Majors, Minors and Certificates

The goal of the PhD in biology is to train students to become leaders in a sub-field within modern biology.

The Chemistry Department includes research in the areas of analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry. Research is a key focus of the 22 faculty members who comprise the department.

Tailor this major to your interests by taking courses in one of these areas:

• Analytical
• Inorganic
• Organic
• Physical

The PhD program in communication studies is intended to qualify students to teach and conduct research in instructional communication, interpersonal communication, mediated communication, health communication, and organizational communication, among other courses, at the university level.

The doctoral program in English develops fluency in the critical discourses of the profession and prepares graduates to teach English professionally on the post-secondary level, or to enter a wide range of alternate academic careers.

This research degree culminates in a dissertation in an area that is jointly determined between a student and their faculty advisor.

The PhD in geography is an advanced degree with a program made up of coursework, comprehensive exams, and a major research investigation.

WVU Geology offers both research master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as a rigorous master’s professional studies degree.

PhD students in history create a curriculum in consultation with faculty advisers and the director of graduate studies in 1 major field and 3 minor fields (one of which must be outside of the student’s area of research concentration).

This program is designed to give students a fundamental theoretical background beyond that of undergraduate level and a research experience that produces high-quality and novel work that is normally recognized by publication in peer-reviewed journals (or sometimes in patents).

In addition to receiving training in research methods, students choose from courses taught by world-class faculty in American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and public policy.

The behavior analysis area of emphasis is accredited at the doctoral level by the Behavior Analysis Accreditation Board, the accrediting body for the Association for Behavior Analysis International, through 2031.

Students in behavioral neuroscience study complex interactions between the brain and other physiological systems.

The clinical and clinical child psychology areas of emphasis jointly comprise WVU’s accredited doctoral training program in health service (clinical) psychology.

The PhD in developmental psychology combines breadth of training in perspectives on normal development across the life span with depth and rigor of training in an area of specialization selected by the student.

The PhD program offers full-time and part-time program options with a hybrid course plan that allows flexibility to complete latter portions of the program remotely.

The PhD program is designed for students who have a strong interest in working as professional sociologists in teaching, writing, and research, or for students intending to pursue nonacademic careers.