Hello!
So, you are thinking about graduate school- that’s exciting! And also scary, new, and confusing. In an effort to provide you with some resources, I have put together this document.
First, I provide some links that may help you explore your career options if you decide to pursue graduate education. It’s really helpful if you have an idea of what you want to be doing (e.g., research, teaching, communication, management, fundraising) and what sector you can see yourself enjoying working in (e.g., academia, state or federal agencies, non-profit, etc.) because then it is easier to steer you in the right direction in terms of what skills and knowledge to target. However, don’t be worried if you are unsure! Many people start grad school with only a vague notion of what they want to be doing and part of the benefit of a well-rounded graduate education is both learning more about yourself and the options available. There are also lots of tools out there that can help you align your skills and interests with the right career, like Individual Development Plans (check out this tool by AAAS).
Then, you can find a section with articles where other scientists explore common questions related to why and how to apply to graduate programs in the US. Briefly, I’d like to mention that in most graduate biology programs in the US you (the student) do NOT pay tuition. This is very common across PhD and some MS programs (list of funded master’s programs here). Typically, you work with the person you identify as your primary advisor to obtain either a teaching assistant (TA) or research assistant (RA) position. These positions will cover your tuition, a monthly stipend (at UMass it is ~ $32,000 /yr), and benefits, though you usually still have to pay student fees. Below you will find a list of articles that explains this more. I’ve listed the questions each article addresses under their hyperlink to help guide you through this material. Some will be more relevant than others.
Next, I provide some helpful links to how to prepare for graduate school (or internship) interviews in general. In my experience, interviews typically involve a few very common questions.
Last, I’ve included a list of fellowships you may be eligible for that would help fund your graduate school career (i.e., covers tuition + monthly stipend + benefits). Keep in mind that these fellowships are great to have (i.e., very prestigious, looks good on your CV, etc.), but are not required for entering graduate school. If you are interested, I can help you craft a research proposal and personal statement to apply for these fellowships.
Remember to take your time going through this material. It can be overwhelming and a strange new world for many. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me, and I will do my best to provide you with a timely response.
Grace
So, you are thinking about graduate school- that’s exciting! And also scary, new, and confusing. In an effort to provide you with some resources, I have put together this document.
First, I provide some links that may help you explore your career options if you decide to pursue graduate education. It’s really helpful if you have an idea of what you want to be doing (e.g., research, teaching, communication, management, fundraising) and what sector you can see yourself enjoying working in (e.g., academia, state or federal agencies, non-profit, etc.) because then it is easier to steer you in the right direction in terms of what skills and knowledge to target. However, don’t be worried if you are unsure! Many people start grad school with only a vague notion of what they want to be doing and part of the benefit of a well-rounded graduate education is both learning more about yourself and the options available. There are also lots of tools out there that can help you align your skills and interests with the right career, like Individual Development Plans (check out this tool by AAAS).
Then, you can find a section with articles where other scientists explore common questions related to why and how to apply to graduate programs in the US. Briefly, I’d like to mention that in most graduate biology programs in the US you (the student) do NOT pay tuition. This is very common across PhD and some MS programs (list of funded master’s programs here). Typically, you work with the person you identify as your primary advisor to obtain either a teaching assistant (TA) or research assistant (RA) position. These positions will cover your tuition, a monthly stipend (at UMass it is ~ $32,000 /yr), and benefits, though you usually still have to pay student fees. Below you will find a list of articles that explains this more. I’ve listed the questions each article addresses under their hyperlink to help guide you through this material. Some will be more relevant than others.
Next, I provide some helpful links to how to prepare for graduate school (or internship) interviews in general. In my experience, interviews typically involve a few very common questions.
Last, I’ve included a list of fellowships you may be eligible for that would help fund your graduate school career (i.e., covers tuition + monthly stipend + benefits). Keep in mind that these fellowships are great to have (i.e., very prestigious, looks good on your CV, etc.), but are not required for entering graduate school. If you are interested, I can help you craft a research proposal and personal statement to apply for these fellowships.
Remember to take your time going through this material. It can be overwhelming and a strange new world for many. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me, and I will do my best to provide you with a timely response.
Grace
Careers.
