Earth Science and Engineering PhD Program

Program Mission:
The mission of the ErSE PhD program is to cultivate the next generation of researchers, leaders, and pioneers in Earth systems science through fundamental and interdisciplinary research and sustained engagement and partnership with industry and the global community. We design and lead physics-based research on our dynamic planet to address critical Vision 2030 priorities in climate science, geohazards, and sustainable resource management, enhancing societal resilience while advancing knowledge of Earth systems.

Program Goals:

•  Education: Provide a world-class, graduate education that ensures students master the fundamental physics and interdisciplinary science required to become leaders and pioneers in Earth systems science.
• Research: Lead fundamental and interdisciplinary research to develop physics-based models of our dynamic planet, creating solutions for critical challenges in climate science, geohazards, and sustainable resource management.
• Community & Impact: Cultivate sustained partnerships with industry and the global community, ensuring our research and graduates contribute directly to advancing societal resilience and deepening the global understanding of Earth systems.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) 
Knowledge and Understanding:

• K1: Critically evaluate and extend geophysical fluid dynamics and thermodynamics governing the atmosphere–ocean–climate system.
• K2: Synthesize, and critically evaluate Earth’s interior structure and processes using seismology, geodynamics, rock mechanics and composition, and related geological evidence.
• K3: Analyze and synthesize geological processes (sedimentology, stratigraphy, structural geology, tectonic, magmatic) to interpret basin and crustal evolution across scales and propose original insights.
• K4: Integrate and advance numerical simulation, inverse methods, geostatistics, and data-driven/ML approaches to formulate, validate, and generalize solutions to geoscience problems in climate, water resources, natural hazards, and energy transition.

Skills: 

• S1: Design and lead integrated geoscientific models and research plans that synthesize geological, geophysical, and remote-sensing data, with explicit uncertainty quantification and risk considerations.
• S2: Develop, validate, and generalize physics-based numerical simulations to analyze complex Earth systems (e.g., subsurface flow, seismic wave propagation, climate dynamics).
• S3: Design and lead experimental programs and advanced measurements; analyze resulting data to characterize Earth materials and processes and to derive/validate model parameters.
• S4: Develop and validate data-driven solutions by applying machine learning, statistical analysis, and data assimilation to geoscientific challenges such as pattern recognition and prediction.

Values, Autonomy, and Responsibility: 

•  V1: Champion a sustained, original research program with full autonomy, setting strategic research directions, making critical high-level decisions, and mentoring others.
• V2: Initiate and lead multidisciplinary research collaborations, setting the intellectual agenda and integrating contributions to achieve transformative outcomes.
• V3: Define and uphold the highest standards of ethical and sustainable engineering, shaping professional norms and policies through expert critique and advocacy.