Resources for Prospective Graduate Students

Graduate Program Types

Masters Degree (M.S.)

• Duration: 2-3 years (typically 2-2.5 years)

• Tracks/options: (1) Research-based degree where you will write a thesis in addition to taking classes; (2) Professional or course-based degree where you only take classes

• Related job opportunities in geosciences:

  • Private sector consulting and industry research (e.g., environmental remediation, groundwater monitoring, hydrocarbon exploration, mineral resources)

  • Government research at the local, state, or federal level (e.g., USGS [entry level])

  • Teaching positions at 2-year community colleges

  • Academic research (limited opportunities)

Doctorate Degree (Ph.D.)

• Duration: 4-6 years (can be on the shorter side if you have a Master’s degree)

• Tracks/options: This is a research-based degree in which you will take classes and complete a dissertation. You can come in (1) straight from undergraduate, (2) following completion of a Master’s degree, or (3) get an “M.S. along-the-way” in which you complete the requirements for an M.S. degree then stay at your institution to complete the requirements for a Ph.D.

• Related job opportunities in geosciences:

  • Private sector consulting and industry research (project lead)

  • Government research at the local, state, or federal level (more opportunities, e.g., project lead)

  • Research and teaching positions at four-year colleges and universities

  • Fellowship opportunities in government (e.g., Congressional Science Fellow)

See this AGI webpage for job listings in geoscience.

Funding & Structure

One of the most misunderstood aspects of graduate school in geosciences and other natural science or STEM fields is the structure of funding and tuition. Almost all research-based programs admit students with funding from the department or from the potential advisor’s research funds (e.g., National Science Foundation grants). Some course-based programs do not fund or only partially fund students.

Funding refers to the stipend you are awarded in exchange for either (1) being a teaching assistant (TA) for a class, (2) being a research assistant (RA) for a lab or faculty member, and/or (3) being awarded a fellowship. It’s possible to switch between these positions throughout your studies or even have multiple or joint positions. For example, I switch between a TA position in the fall terms and RA position in the spring terms. Usually, graduate assistantships (TA or RA) are 9-month (Sept.-May) paid appointments to which you are expected to devote 20 hours of work to teaching and/or research duties. Some programs give “half” appointments (10 hours/week) to students who have external funding. Whether you spend more or less than the prescribed time on these duties varies between programs and advisors. Talk to current or past graduate students to get an idea of what the actual workload might be. Don’t be surprised if students overworked - this is a systemic problem in graduate programs; try to find a program that has reasonable expectations of graduate assistants.

Your yearly stipend is paid out biweekly (or every two weeks) like a salary, and the stipends these days range widely from ~$18,000 to ~$30,000+ per 9-month appointment. See this community-based website of stipend amounts - you can search by department or university and see the living wage ratio. Fellowships usually have greater award amounts like the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship which is a $34,000 12-month stipend (plus waived tuition). Since almost all programs only offer 9-month appointments, summer funding is not guaranteed. You either have to teach a summer class, see if your advisor has summer research funding, apply for a special fellowship, or work another summer job such as an internship.

In addition, most programs waive the cost of your tuition and, possibly, any school fees as well. Essentially, the tuition is covered by the school, your advisor’s research grants, or an external funding organization (e.g., NSF). Sometimes, advisors will pay for your university fees if they have enough funds or really want to recruit you. These fees can be expensive ($100s-$1000s per year), so ask advisors what the fees are and if they usually cover them.

Many universities have graduate fellowships usually titled “University Fellowship” or “Presidential Fellowship” which provide additional funding on top of TA/RA appointments to exceptional applicants. Universities might also have department, diversity, or endowed fellowships which have separate applications to be submitted alongside your admissions application. Additionally, some external fellowships can be added on top of TA/RA appointment funding (e.g., Ford Fellowship; the NSF GRFP does not allow you to receive TA/RA funding in addition to its stipend).

Timeline

Below is a schematic of the typical timeline for fall graduate application cycles. These times are general and can change depending on your preference, specific programs, or whether you are applying to start in spring or summer terms (consult department websites or contact graduate program advisors for details of these non-traditional cycles).

Researching Programs & Advisors

STEM graduate school applications differ from undergraduate and professional graduate applications in that you are applying to work with a research group, laboratory, or faculty advisor - not applying to the name of a school! You are looking for a boss, colleague, mentor, principal investigator (PI), and advisor to help you succeed in your graduate program and obtain the skills you need to get to your next step (such as a type of job or succeeding graduate program). For research-based programs, you will have a faculty research advisor that will guide the primary scope of your research and, possibly, funding arrangements. You will have a graduate research committee comprised of 2-4 faculty members related to your field of research including your advisor who will “chair” that committee. So, you want an advisor that you work well with and has the mentorship style you are looking for (e.g., their degree of management or involvement).

