Future students: Graduate admissions
Start your journey to an impactful career in research, consulting and environmental management.
General requirements
- Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 out of 4.
- An undergraduate degree in environmental science or geology or a quantitative science (e.g., physics, math, chemistry, biology) with some geology or environmental science coursework.
- GRE is recommended for all applicants, but not required.
- Three letters of reference are requested for all applicants, particularly for the Master of Science.
- A personal statement describing the applicant’s goals and research interests (for Master of Science only, but helpful for Master of Arts as well).
- See additional requirements for international students.
Funding
Many of our graduate students are fully or partially self-funded. Some of our M.S. graduate students are supported by graduate research assistantships (GRA), which are funded by faculty research grants. GRA positions are given by individual faculty members and are typically decided on after all of the applications have been received. There is no separate application for GRA positions, however, we recommend contacting the specific faculty members with whom you wish to work to find out if they have any funded positions in their research group.
The environmental science and geology department currently has one graduate teaching assistantship (GTA). There is no separate application for the GTA, but if you have an interest in teaching and would like to be considered, please detail your interest and qualifications in your personal statement and include one reference letter that speaks to your potential for teaching in one of these undergraduate courses: Mineralogy, Petrology, Structural Geology, Sedimentology and Stratigraphy. After admission decisions have been made, all graduate students are invited to apply for the GTA position in April for the next academic year starting in August.
View specific requirements by
- Master of Arts in Environmental Science
- Master of Arts in Geology
- Master of Science in Environmental Science
Master of Arts in Environmental Science
Our M.A. in Environmental Science is an online-only program, consisting of coursework in a highly interdisciplinary curriculum. The M.A. in Environmental Science is 30 credits and all courses are online. This program is perfect for those wishing to advance their professional career with advanced education and training in environmental science.
Master of Arts in Geology
Our M.A. in Geology is a coursework-only program, requiring 32 credits. It offers an option to do a four-credit research essay for students who are interested in research, but do not want to do the research-intensive M.S. program.
Master of Science in Environmental Science
The M.S. in Environmental Science is a research-intensive program, requiring an eight-credit master's research thesis. Students work directly with a faculty mentor to conduct original research.
Candidacy
We look for students with a good background in environmental science or biology and place a high value on strong quantitative skills. We also look for students whose research interests fit nicely into one of our faculty mentor’s research groups.
Personal statement
Your personal statement is a part of the application and a chance to describe your research interests and explain which faculty mentors you'd like to work with. We recommend taking some time to look at what our faculty members are doing in their research. We also recommend contacting the particular faculty member(s) with whom you are interested in working, as they may be able to provide information on whether or not they have positions available for new graduate students in their research group.
Master of Science in Geology
The M.S. in Geology is a research-intensive program requiring an eight-credit master's research thesis. Students work directly with a faculty mentor to conduct original research.
Candidacy
We look for students with a good background in geology and place a high value on strong quantitative skills. We also look for students whose research interests fit nicely into one of our faculty mentor’s research groups.
Personal statement
Your personal statement is a part of the application and a chance to describe your research interests and explain which faculty mentors you'd like to work with. We recommend taking some time to look at what our faculty members are doing in their research. We also recommend contacting the particular faculty member(s) with whom you are interested in working, as they may be able to provide information on whether or not they have positions available for new graduate students in their research group.