PhDRecommended

PhD of Biological Sciences Natural Resource Management

Rapid City, United States
3 years
English
On campus
PhD

About the program

A full-time doctoral programme at SDSU's Rapid City site covering doctoral research in ecology, evolution, environmental science and rangeland topics.

Program highlights

Internship available: no
Placement support: yes
Work during study: yes
Post-study work rights (1 year): yes
PR pathway friendly: no

What you will learn

Formulate an original research problem in Biological Sciences – Natural Resource Management. Evaluate specialist literature and select rigorous methodologies to investigate the research question. Disseminate research findings with awareness of methodological limitations and research ethics.

Career outcomes

University professor
Researcher
Program director for a conservation or wildlife management group
Policy director
Research lead or director with an environmental consulting firm
Manager of sustainable development for an engineering group
Lobbyist or adviser for government conservation agencies
Environmental or ecological consultant
Ecologist

Curriculum

Credit requirement: 60 Credit Plan
90 Credit Plan
about 3-5 years of study. Focus: doctoral research in ecology
evolution
environmental science and rangeland topics. The page lists no individual course titles
the Graduate Catalog holds the plan of study.

Entry requirements

Academic

Bachelor's or master's degree transcripts per programme; minimum GPA 3.0 for unconditional acceptance (some programmes higher); passport photo page; English proof (TOEFL iBT 4.0
IELTS 6.0
Duolingo 100 or waiver); one year of financial support evidence; MMR immunisation proof; GRE
resume
statement of purpose and recommendations where the programme requires
Minimum GPA 3.0 for unconditional acceptance; some programmes have higher requirements

Minimum GPA

Accepted academic background

Official bachelor's degree transcript or credential evaluation (incomplete transcript allowed for current final-year students); passport photo page; proof of English proficiency; one year of financial support evidence; MMR immunisation proof; GRE, resume, statement of purpose and recommendations if the programme requires, plus master's/bachelor's per programme

Language tests

TOEFL iBT 4.0
IELTS 6.0
Duolingo 100
IELTS Academic 6

Documents you’ll need

Academic Transcripts
Previous Qualification Certificate
Passport Copy
Language Proficiency Results (where applicable)

How to apply

Review the research area
supervisory arrangements and doctoral admission requirements. Prepare academic transcripts
previous qualifications and any requested research proposal or references. Submit the application with supporting documents. Provide language evidence and pay any application fee if applicable. Await the admission decision.

Other costs

Tuition per year	$14,200 USD
Application fee	$40 USD
Deposit	_

Program details

Campus	Rapid City
Faculty or school	College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Department	Department of Natural Resource Management
Teaching language	English
Credit value	60
Study pace	Fixed
Post-study stay	1 year
Scholarship note	International student scholarships and eligible graduate assistantships may offer financial assistance; check program and academic criteria.

Intakes and deadlines

Program starts
May 2027
Apply by
15 Dec 2026
31 days left
Program starts
August 2027
Apply by
No deadline listed
Program starts
January 2028
Apply by
No deadline listed

Frequently asked questions

The program takes 3 years.