Institute of Graduate Studies and Research

Environmental Sciences (PhD)

Duration 5 Years
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About the Program

The aim of the program is to continue the works of ethical researchers and experts in their field who hold a global reputation in environmental sciences and technologies, the identification and provision of solutions to regional and global environmental problems, the contribution to science, the understanding of global research projects, and put the policies necessary for environmental protection and sustainability into use. In this program, Ph.D. courses deal with sources of soil, water and air pollution, their effects on environment and existing treatment strategies. In addition, students are educated about and by the latest available technologies for identification of the pollutants in environmental matrices. Students are able to conduct their research in environmental research laboratories and also, they can access scientific documents to investigate the related projects across the world.

Education Opportunities

The Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering program at Cyprus International University aims to train researchers to be able to work in the design, operation, supervision, and construction of engineering structures and systems that can ensure the recovery of degraded nature and prevent pollution. Throughout the coursework and thesis study students deal with the main topics of water and wastewater treatment plants, water networks, design of transmission lines, solid waste control, modeling and control of air pollution, environmental management and planning, and noise pollution control. Students benefit from the analysis laboratory, computer rooms, and library to study theoretical and practical components for the courses and thesis. Studies in the field of environmental sciences have an important role in making the world a better place to live in and achieving the objectives of sustainable development.

ciu-environmental-engineering-phd

Career Areas

Graduates of Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences can find employment opportunities in state or private institutions where they would take on project design, implementation and environmental management. As a result of studying in the Department of Environmental Sciences, graduates start their careers in control of the drinking water quality, sewage, the design and construction of storm water networks, as well as the selection, design, construction and operation of domestic and industrial wastewater treatment system, noise pollution control and air pollution and its control. Environmental sciences is a multidisciplinary field therefore; graduates can work together with civil, mechanical, energy engineers as well as political scientists, lawyers and other social scientists in a wide range of projects.

Contact

Institute of Graduate Studies and Research
Graduate Sciences and Education Center, GE106
Tel: +90 392 671 1111 Extension: 2214-2228
Institute E-mail: ciu-institute@ciu.edu.tr

Compulsory Courses

First Semester
SEMINAR

Course code

ENVS690

Credit

0

Theoretical

0

Practical

0

Ects

4
Seminar presentation and group discussions on selected topics related to the Environmental Sciences.
ELECTIVE I

Course code

ENVS6X1

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

8
ELECTIVE II

Course code

ENVS6X2

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

8
ELECTIVE III

Course code

ENVS6X3

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

8
ELECTIVE IV

Course code

ENVS6X4

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

8
Second Semester
QUALIFICATION EXAM

Course code

ENVS650

Credit

0

Theoretical

0

Practical

0

Ects

20
It refers to an examination that qualifies students to continue studies at a Ph.D. thesis and see how prepared they are for the looming examinations. It is almost a gauge on how knowledgeable one is within the chosen subject. It is in two steps: Written and oral examination. When the student passes the written exam he/she may take the oral exam in front of jury members. This eaxam is required as pre-requisite to take ENS 600.
ELECTIVE V

Course code

ENVS6X5

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

8
ELECTIVE VI

Course code

ENVS6X6

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

8
Philosophy of Science

Course code

PHIL601

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

8
This course will follow three main paths: Firstly it will introduce philosophy to doctoral students. The meaning of philosophy, its scope, its sub-branches and its different schools will be the subject topic of the first weeks. Then the course will focus on the relation of philosophy with the sources of knowledge and different sciences. Here, Rationalism, Empiricism and Intuitionism will be covered during the following weeks. In the remaining weeks the course will concentrate on philosophy of science and scientific ethics. Logical positivism, paradigm changes, falsificationism, the questions of “what is science”, “what is pseudo-science?”, “what is the relation between theory and reality?” are amongst topics that will be covered. Finally, the course will concentrate on ethical theories and will particularly cover scientific ethics.
Third Semester
THESIS

Course code

ENVS600

Credit

0

Theoretical

0

Practical

0

Ects

160
Supervised independent research on a topic agreed between the student and the supervisor (a faculty member) and approved by the Administrative Committee of the Institute of Graduate Studies and Research. It is evaluated by a jury of two faculty members and one from other universities.

