfill the Joint M.S. degree include:

• A maximum of 5 units from courses that are identified as primarily consisting of guest lectures, such as the Energy Seminar or the Environmental Law Workshop, may be counted toward the joint M.S. degree.
• A maximum of 5 units of individual study courses, directed reading and independent research units (such as ENVRES 398 Directed Reading in Environment and Resources or ENVRES 399 Directed Research in Environment and Resources). One individual study course, if taken for 3-5 letter-graded units, can be counted as one of the four elective courses.
• A maximum of 12 units from approved courses related to the environmental and resource fields from any professional school. One approved professional school course can be counted as one of the four electives.

Dual Master's Degree

Students in the School of Medicine or students pursuing a Ph.D. in another Stanford department may apply to pursue the M.S. in Environment and Resources dual degree. For the dual degree, students must meet the University's minimum requirements for their M.D. or Ph.D. degree and also complete an additional 45 units for the M.S. in Environment and Resources. Completion of the M.S. is anticipated to require at least three quarters in addition to the quarters required for the student's other degree. For additional information, see the E-IPER website.

The student's program of study is subject to the approval of the student's faculty adviser and E-IPER staff. The two degrees are conferred when the requirements for both the E-IPER M.S. and the other degree program have been met. For application information, see the Admissions page on the E-IPER website.

In addition to requirements for the M.D. or Ph.D. degree, students are required to complete 45 units within the parameters outlined below and must achieve a 'B' (3.0) grade point average in all letter-graded courses taken toward the M.S. degree.

1. Completion of a required introductory core course and a capstone project seminar:

   		Units
   ENVRES 280	Introduction to Environmental Science	2
   ENVRES 290	Capstone Project Seminar in Environment and Resources *	1-3

   * The Capstone Project integrates the student's professional/Ph.D. and M.S. degrees and must be taken for a minimum of 3 units over one or two quarters.

2. Completion of a minimum of four letter-graded courses from one M.S. Course Track (specific track course listings below):
   • Cleantech
   • Climate and Atmosphere
   • Energy
   • Freshwater
   • Global, Community, and Environmental Health
   • Land Use and Agriculture
   • Oceans and Estuaries
   • Sustainable Built Environment
   • Sustainable Design
3. Completion of at least four additional 3-5 unit letter-graded elective courses at the 100-level or higher. Courses may be taken from the student's selected course track, another course track, or elsewhere in the University, provided they are relevant to the student's environment and resources course of study.

Among the courses fulfilling the M.S. requirements, completion of at least 23 units at the 200-level or above. Courses numbered under 100 are not allowable.

Additional restrictions on course work that may fulfill the dual M.S. degree include:

• A maximum of 5 units from courses that are identified as primarily consisting of guest lectures, such as the Energy Seminar or the Environmental Law Workshop may be counted toward the dual M.S. degree.
• A maximum of 5 units of individual study courses, directed reading, and independent research (such as ENVRES 398 Directed Reading in Environment and Resources or ENVRES 399 Directed Research in Environment and Resources). One individual study course, if taken for 3-5 letter-graded units, can be counted as one of the 4 elective courses.
• A maximum of 12 units from approved courses related to the environmental and resource fields from any professional school. One approved professional school course can be counted as one of the four electives.

Joint M.S. and Dual M.S. Course Tracks

Students should consult Stanford Bulletin's ExploreCourses web site to determine course description, class schedule, location, eligibility, and prerequisites for all courses. Course tracks and other recommended courses are also available on the E-IPER website.

Cleantech

Climate and Atmosphere

Energy

Freshwater

Global, Community, and Environmental Health

Land Use and Agriculture

Oceans and Estuaries

Sustainable Built Environment

Sustainable Design

Master of Science

In exceptional circumstances, E-IPER offers a Master of Science degree for students in E-IPER's Ph.D. program who opt to complete their training with an M.S.degree or who do not advance to candidacy for the Ph.D.degree. Admission directly to the M.S.program is not allowed. Requirements for the M.S. include:

1. Completion of a minimum of 45 units at or above the 100-level, of which 23 units must be at or above the 200-level. Courses numbered under 100 are not allowable.
2. Completion of the E-IPER Ph.D. core curriculum, each with a letter grade of 'B' or higher, comprising:    

*Students admitted prior to 2014-15 must consult with E-IPER staff regarding an allowable replacement for this course.

Additional courses may be chosen in consultation with the student's lead advisers. Students must maintain at least a 'B' (3.0) grade point average in all courses taken for the M.S. degree. The M.S.degree does not have an M.S. with thesis option. Students may write a M.S. thesis, but it is not formally recognized by the University.

Doctor of Philosophy in Environment and Resources

E-IPER's Ph.D. requirements are updated annually and lay out a scaffold of advising meetings, core courses, program activities, and milestones to guide students' progress. Each student works with a faculty advising team from different areas of research to design a course of study that allows the student to develop and exhibit:

1. familiarity with analytical tools and research approaches for interdisciplinary problem solving, and a mastery of those tools and approaches central to the student's thesis work
2. depth in at least two distinct fields of Inquiry; and
3. interdisciplinary breadth as determined by faculty advisers and student.

