Overview

The PhD program in Environmental Social Science (Complex Adaptive Systems Science) at Arizona State University is one of the few doctoral degree programs in the U.S. that draws on the premise that reducing human impacts and developing more sustainable environmental practices will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve without a focus on the social dynamics of environmental issues using critical social science perspectives.

Career Opportunities

The demand in the job market is for people with keen thinking skills who can manage, evaluate and interpret large amounts of data. As the many spheres of human interaction expand globally, people trained in this degree are increasingly sought for their broad, holistic knowledge and perspectives.

Some career opportunities include:

analyzing and proposing policies
conducting postgraduate academic research
consulting for private and public organizations
curating cultural resources
directing nonprofit organizations
directing programs in the private or public sector
managing culture or heritage resources in private or public sectors
planning communities
teaching

Programme Structure

The program is organized around theoretically based conceptual domains:

culture and the environment
environmental hazards and vulnerability
environmental justice
human environment impacts
political ecology
science and technology studies

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 60 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-08-20 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-01 00:00:00

Language

English

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Credits

84 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Tempe, United States

Disciplines

Sociology Environmental Sciences View 116 other PhDs in Environmental Sciences in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

English requirements

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Other requirements

General requirements

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution.
Undergraduate coursework in the social sciences (e.g., geography, political science, sociology, anthropology, planning or history) is not a prerequisite for admission but is generally advisable.
Students may be admitted without such a background and may be required to acquire knowledge of the social sciences in a manner to be specified at the time of admission.

All applicants must submit:

graduate admission application and application fee
official transcripts
personal statement outlining educational and professional goals
current curriculum vitae or resume
three letters of recommendation
proof of English proficiency

Applicants may include in their application materials an optional scholarly writing sample, not to exceed 30 double-spaced pages.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

30348 USD / year

≈ 30348 USD / year
Out-of-State

27810 USD / year

≈ 27810 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

12940 USD / year

≈ 12940 USD / year

Living costs

Tempe

United States

900 - 1350 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Environmental Social Science (Complex Adaptive Systems Science).

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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