Elective Courses

SPECIAL TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Course code

ENVS633

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

Various advanced level topics will be covered on environmental sciences, according to the need of students and interest of the instructor.
ADVANCED TOPICS IN AIR POLLUTION

Course code

ENVS611

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

Meteorology for modeling and control of air pollution; the physical and thermodynamic properties of the atmosphere, equations of motion, hydrostatic equation, continuity equation, Geostrophic approximation, geopotential height, thermal wind, baroclinic and barotropic atmosphere, atmospheric stability and inversion. Air pollution concentration models; fixed-box models, diffusion models. Primary particulate control. Control of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides.
ADVANCED WATER CHEMISTRY

Course code

ENVS629

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

Concepts in Aquatic Chemistry. Ways to Interpret Changes in Physical/Chemical Systems. Acid/Base Chemistry. Gas/Liquid Equilibrium. Chemistry of Metals. Software for Solving Chemical Equilibrium problems.
RESEARCH METHODS

Course code

EMNT525

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

0
This course is designed to be a background pass to graduate studies. The ability to formulate a research question, finding the data relevant to research questions, analyze those data, and presentation of research findings are skills that will be acquired through this course. Scientific thinking skills and methods of research, using library and online archives, experimental design, and presenting quantitative data are modules covered within the scope of this course. Scientific communication, writing research proposals, scientific reporting and thesis writing are also supported. Conference presentations, time management in research projects, ethical issues, plagiarism and skills of working in a group and networking are also highlighted throughout the semester.
ADVANCED TOPICS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY

Course code

ENVS614

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

Advanced level topics in biotechnology. Different topics will be covered according to the need of students and interest of the instructor.
THEORY AND APPLICATION OF ADSORPTION

Course code

ENVS612

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

The theory and application of adsorption theory. Applications in water and wastewater treatment. Mathematical models and computer aided modeling techniques. Similarities with filtration models.
STATISTICAL METHODS IN BIO&ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Course code

ENVS641

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

The main topics of this course are: numerical summary statistics, graphical summary techniques, probability theory, probability distributions, mathematical expectation, special probability distributions (bernoulli, binom, poisson), probability density functions (gama, exponantial, chi-square), linear regression and correlation, excell and spss applications, sampling distributions, hypothesis testing.
ADVANCED TOPICS IN HAZARDOUS AND TOXIC WASTES TREATMENT & CONTROL

Course code

ENVS623

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

Fundamentals of Hazardous and Toxic waste treatment. Current management practices. Thermal and disposal methods. Site remediation.
LABORATORY APPLICATIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND BIO TECHNOLOGIES

Course code

ENVS640

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

ECOLOGY

Course code

ENVS502

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

This course will review major ecological concepts, identify the techniques used by ecologists, provide an overview of local and global environmental issues, and examine individual, group and governmental activities important for protecting natural ecosystems. The course has been designed to provide technical information, to direct the student toward pertinent literature, to identify problems and issues, to utilize research methodology for the study of natural ecosystems, and to consider appropriate solutions and analytical techniques. Discussion and understanding will be emphasized.
BIONANOTECHNOLOGY

Course code

BIOE622

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

ADVANCED ANAEROBIC TREATMENT

Course code

ENVS609

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

ION EXCHANGE PROCESSES

Course code

ENVS610

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

BIOSEPERATIONS

Course code

BIOE606

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

FERMENTATION MICROBIOLOGY

Course code

BIOE631

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY II

Course code

ENVE202

Credit

0

Theoretical

0

Practical

0

Ects

8
Environmental Engineering Chemistry II course deals with Wastewater Quality Parameters, such as Dissolved Oxygen, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Total Organic Carbon, or shortly the Organic Compounds in Water and Wastewater. It is also important to have information about Oil and Grease, Nitrogen, Sulfate, Phosphorus and Phosphate, Surfactants, Trace Contaminants, Toxicity, Heavy Metals. In this course students learn about Gas Analysis, Instrumental Analysis - Gas, Liquid, Ion Chromatography and other instrumental analysis devices. The course further helps the students to understand the pollution concept and how to express and use them to find solutions to the environmental pollution.
PHYSIOLOGY FOR ENGINEERS