Since you are applying to work with a faculty member or lab, you need to do your research to see if they are taking students for your application cycle. Advisors don’t take students every year due to fluctuations in lab or PI funding, personal schedules (e.g., sabbatical), department funding, or other reasons (e.g., COVID-19). I started seriously researching potential graduate advisors in late winter before fall applications opened (i.e., I started researching in January 2020 for the application period in Fall 2020 for admission in Fall 2021). This is definitely early compared to what most suggest, but this gives you plenty of time to do the work, reach out to advisors you are interested in, and potentially meet advisors at conferences or lectures. If you’re very motivated, this also allows you to discuss potential proposal applications for graduate funding such as the NSF GRFP, NASA OSE Fellowship, Ford Fellowship, DOE Graduate Fellowship, or University-specific/Departmental fellowships (more on this coming soon; see this FutureRockDoc blog on the NSF GRFP). Below are ways to find graduate programs and potential advisors:

• Word of mouth (ask a professor or graduate student)

• University/departmental websites

• Society websites and listservs (e.g., GSA, AGU)

• Community listservs

• Read scientific articles and contact the authors

• Social media (e.g., Twitter)

The best way to learn about a program or advisor is to talk with the potential advisor and their current and/or past graduate students. See this FutureRockDoc blog on what questions you should ask. You can email these questions or set up a video call to discuss. Many advisors will put you in contact with their current/past students (and that’s a very good sign that they are well-regarded!).

I suggest making a spreadsheet to keep track of the various programs and faculty members you are interested in applying to/working with. Include information about the advisor such as their research themes, lab(s), current projects, website, etc. Also include information about the application requirements and timeline for that particular school including the application opening and closing dates, graduate program coordinator contact, program eligibility, application materials required, etc. I created a spreadsheet like this with additional criteria I sought to know for each advisor/program. Below I provide a template for you to use to begin your research. I have filled out one row using my undergraduate research advisor as an example.

Contacting Advisors

Once you have researched potential programs and advisors to your satisfaction, you should identify your top choices (I used the ranked column in the template spreadsheet) and reach out to those potential advisors - they expect you to contact them. This is a facet of the application process that many didn’t know is customary and beneficial in our field, and if they do, usually aren’t sure how to approach contacting professors - it can seem scary and unnecessarily overwhelming! But fear not - I have several tips and resources to share to help!

First, I suggest reaching out to potential advisors in the summer or early fall (July-September) right before the application periods open. However, if you already have a potential graduate advisor in mind way before this time, you should reach out to them if you are going to a professional conference, meeting, or talk that they may be attending. This can give you the opportunity to meet with them in person which could make you stand out as a candidate. This is what I did with the faculty member who is currently my M.S. advisor, and it really helped me stand out as an applicant.

Now, for the actual email, I suggest following a general template like the one I provide below. There is not one particular way that is best to email a professor, so I suggest looking at templates or tips from other students (also linked below) or even professors, such as Dr. Brian Romans. However, there are some components that are commonly suggested from many: attach your CV (see below), state your intention in the very first sentence or two, and be concise as possible.

other examples & ADVICe:

Application Materials & Requirements

When preparing applications materials, pay careful attention to (1) deadlines, and (2) admission requirements! Application materials will not be accepted late by schools. Materials might have different deadlines. Letters of recommendation might be due later than your general application form, although most programs have one deadline by which all materials must be submitted. If you have a B.A. or come from a non-related field to geosciences, you will want to look closely at any prerequisites the program has for applicants (see below). It’s best to talk with the potential advisor or graduate committee chair to see if you meet the prerequisites before applying.

Application materials usually include (varies by program and/or year):

• Personal Statement (PS) or Statement of Purpose (SOP)

  • Personal statements are open-ended and can comprise a variety of information. Typically, they highlight your personal motivations for applying to a program and any major accomplishments or challenges you’ve had. Unfortunately, most programs ask for a 1-2 page PS with little to no prompt provided. I suggest you contact the potential advisor or another department contact for that program if the application instructions are not clear about what to include in the PS. For an application that only asks for a PS (an additional SOP [see below] or research statement is not asked for), you will want to keep it focused on academics, research, and relevant extracurriculars (see section below).

  • Statements of purpose showcase your academic strengths and background, career goals, research interests, and fit with the program. You should essentially brag (modestly!) about all you’ve accomplished and detail your next goals. This should be a very professional document that will exclude detailed personal information and background (see section below).