Program-specific Ph.D. requirements are outlined in detail in the current year requirements and are summarized below:

1. In the first year, completion of the Ph.D. core course sequence:

   		Units
   EARTH 300	Earth Sciences Seminar	1
   ENVRES 300	Introduction to Resource, Energy and Environmental Economics	3
   ENVRES 315	Environmental Research Design Seminar	1
   ENVRES 320	Designing Environmental Research	3-4
   ENVRES 330 & ENVRES 398	Research Approaches for Environmental Problem Solving and Directed Reading in Environment and Resources	4-13

2. Fulfillment of depth in the student's two chosen fields of Inquiry through courses, research, and/or independent studies as determined by the student and his/her faculty advisers and committee members. Fields of Inquiry are the central focus of a student's dissertation research. Students have the freedom to define and choose the fields of Inquiry in which they would like to develop depth of understanding through the course of their Ph.D. and which are distinct enough to ensure that the student's research is interdisciplinary. Each field of Inquiry must be mapped to a corresponding faculty adviser. As part of their qualifying exam, students are required to submit a detailed essay describing: the two fields of Inquiry, mapping these fields of Inquiry from the larger disciplines on which their fields of Inquiry draw; how rigor is understood and achieved in these fields; the importance and applicability of these fields to the student's research questions; and how the student's work will combine these two fields of Inquiry to yield an interdisciplinary research project achieving scholarly rigor.

3. Demonstration of interdisciplinary breadth of knowledge related to environment and resources more broadly in the form of courses, independent study, and/or evidence of proficiency through prior course work or experience. Fulfillment of interdisciplinary breadth requirement must be certified by the student's lead faculty advisers and committee members.
4. Completion of quarterly meetings with advisers during the first year, and at minimum, annual meetings thereafter.
5. Submission of a candidacy plan by end of Spring Quarter of the second year, for review at the second year committee meeting of the minds and subject to the approval of the student's committee and E-IPER's faculty director. The candidacy plan should document how the student has fulfilled the program requirements to date and include a summary of research ideas and a list of faculty who might serve as qualifying exam committee members.
6. Completion of the oral qualifying exam and completion of the requirements for candidacy, including at least 25 letter-graded graduate course units (200 level and above) with at least a 'B' (3.0) average, by the end of Winter Quarter of the third year. The oral qualifying exam committee must include the student's two lead advisers and 2-3 other faculty with expertise in the student's research area. The majority of the oral qualifying exam committee should be members of the Academic Council; the chair of the committee must be an Academic Council member and may not be one of the student's two lead advisers. In exceptional cases, the committee may include a member-at-large who is not a Stanford faculty member as a fourth or fifth member.
7. Completion of a written dissertation, approved by the student's dissertation reading committee consisting of the student's lead advisers and at least one other member, and passage of the University oral examination in defense of the dissertation following the guidelines outlined in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin. The University oral examination committee comprises the student's two lead advisers, at least two additional members, and a chair who is appointed in a department outside that of the lead advisers, all of whom are normally Academic Council members. Appointment of a non-Academic Council member must be petitioned and approved by the faculty director.

In addition to the requirements listed above, all Ph.D. students must:

1. Serve as a teaching assistant (TA) for at least one quarter in a course with a discussion section or with an opportunity to lecture in at least two class sessions, in any department or program, including but not limited to ENVRES 320 Designing Environmental Research or ENVRES 330 Research Approaches for Environmental Problem Solving. Seminars, including Introductory Seminars, may not be used to fulfill this requirement. Students should fulfill the teaching requirement by the end of the third year unless they obtain a firm commitment from a faculty member to TA a future course.
2. On an ongoing basis, submit grant proposals for external funding, defined as fellowship and/or research funds provided by a government agency, a private foundation, or a University entity other than E-IPER or the School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences.
3. Participate each year in a Spring Quarter annual review in which the student and lead advisers submit progress reports for review by the E-IPER academic guidance committee.

Faculty Director: Peter Vitousek (Biology)