Course code

BIOE613

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

ADVANCED RESEARCH METHODS FOR ENGINEERING

Course code

ENGI660

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

8
This course covers data analysis using statistical methods, e.g., descriptive and multivariate analysis. Furthermore, the course covers the topics of correlation, sampling, estimation, and hypotheses testing. The logic and key assumptions underpinning the multivariate ordinary least squares regression model will be given together with more advanced subjects such as the analysis of time series and panel data analysis. The emphasis will be on achieving a smooth transition between theory, model definition, and outcome presentation. It will illustrate several methods of data analysis, presenting the findings of analyses (for example, visually, using graphics, tables, and text), and understanding their meaning. Students will gain hands-on experience with the techniques discussed in this course by applying them to various datasets using statistical software
BIOMATERIALS

Course code

BIOE616

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

REMOVAL OF ORGANICS FROM WATER

Course code

ENVE513

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

Discusses the measurement and removal of organics such as humic substances, phenol, cresols, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, grease, surfactants, oils, pesticides, toxic and non-biodegradable soluble organics typically found in water and waste waters. Covers the removal methods such as carbon adsorption, biological treatment, chemical oxidation and advanced oxidation processes as well as the removal in natural systems.
TECHNIQUES IN TISSUE CULTURE AND CELLULAR BIOENGINEERING

Course code

BIOE602

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

STATISTICS AND DATA ANALYSIS

Course code

BIOE605

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

ECOLOGY

Course code

BIOE626

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY I

Course code

ENVE201

Credit

0

Theoretical

0

Practical

0

Ects

ADVANCED OXIDATION PROCESSES

Course code

ENVE512

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPS) are a combination ozone, hydrogen peroxide, UV light, and catalysts to oxidize chemical compounds that can not be removed by the simple oxidation techniques. The class focuses on AOPs such as UV/O3, UV/H2O2, UV/TiO2, O3/H2O2, O3/FeOH, etc. It discusses the advantages and limitations of AOPs, and the effect of water quality parameters on the efficiency of AOPs.
ADVANCED OXIDATION PROCESSES

Course code

ENVS512

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPS) are a combination ozone, hydrogen peroxide, UV light, and catalysts to oxidize chemical compounds that can not be removed by the simple oxidation techniques. The class focuses on AOPs such as UV/O3, UV/H2O2, UV/TiO2, O3/H2O2, O3/FeOH, etc. It discusses the advantages and limitations of AOPs, and the effect of water quality parameters on the efficiency of AOPs.
BIOSENSORS

Course code

BIOE507

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

This course will cover the principles, technologies, methods and applications of biosensors and bioinstrumentation. The objective of this course is to link engineering principles to understanding of biosystems in sensors and bioelectronics. It will provide the student with detail of methods and procedures used in the design, fabrication and application of biosensors and bioelectronic devices. The fundamentals of measurement science are applied to optical, electrochemical, mass, and pressure signal transduction. Upon successful completion of this course, students are expected to be able to explain biosensing and transducing techniques, design and construct biosensors instrumentation.
TECHNIQUES IN MOLECULAR BIOENGINEERING

Course code

BIOE601

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

Philosophy of Science

Course code

PHIL601

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

8
This course will follow three main paths: Firstly it will introduce philosophy to doctoral students. The meaning of philosophy, its scope, its sub-branches and its different schools will be the subject topic of the first weeks. Then the course will focus on the relation of philosophy with the sources of knowledge and different sciences. Here, Rationalism, Empiricism and Intuitionism will be covered during the following weeks. In the remaining weeks the course will concentrate on philosophy of science and scientific ethics. Logical positivism, paradigm changes, falsificationism, the questions of “what is science”, “what is pseudo-science?”, “what is the relation between theory and reality?” are amongst topics that will be covered. Finally, the course will concentrate on ethical theories and will particularly cover scientific ethics.
ANALYTICAL DECISION MAKING