• Curriculum vitae (CV)

  • See the section below for some tips on preparing a CV for your application. Make sure to ask several mentors, fellow students, or professors for feedback on your CV - it needs to be in tip-top shape! Make sure it has everything relevant to your field of study that you’ve done since high school.

• Letters of recommendation

  • Most programs ask for 3 letters of recommendation. General rule of thumb is to have at least 1 letter from a faculty member - perhaps a professor who taught one of your classes, a club faculty-sponsor, an undergrad research advisor, or just someone who knows you well and can write positively about you. It is generally encouraged to have as many of your letter writers be faculty as possible. If this isn’t possible, you can have job supervisors, graduate mentors, extracurricular sponsors, academic advisors, or anyone else who can attest to your personal attributes and potential for success.

  • Give your letter writers at least 2 weeks notice before the deadline with one month being an ideal timeframe. Send a reminder one week before the deadline and, if necessary, one day before the deadline.

  • Make sure you are professional and respectful when you ask for a letter - don’t just ask in person - write an email and include deadlines, program and position details, submission instructions, content to include in the letter, and attach your CV and any complete (or near-complete) application materials so they have all the context to write a great letter. Do not ask a professor or any individual to write you a letter if you do not have a good, recent relationship with them. They may feel obligated to say yes but then write a mediocre or bad letter. You can avoid this by using wording such as, “Are you in the position to write an effective, positive letter on my behalf?”

• GRE scores (see section below)

  • Most programs no longer require the GRE as part of the application, or it is optional. If you need/want to take the exam, make sure you plan ahead to study, take the test, and submit the results to schools before the application deadline. Follow program websites on how exactly to submit your exam scores.

• Transcripts

  • Graduate programs will want a transcript from any institution where you sought to earn a degree. So, if you took summer classes at a community college that transferred to your undergraduate transcript, no need to submit a separate transcript from the community college.

  • Most schools will allow you to submit an unofficial transcript in their application portal or via mail. However, once accepted to the program, in order to enroll, you have to submit an official transcript, sometimes with final grades from your last undergraduate term.

• Other potential components

  • Application fee: most institutions require a ~$50-$100 application fee. Typically, if you are unable to pay the fee or meet an institutions fee exemption qualifications (e.g., participated in a NSF REU or receives a federal Pell grant), you can have the fee waived. Contact the program administrator to inquire if not stated on their website. See this list for universities that do not have fees: Científico Latino STEM Grad Programs with No App Fees (2023)

  • Some schools and departments might have their own additional requirements, but this isn’t too common. If there are additional components, they are usually just additional short essays that compliment your personal statement.

  • If you’re an international student, you will likely need to submit results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) as proof of English proficiency. Again, follow application instructions on how to properly submit scores. When in doubt, contact someone at the school or department to ensure you are complying with their guidelines!

Requirements and prerequisites usually include (varies by program and/or year):

• Programs usually have GPA requirements that vary (usually between 2.75-3.25 minimums, most around 3.0), but some exceptions are made. Obviously, you have to hold a bachelor’s degree to be enrolled.

• Some programs will be vague with prerequisites, stating something like: “Students are expected to have a strong background in one of the foundation geosciences (e.g., atmospheric sciences, biology, chemistry, geology, math, physics, statistics).” [UConn Geosciences]

• Other requirements might be a certain number of STEM or field-based classes like: “Applicants to our graduate program are expected to have completed a minimum of two college-level courses in calculus and 4 courses completed in at least 2 of the following areas: physics, chemistry, biology and computer science. All of these courses must have received a C or better. Additional courses in geological sciences, including field training appropriate for the subject of interest, depend on the particular area within the geosciences that a student wishes to study.” [UT-Austin Geosciences]

Personal Statement / Statement of Purpose

Read through the application instructions (including any directions on the department webpage) before writing your PS/SOP. Some general tips I suggest you follow (for both PS and SOP):

• Format the documents as letters to the admissions committee (see examples and resources below).

• In the beginning of the document, specify the potential advisor, program, and starting term to which you are applying.

• Do not go over the page limits specified and keep it to two pages (single-spaced) maximum if there is no page limit given.

• Structure the content however you’d like, but make it as easy to read as possible. I suggest numbering or headlining sections (e.g., past experiences, motivations, future goals, compatibility with the program; see my example below).

• Hyperlink any online content that showcases your past work or supports any ideas or future work: abstracts, websites, publications, media, press, etc.

