CEGU

Committee on Environment, Geography and Urbanization

Division of Social Sciences, The University of Chicago

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Below is a list of frequently asked questions related to the CEGU Doctoral Certificate. If you have any questions that are not included on this list, please contact the Student Affairs Administrator↗.

Who can I contact to learn more about the CEGU Doctoral Certificate?

Tess Conway, Student Affairs Administrator↗, is available to discuss certificate requirements and any administrative questions about the program.

Gary Herrigel, Director of Doctoral Studies↗is available to offer guidance on course selection and related issues and to address more general questions about the CEGU Doctoral Certificate.

Who is eligible for the CEGU Doctoral Certificate?

The CEGU Doctoral Certificate is open to all full-time Ph.D. students in the Division of Social Sciences and the Division of Humanities at the University of Chicago. Students pursuing a Ph.D. in other Divisions or Schools at the University may also petition to pursue the certificate if they can demonstrate that the relevant requirements may be completed in conjunction with their program of doctoral study.

Note: The certificate is available only to Ph.D. students and not open to MAPSS or MAPH students, or to students pursuing a non-doctoral professional degree elsewhere in the University.

Eligible students may indicate their intention to complete the CEGU Doctoral Certificate at any stage of their doctoral coursework (admissions are rolling). This should ideally occur prior to the start of their second year of study. Pursuit of the CEGU Doctoral Certificate enables Ph.D. students to develop specialized knowledge and research capacity in environmental social science and environmental humanities.

Are students in later stages of their Ph.D. degree eligible to pursue the CEGU Doctoral Certificate?

Yes, students in the later stages of their Ph.D. may qualify for the certificate. Eligible students may indicate their intention to complete the CEGU Doctoral Certificate at any stage of their doctoral coursework (admissions are rolling).

After completing the interest form↗, students should submit the Doctoral Certificate Checklist form↗. If you haven taken courses that you believe fulfill the course requirements that is not listed on our approved courses list, please submit a course petition↗. The CEGU team will then determine if previous coursework fulfills any of the requirements. Students who have not yet presented at the CEGU Colloquium are still expected to do so as specified in the certificate requirements.

Can doctoral students from outside the Social Sciences or Humanities Division pursue the certificate?

Students pursuing a Ph.D. in other Divisions or Schools at the University may also petition to pursue the certificate if they can demonstrate that the relevant requirements may be completed in conjunction with their program of doctoral study.

Non-SSD/HD applicants to the Certificate should confer with one or more members of the CEGU faculty, as well as their main doctoral advisor, to evaluate the rationale and viability of the CEGU doctoral certificate in relation to their course of study and future professional aspirations.

Am I required to work with a faculty advisor affiliated with CEGU before formally signing up to pursue the CEGU Doctoral Certificate?

Ph.D. students who are considering the CEGU Doctoral Certificate are strongly encouraged to consult a CEGU-affiliated faculty advisor to discuss the program’s relation to their more general course of doctoral study and Ph.D. research plans.

If you are not currently working with a CEGU-affiliated faculty member, we recommend contacting Gary Herrigel↗, Director of Doctoral Studies, who can assist in identifying potential connections within CEGU faculty.

Am I required to have an advisor affiliated with CEGU on my dissertation committee?

While this is strongly recommended, students pursuing the CEGU Doctoral Certificate are not formally required to include a CEGU-affiliated faculty member on their dissertation committee. A faculty member affiliated with CEGU should, however, play a key role in the major research paper (Ph.D. thesis or otherwise) that is produced to fulfill the CEGU Doctoral Certificate requirements.

If you are not currently working with a CEGU-affiliated faculty member, we recommend contacting Gary Herrigel↗, Director of Doctoral Studies, who can assist in identifying potential connections within CEGU faculty.

Can I count coursework that was completed prior to the formation of CEGU (in June 2023) towards the requirements for the CEGU Doctoral Certificate?

If you have taken previous versions of currently approved courses taught by CEGU-affiliated faculty, those courses will count towards the completion of the certificate. If you have taken other courses that you believe fulfill the certificate requirements (whether taught by CEGU-affiliated faculty or not), that are not listed on our approved courses list, please submit a course petition↗. The CEGU team will then determine if previous coursework fulfills any of the requirements. This includes both foundations courses and additional graduate courses.

After completing the initial interest form↗, students should submit the Doctoral Certificate Checklist form↗. 

Can I count previous presentations at the Environmental Studies Workshop (ESW)—renamed the CEGU Colloquium as of AY 23-24—towards the certificate?

You can count previous presentations at the ESW (now CEGU Colloquium) towards the CEGU Doctoral Certificate requirements. Please indicate the date and topic of the presentation on the Doctoral Certificate Checklist form↗ and the CEGU team will confirm the completion of this requirement (some additional correspondence and paperwork may be required).