Course code

MISY602

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

ADVANCED BIOLOGICAL NUTRIENT REMOVAL

Course code

ENVS625

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

BIONANOTECHNOLOGY

Course code

BIOE522

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

GENETIC ENGINEERING

Course code

BIOE610

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

CALCULUS I

Course code

MAT101

Credit

0

Theoretical

0

Practical

0

Ects

SPECIAL TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES II

Course code

ENVS639

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

Various advanced level topics will be covered on environmental sciences, according to the need of students and interest of the instructor.
SPECIAL TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Course code

ENVE633

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

Various advanced level topics will be covered on environmental engineering, according to the need of students and interest of the instructor.
STATISTICAL COMPUTER APPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES

Course code

STAT602

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

0
Entering the data collected to the computer, organizing and getting data ready for statistical analyses; normal distribution and sampling distribution of the mean; establishing confidence intervals; writing research questions, research hypotheses, null hypotheses; hypothesis testing. Descriptive statistics: Measures of central tendency and position measurements (arithmetic mean, median, peak, percentile and quartile); measures of variability (distribution width, variance, standard deviation); display of data. Inferential statistics: t-test applications (single-sample t-test, independent samples t-test, dependent samples t-test), analysis of variance applications (one-way ANOVA, two-way ANOVA, MANOVA, ANCOVA); correlations (Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients), partial correlation; multiple linear regression; exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses; reliability; non-parametric tests (Wilcoxon signed rank test, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Chi-Square tests); interpreting and writing results of analyses.
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Course code

EMNT502

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

0
Total Quality Management (TQM) is a comprehensive and fundamental quality policy that aims continuous improvement. This course focuses on total quality concepts and total quality approach for decision making. In addition to presenting various Total Quality Management concepts and quality improvement tools, importance of customer focus, team formation and problem solving are also underlined. The key actions that highlights importance of quality through planning, design and control are discussed. Up-to-date quality standards and award models are discussed and criticized using real life cases. Aim of the course is to give total quality concept to the students. Also the course explains total quality management decision methods.
ADVANCED TOPICS IN AIR POLLUTION

Course code

ENVE611

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

Meteorology for modeling and control of air pollution; the physical and thermodynamic properties of the atmosphere, equations of motion, hydrostatic equation, continuity equation, Geostrophic approximation, geopotential height, thermal wind, baroclinic and barotropic atmosphere, atmospheric stability and inversion. Air pollution concentration models; fixed-box models, diffusion models. Primary particulate control. Control of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides.
ADVANCED TOPICS IN HAZARDOUS AND TOXIC WASTES TREATMENT & CONTROL

Course code

ENVE623

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

Fundamentals of Hazardous and Toxic waste treatment. Current management practices. Thermal and disposal methods. Site remediation.
HAZARDOUS AND TOXIC WASTES-TREATMENT AND CONTROL

Course code

ENVS505

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

Definition of the problem. Hazardous waste concept. Definition of the hazardous waste. Determination methods of hazardous waste. Criteria of hazardous waste for determination. Listing. Hazardous waste impoundment. Hazardous waste management. Transportation of hazardous waste. Management, treatment and disposal. Incineration and treatment technologies. Land-filling and disposal strategies. Determination of the hazardous waste sites. Site planning. Deep well injection. Disposal to spent mine.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE TREATMENT

Course code

ENVS523

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

The source, characteristics and treatment techniques of wastewater generated from various industries. The characterization of industrial wastewater, purpose of treatment and regulations. The detection of the wastewater amount. Waste minimization by changing the processes. Modeling the flow and variability of wastewater. Equalization and flow design. The design of unit processes including physical, chemical and biological processes. Liquid-solid separation by sedimentation, DAF, and filtration. The investigation of wastewater treatment plant process flow diagrams of selected industries.
SPECIAL TOPICS IN ADVANCED OXIDATION PROCESSES

Course code

ENVS619

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPS) are a combination ozone, hydrogen peroxide, UV light, and catalysts to oxidize chemical compounds that can not be removed by the simple oxidation techniques. The class focuses on AOPs such as UV/O3, UV/H2O2, UV/TiO2, O3/H2O2, O3/FeOH, etc. It discusses the advantages and limitations of AOPs, and the effect of water quality parameters on the efficiency of AOPs.
ENERGY - PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