Associate Director: Deborah Wojcik

Faculty: Nicole Ardoin (Education, Woods Institute for the Environment), Kevin Arrigo (Earth System Science), Kenneth J. Arrow (Economics, emeritus), Gregory Asner (Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution), Shilajeet Banerjee (Human-Sciences and Technologies Advanced Research Institute), William Barnett (Business), Michele Barry (Medicine, Woods Institute for the Environment), Sally M. Benson (Energy Resources Engineering, Global Climate and Energy Program, Woods Institute for the Environment), Sarah L. Billington (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Barbara Block (Biology, Woods Institute for the Environment), Alexandria Boehm (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Adam Brandt (Energy Resources Engineering), Marshall Burke (Earth System Science), Jef Caers (Energy Resources Engineering), Ken Caldeira (Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution), Margaret Caldwell (Law), Karen Casciotti (Earth System Science), Page Chamberlain (Environmental Earth System Science), Joshua Cohen (Political Science), Craig S. Criddle (Civil and Environmental Engineering, Woods Institute for the Environment), Larry B. Crowder (Biology , Woods Institute for the Environment), Lisa Curran (Anthropology, Woods Institute for the Environment), Gretchen C. Daily (Biology, Woods Institute for the Environment), Jennifer Davis (Civil and Environmental Engineering, Woods Institute for the Environment), Noah Diffenbaugh (Earth System Science, Woods Institute for the Environment), Rodolfo Dirzo (Biology, Woods Institute for the Environment), Robert B. Dunbar (Earth System Science, Woods Institute for the Environment), William H. Durham (Anthropology, Woods Institute for the Environment), Anne Ehrlich (Biology), Paul Ehrlich (Biology, Woods Institute for the Environment), Gary Ernst (Geological Sciences, emeritus), Walter Falcon (Woods Institute for the Environment, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, emeritus), Scott Fendorf (Earth System Science, Woods Institute for the Environment), James Ferguson (Anthropology), Christopher B. Field (Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution, Woods Institute for the Environment), Martin Fischer (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Zephyr Frank (History), David Freyberg (Civil and Environmental Engineering, Woods Institute for the Environment), Oliver Fringer (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Tadashi Fukami (Biology), Margot Gerritsen (Energy Resources Engineering), Steven Gorelick (Earth System Science, Woods Institute for the Environment), Mark Granovetter (Sociology), Elizabeth Hadly (Biology, Woods Institute for the Environment), Dan Iancu (Business), Mark Jacobson (Civil and Environmental Engineering, Woods Institute for the Environment), James Holland Jones (Anthropology, Woods Institute for the Environment), Terry Karl (Political Science), David Kennedy (History, Woods Institute for the Environment), Donald Kennedy (Biology, Woods Institute for the Environment, emeritus), Julie Kennedy (Earth System Science, Woods Institute for the Environment), Herve Kieffel (Management Science and Engineering), Brian Knutson (Psychology), Charles D. Kolstad (Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, Precourt Institute for Energy), Jeffrey Koseff (Civil and Environmental Engineering, Woods Institute for the Environment), Anthony Kovscek (Energy Resources Engineering), Desiree LaBeaud (Medicine), Eric Lambin (Earth System Science, Woods Institute for the Environment), Michael Lepech (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Hau Lee (Business), Raymond Levitt (Civil and Environmental Engineering, Woods Institute for the Environment), David Lobell (Earth System Science, Woods Institute for the Environment), Stephen P. Luby (Medicine, Woods Institute for the Environment), Richard Luthy (Civil and Environmental Engineering, Woods Institute for the Environment), Janet Martinez (Law), Gilbert M. Masters (Civil and Environmental Engineering, emeritus), Pamela Matson (Dean, School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences, Woods Institute for the Environment, ), Douglas McAdam (Sociology), Daniel McFarland (Education), Michael D. McGehee (Materials Science and Engineering), Lynn Meskell (Anthropology), Anna Michalak (Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution), Fiorenza Micheli (Biology), Dale T. Miller (Business), Grant Miller (Medicine), Stephen Monismith (Civil and Environmental Engineering, Woods Institute for the Environment), Harold Mooney (Biology, Woods Institute for the Environment, emeritus), Erin Mordecai (Biology), Clayton Nall (Political Science), Rosamond Naylor (Earth System Science, Woods Institute for the Environment), Leonard Ortolano (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Stephen Palumbi (Biology, Woods Institute for the Environment), Kabir Peay (Biology), Erica Plambeck (Business, Woods Institute for the Environment), Walter W. Powell (Education), Dariush Rafinejad (Management Science and Engineering), Ram Rajagopal (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Hayagreeva Rao (Business), Stefan J. Reichelstein (Business, Woods Institute for the Environment), Thomas N. Robinson (Medicine), Robert Sapolsky (Biology), Debra Satz (Philosophy), Gary Schoolnik (Medicine, Woods Institute for the Environment), Richard Scott (Sociology), Baba Shiv (Business), Deborah Sivas (Law), Sarah A. Soule (Business), Charles Sprenger (Economics), Stephen Stedman (Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies), James Sweeney (Management Science and Engineering, Precourt Energy Efficiency Center), Leif Thomas (Earth System Science), Barton Thompson (Law, Woods Institute for the Environment), Shripad Tuljapurkar (Biology), Peter Vitousek (Biology), Michael Wara (Law, Woods Institute for the Environment), Jeremy Weinstein (Political Science), John Weyant (Management Science and Engineering, Precourt Energy Efficiency Center), Richard White (History), Jennifer Wilcox (Energy Resources Engineering), Michael Wilcox (Anthropology), Mikael Wolfe (History), Mark Zoback (Geophysics)