Graduate School Resources

Graduate school allows students to become more specialized in their chosen field. Graduate students take less credits each semester than undergraduate students because graduate students focus most of their time and energy on research and projects. Graduate students often finish their courses before they finish their research/project.

Graduate school is a stepping stone to one’s career path. Graduate school is not meant to help someone find their career path.

Most graduate programs offer three options:

• Master of Science (MS)

  • 2 - 3 years

  • Thesis (research-based)

  • Non-thesis (project-based)

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

  • 4 - 6 years

  •  Dissertation

Important: science graduate programs often have funding available for graduate students. This means you could go to graduate school for free. This may be in the form of a tuition waiver  and/or fellowship/scholarship and a small living stipend (other costs may be covered as well), but each institution will handle funding differently. Funding comes in many forms, but the common funding sources are Teaching Assistantships (TA) and Research Assistantships (RA), and Graduate Assistantships (GA). Some students may have employer support for continuing education as well, depending on employer benefits. Most students have probably met many TAs as an undergraduate. TAs are often teaching a lab or assisting with a course and they receive a small stipend and tuition waiver in exchange for their labor. RAs receive a stipend and tuition in exchange for working on research projects that are generally funded through a research grant. Each graduate program is different on how they handle funding opportunities.

It’s never too early or late to start preparing for graduate school. Many students decide to take some time between their undergraduate and graduate degrees, but it depends on the individual and their goals.

Get involved with research and internships

• Undergraduate research is one of the best ways to build up your resume for graduate school. You can test your interests, build your skill set, and connect with fellow researchers. Talk to your advisor and visit the Office of Undergraduate Research to learn more about undergraduate research. Internships are also great ways to get connected with professionals in your field. 

Connect with graduate students and faculty members

• Talk to your professors and TAs. Learn more about their research and inquire about research opportunities if your interests align with their projects. 

• When you apply to graduate school, you will need at least one recommendation letter from a faculty member. By connecting with professors early in your undergraduate career, you can ensure you will have at least one person to ask for a recommendation.

• Talk to professors and TAs about graduate school. They will have the most up-to-date information about ongoing research and provide advice about the graduate school application process. 

Attend research presentations and symposiums and read primary research literature

• To understand current research trends and methods, attend presentations and symposiums. This will give you a general idea of who is doing what. You may discover new topics or learn more about topics you are interested in.

• Reading primary research literature is a good habit to develop if you are considering graduate school. As a graduate student, you will read a lot of research papers. This can be daunting at first, but your connections with graduate students and faculty members will help you. They can help you identify research journals and keystone papers.

Do well in your undergraduate courses

• Most graduate programs require at least a 3.0 undergraduate cumulative GPA. If you have a lower GPA, you can still attend graduate school, but talk to your advisor to develop a success plan for your graduate goals. 

Many students start their graduate school search by googling “Environmental Sciences Graduate School”. Because graduate school is focused on specializing in a field, you will need to move past “Environmental Sciences” and identify the area of study you are interested in. In graduate school, it’s more important to find a research advisor that matches your research interests than the specific graduate program. You will work closely with your research advisor throughout your time in graduate school and you will need their final approval on your research/project in order to graduate. 

Steps to identify graduate programs and research advisors:

• Decide if you would like to pursue a Master’s degree (thesis or non-thesis) or PhD. Talk to your mentors and consider your career goals to help you identify which path you would like to follow. 

• Identify the area of study you would like to focus on and search keywords associated with this field. You may find departments and/or research cohorts associated with these keywords or you may find individual research faculty members. 

• Focus more on research faculty members and less on graduate programs or universities. A researcher may have a website that explains their research, current projects, and highlights their graduate students’ work.

• Keep a list of the researchers you are interested in and look at the graduate school programs they are associated with. Review the graduate school requirements to ensure you meet them.

• Review open graduate assistantships posted in the FER newsletter and national job boards, like the Natural Resources Job Board

Applying for graduate school is very different from the undergraduate application process. You will most likely need to secure a research advisor before you will be accepted into a graduate program. Non-thesis Master’s degrees do not always require this. 

Email potential research advisors (Summer - December)

• Email approximately 6 potential research advisors. The email should be a short introduction of yourself, your research interests, how these interests align with the potential advisor’s research, and inquire if the potential advisor is accepting graduate students. Be professional and ensure you address the researcher with Dr. Attach your resume/CV to the email. 

• Faculty members are busy and may not respond to your email. Send them a follow-up email in a few weeks. If you still do not receive an answer, assume they are very busy and not accepting graduate students.

• Create a spreadsheet with the potential researcher’s name, when you contacted them, the application deadline, and any other important information. 

Meet with potential research advisors 

• If a researcher advisor is interested in speaking with you, they will schedule a time to meet to discuss their research and your academic and career goals. This may lead to a second interview. 

• Most graduate programs require applicants to secure a research advisor before being accepted. Research advisors are quick to let you know if they are willing to advise you during your graduate degree. 

Talk to graduate students currently advised by potential advisors

• If all goes well, the research advisor will encourage you to contact their past and current graduate students. In graduate school, you will be part of a graduate program and research lab. It’s important to talk to other graduate students to understand their experience working with the research advisor, being part of their research lab, and being involved with the graduate program.

Visit graduate schools

• Some programs or the research advisor will pay for you to visit the university. This visit might be part of the interview process or a way to help you decide if you would like to attend graduate school at the institution. 

Apply for graduate school

• Once you have secured a research advisor and hopefully some funding, you can apply to the graduate school. Before applying, ensure you have everything in order and you meet all the requirements. 

Note: Take the GRE or MAT, if necessary (early Summer)

• More and more programs are waiving GRE scores and other examinations for graduate school. Check each graduate program to understand if a GRE score or another exam is required. 

There are many factors to consider when deciding on a graduate program, but here are a few to consider.

Is the research advisor a good fit for you?

This is a two-part question. First, the mentoring style of a potential research advisor is important to consider. You can ask questions to better understand their mentoring approach and expectations. For example, a student may ask “What are your expectations for communication with me?” or “Would you describe yourself as a hands-on or hands-off advisor?”. 

The second part of this question focuses on the advisor’s research. How excited are you for the research projects that have been discussed? Sometimes grants and ongoing projects may dictate the research you can conduct. Make sure you understand your options for research projects and ask questions.

Is there funding available? And if yes, what are the funding sources?

It’s important and expected to ask about funding. Most graduate programs have funding for science graduate degrees. Funding generally covers tuition and a small stipend, but this can vary between departments and universities. Make sure to ask questions.