Personal Statement (PS)

• For an application that only asks for a PS (an additional SOP [see below] or research statement is not asked for), you will want to keep it focused on academics, research, and relevant extracurriculars: undergraduate job or research experiences, other relevant accomplishment or experiences since you graduated high school, why you want to go to grad school, the type of research you are seeking, overall professional goals, intended involvements, why you and the program would be a good fit, and perhaps even the broader impacts of your work. It should not be an essay on who you are and how you got into geosciences - this can briefly be included but no more than a few sentences. If you do have unique personal circumstances that you want to elaborate on, go ahead but do not make it the focus.

• For a program that asks for both a PS and a SOP, you will want to make your PS more focused on who you are: how you got into geosciences, what big challenges have you overcome or continue to face, any overarching life goals, or even just sharing more about you and your background. You can then save the academic content for your SOP.

• If you have unique personal circumstances that you want to elaborate on, you can add this but do not make it the focus. Some applications allow you to explain or express personal obstacles, poor undergraduate grades, or other unique situations in a separate, optional short essay.

Statement of Purpose (SOP)

• For an application that asks for a SOP, you should keep it focused on your academic studies and professional goals. Think of it as a longer, more detailed cover letter for a job. Include content such as: relevant job/research experience, influential classes, soft and hard skills, desired research projects, tangible goals, program compatibility, etc. - and back it all up with examples to support yourself as a qualified applicant.

• I suggest you also include the following: programs, organizations, or clubs you plan to be involved in at the school (preferably ones related to your field of study), the broader impacts of your work and particular impacts you want to focus on, or any novel ideas you want to implement regarding research, teaching, or extracurriculars.

Curriculum vitae (CV)

When applying to schools, you’ll want to format a CV or resume that highlights your academic and research experiences and accomplishments above other experiences (e.g., high school jobs, recreational activities or organizations, irrelevant volunteering experience). Most programs will take a CV that is any length (contains all of your experiences and accomplishments), others might want a shorter resume-like format (1-2 pages of your most relevant experiences). It is strongly recommended to only include material from after high school. You should share your CV or resume with potential advisors when you contact them, and also with your letter writers so they can say lots of great things about you. Make sure you have a nicely formatted and proofread version to submit as part of your application.

See my CV tab for an example of a CV formatted for a trajectory of a career in academia/research (applicable for graduate applications). Below is a CV template I have created for use in graduate applications. Additional resources are also linked below.

Graduate Record Examinations (GRE)

Currently, there is much controversy (rightfully so) around the GRE and its ability to truly predict graduate student success (Petersen et al., 2018). Thanks to a bottom-up, collective effort from community members, many programs have permanently halted the requirement of GRE scores for applications with many temporarily halting until further review can be done.

Below is a crowd-sourced database of geoscience graduate programs not requiring the GRE for admission. It’s the most comprehensive list I’ve found available, so I recommend bookmarking the page. The public document also provides references to articles and studies about the GRE as an admission prerequisite and graduate success predictor. The contact for the list is Sarah H. Ledford, <sledford@gsu.edu> (see first tab in spreadsheet). Huge thanks to Dr. Ledford, references therein, and any additional personnel for creating this public resource!

US-based Geology/Geography programs that have dropped GRE

Newly added universities:

• The University of Texas at Austin (School of Geosciences; permanent; starting cycle TBD)

• University of Arizona (Geosciences)

• University of Utah (Geology & Geophysics)

• Stanford University (Geological Sciences; dropped starting Fall 2021 and re-evaluating after this cycle of admissions)

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences; dropped starting Fall 2021 - temporary)

GRENotRequired is another website which has lists of programs (by type, including humanities and social sciences) not requiring the GRE

Articles on graduate programs dropping the GRE requirement:

• EOS — #GeoGRExit: Why Geosciences Programs Are Dropping the GRE

• Speaking of Geoscience (The Geological Society of America’s Guest Blog) — To GRE or not to GRE: FAQ

If the program you want to apply to requires the GRE, here are a couple of my personal thoughts and pointers:

1. Given the documented hindrances of the GRE to students of underrepresented backgrounds which are well-known in the academic and scientific communities now, if a program still requires the exam then that speaks volumes about its views and practices regarding equal opportunity. It might be a sign that the program does not keep up with best practices, does not value AJEDI (accessibility, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) work, or simply doesn’t put in the work to revise or overhaul their admissions practices.