Course code

ENRE501

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

0
ENERJİ - GEÇMİŞ, BUGÜN & GELECEK
ADVANCED SOLAR ENERGY UTILIZATION

Course code

ENRE607

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

TECHNIQUES IN TISSUE CULTURE AND CELLULAR BIOENGINEERING

Course code

BIOE502

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

This is a course will begin with introducing practical skills for the isolation of animals cells for in vitro studies, maintenance of animal cells in vitro, manipulation of animal cells in vitro, and application of molecular techniques to in vitro situations. This course also designed to bridge cell biology with engineering. At the completion of this course, the students should be able to: Discuss the molecular and cellular basis of life from an engineering perspective, identify crucial molecular parameters involved in cellular events measure and manipulate molecular parameters experimentally, apply engineering principles, concepts, and mathematical modelling in studying molecular parameters, cell structure, function, and appropriately capture the salient features of the cellular phenomena. In addition, the students should be able to manipulate the behaviour of biological cells, examine structure-function relationship and explore and criticize the existing and emerging technologies that exploit and extend our knowledge of molecular and cell biology.
TISSUE ENGINEERING

Course code

BIOE612

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Course code

BIOE635

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

METABOLISM AND CELLULAR ADAPTATION

Course code

BIOE636

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

INTRODUCTION TO PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS

Course code

MAT205

Credit

0

Theoretical

0

Practical

0

Ects

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

Course code

ENVE104

Credit

0

Theoretical

0

Practical

0

Ects

In chemical terms water is a dilute solution of various compounds. It can also hold suspensions of several organic and inorganic compounds. This course is about the interactions between these compounds. During this course intermolecular forces (dipole-dipole, ion-dipole, hydrogen bonding, dispersion forces) and the properties of solutions topics are discussed in detail. This course aims understanding of chemical phenomena that occur in water in order to find solutions for water pollution, and also water and wastewater related environmental engineering problems. Principles and applications of chemical equilibria, acid-base reactions, solubility, complex formation, and redox reactions are mainly discussed in this course.
LABORATORY APPLICATIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND BIO TECHNOLOGIES

Course code

ENVS540

Credit

3

Theoretical

3

Practical

0

Ects

The course covers the topics of; general laboratory safety procedures and rules, introduction to general laboratory materials and glasswares used in environmental and biotechnology related studies, applications and operation of analytical and coarse balance and sampling techniques, application and operation of automatic pipettes, preparation of stock and diluted sample solutions and utilization of hood, applications and operations of pH-meter, applications and operations of oven, incubator and stirrer, applications and operations of centrifuge, cleaning procedures of glasswares and laboratory equipment and applications of several portable devices (Termostat, UV-visible spectrometer, Conductimeter, Turbidimeter) used in environmental and biotechnology related studies.

Students who are interested in pursuing advanced graduate studies leading to a master’s, doctoral degree or professional doctorate degree for the Fall and Spring semesters every year. Applicants can directly apply online to our graduate programs using the application portal.

TRNC Applicants- Required documents:

  • Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Diploma
  • Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree transcripts for each completed academic term/year.
  • Documents to prove English proficiency for English language departments,
  • Scanned copy of passport or identity card.

Click for detailed admission requirements information.

Students who are interested in pursuing advanced graduate studies leading to a master’s, doctoral degree, or professional doctorate degree for the Fall and Spring semesters every year. Applicants can directly apply online to our graduate programs using the application portal.

International Applicants- Required documents:

  • A valid Bachelor’s Degree and transcripts for each completed academic term/year.
  • A valid Master’s Degree and transcripts for each completed academic term/year.
  • Evidence of English Language competence: TOEFL (65 IBT) or IELTS (5.5). Students without these documents will take the CIU English proficiency exam on campus following arrival.
  • Scanned copy of international passport/birth certificate
  • CV
  • Ph.D. research proposal
  • Fully completed and signed CIU Rules and Regulations document (which can be downloaded during the online application)

Click for detailed admission requirements information.

Cyprus International University provides academic scholarships for its students as an incentive for success, with most students benefiting from 50%, 75% or 100% scholarships or discounted tuition fees. Click for more information.

Tuition Fees are determined at the beginning of each academic year. Candidate students who are entitled to enroll in CIU can learn their fees in line with the Tuition Fee Calculation system.