2. If you go forward with taking the GRE, do not let it cost you a fortune to prepare for it. I know that’s easily said by someone who could afford to shed out the money to get prep materials, but I don’t think it’s worth it for anyone. I did not end up taking the GRE (even though I prepped for it with a GRE course and materials provided by an NSF-REU I participated in) because I applied in 2020 during the initial spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Programs quickly removed the GRE from their application requirements since the test wasn’t available at all for some time, then was only available online. Luckily, all the programs I was applying to either eliminated the requirement or made it optional. Anyhow, if you want/need to take the exam, there should be enough free online materials to adequately prepare you for the exam. If all else fails, I still have the materials that were provided to me and would be happy to send copies to you at no cost!

3. Programs that still require or suggest taking the exam likely do not weight your score that heavily during the application process. Just about every program holistically reviews applications, meaning that no one particilar component is more important than others. If you have a mediocre or poor GRE score, strong letters of recommendation, GPA, or CV can make up for it.

After Applying

Most programs notify applicants of admission decisions between February and April. I heard back as early as the second week of February and as late as the first week of April. There is a national acceptance deadline of April 15th (decided by the Council of Graduate Schools), meaning programs have to notify you by this date and you have until this date to accept or deny your admission into a program. Some programs or potential advisors will likely encourage you to notify them before this deadline, but you legally have until April 15th to decide.

Navigating acceptances and choosing a program can be a very tricky process that isn’t often discussed. There are so many factors that go into admitting students: funding, position types (RA or TA), admission limits, fellowships and other awards, and many other random variables! Generally, the graduate committee for a program identifies the applicants that meet all the requirements and are the most qualified. Then, essentially, advisors pick from those students the ones to whom they want to extend an offer. An advisor might have several students they are interested in offering a position to (but have only one or two spots), so they have to decide on who to extend an offer to first. If they extend an offer to an exceptional applicant, then that applicant might deny their offer for a better position elsewhere or perhaps sit on the offer for a while. This can create a stressful situation for the advisor as their other applicants might accept offers elsewhere. So, the advisor might only make an offer to a student they are very sure will accept it or is not “ranked” as high out of their pool of potential students. It becomes quite the matching game that doesn’t have a formal solution, and advisors go about the process differently.

Stay on top of the process after submitting your application to avoid any confusion. Follow up with the potential advisor or graduate program advisor in late February to early March if you haven’t heard back yet. Often, they will be transparent with you about your status. I followed up with potential advisors and many told me that I was “admitted” by the graduate committee but I was second (or not first) in line to receive an offer for the position. If you have multiple offers, then assess the differences in the offer contract (sent upon acceptance): stipend amount, healthcare benefits, funding type, length of guaranteed funding, etc. Choose what is best for you! Be considerate and don’t sit on any offers too long, so if you deny an offer the advisor can extend it to another student before April 15th. I sat on a couple offers until mid-March and then notified the advisors and programs of the offers I decided to decline.

Additional Resources

Científico Latino

• STEM Graduate School Application Quick Start Guide

• Applying to United States Graduate Programs as an International Student

• Sample application materials

• STEM Grad Programs with No App Fees (2023)

Earth Sciences Mentor Match

Mentorship for Underrepresented STEM Enthusiasts (MUSE)

Geological Society of America (GSA) - Mentoring365 Program

FutureRockDoc blog

UC Berkeley SOP Video

PhD Stipends (community-based website of stipend amounts)

FAQs

How competitive are geoscience graduate programs?

It’s hard to quantify the competitiveness of geoscience or other natural science programs as acceptance rates data are not meaningful because of the various, particular factors that control enrollment. For example, if a lab isn’t taking any students one year or accepts an abnormally large number of students (maybe due to a new grant), then this would skew the acceptance rates. Overall, there is a high demand for earth scientists and many graduate programs are growing exponentially, so there should be enough opportunities to find a program.

How do I stand out from other applicants?

Studies show the largest discriminators of successful graduate students from lower-ranked students are research experience (~2+ years of previous experience) and strong letters of recommendation from faculty (e.g., Weiner, 2017). With anything, the more time and effort you put into your applications, the better chance you have. Lastly, I would say the best way to stand out is to contact the advisor ahead of applying. Get to know them and let them get to know you. Personal connection and compatibility will undoubtedly help you secure an advisor.

DO i need to know exactly what type of research i want to do?

If you are pursuing a PhD or thesis-based M.S., then you will need to really think about the type of research you want to conduct. You do not need to know the exact project, methods, or study site you want to work on. In fact, many advisors won’t expect you to know or be sure; others, however, might only take on students who are sure about their direction. You can always stick with a direction in your application but change paths (or even advisors!) after you are enrolled and start your program (this is somewhat common). Be as specific as you’re comfortable with in your application, but you might also want to mention you are open to different types of projects. Again, it all depends on the advisor, program, or position to which you are applying.