I’d like you to think about what careers you are interested in as you prepare for graduate school. What will you do after the degree?
Check out some job boards to see if you are interested in a career in ecology:
-Careers in Ecology
-Conservation job board
-Thinking about a career in conservation?
-Environmental Science Career
Check out some job boards to see if you are interested in a career in ecology:
-Careers in Ecology
-Conservation job board
-Thinking about a career in conservation?
-Environmental Science Career
Article exploring the questions on why and how to apply to graduate programs
This article explains the following:
This article explains the following:
This article explains the following:
This google doc has tips on writing an email of interest to potential graduate school advisors, and answers the following:
This journal article also walks through the steps of applying to graduate programs.
- Why apply to a Biology PhD program?
- Jargon explained
- How is applying to a graduate program different than applying to be an undergraduate?
- How should you decide where to apply?
- How will your application be assessed?
- How does graduate student financial support work?
- How do I apply to Biology PhD program?
- How do you prepare for entering graduate school?
- I wasn't accepted to my PhD program of choice. Should I take that as a statement about my worth as a scientist
This article explains the following:
- The unwritten rules of getting in and getting on in grad school (in ecology)
This article explains the following:
- Why do you want to go to graduate school?
- How do I find a program that suits me?
- How do I find a faculty adviser?
- How do I get accepted to work with the person I have chosen?
- What about grades and GREs?
- What about money?
- What if I am accepted at more than one school?
- An issue of particular importance to single students.
This google doc has tips on writing an email of interest to potential graduate school advisors, and answers the following:
- How to start?
- When to start?
- What to say in an email?
- How many to contact
This journal article also walks through the steps of applying to graduate programs.
Graduate school opportunities.
Some PIs advertise fully- or partially-funded (where you are expected to teach some portion of time) graduate student positions on the following websites:
Side note: it might be a different experience doing your PhD or MS on a project that is already fully-funded (where the objectives are laid out and need to be executed) vs obtaining your own funding (see section below on External Fellowship List, where you define your objectives and the project at large).
- Ecolog
- EvolDir
- Texas A& M job board - click on "Graduate assistantships" on the right panel
- Society of Integrative & Comparative biology job board
- Conservation job board
- List of funded master’s programs here
- EcologyPlus list of job sites - student opportunities, internships, etc.
Side note: it might be a different experience doing your PhD or MS on a project that is already fully-funded (where the objectives are laid out and need to be executed) vs obtaining your own funding (see section below on External Fellowship List, where you define your objectives and the project at large).
Interview prep.
To prepare for graduate school (or internship) interviews, here are some websites with information on what types of questions they might ask you and what types of questions you should ask them:
If you have time before your interview, I HIGHLY encourage you to a mock interview to practice your answers.
Here are some other general thoughts about interviews:
- This website has some good strategies for interviews.
- This website has good questions to prepare for and a list of questions to ask them. When the questions talks about the school or institute, replace that with the organization you are interviewing for.
- This website has 10 common questions and example answers.
- This website has good advice on situational based interview questions.
If you have time before your interview, I HIGHLY encourage you to a mock interview to practice your answers.
Here are some other general thoughts about interviews:
- Make sure to practice your answers
- Interviewers typically ask you questions like:
- why do you want this position?
- what skills do you have that would be important for this position?
- what kind of job is your ideal job? [make sure to look back at your cover letter to see what you said]
- Be prepared to answer situational/scenario-type questions (e.g., Tell me about a time you....)- the last website above gives 20 examples of these types of questions.
- If they ask you situational-type questions, make sure you clearly state:
- what the problem was
- your solution
- the benefit to your employer/organization/class, etc.
- Lastly, make sure to prepare at least 3 - 5 question to ask them. This shows that you are interested in the position and that you've thought about it.
- Here are some sample questions you could ask. You'll be able to find more through a quick google search.
More information about the programs at UMass.
I can mentor students in the Department of Environmental Conservation (ECo) AND the Organismic & Evolutionary Biology (OEB) program. Note that the requirements for graduation are different depending on which department/program you apply to, and the decision related to which department/program to apply to relates to which career you are most interested in pursuing and the degree you are interested in (e.g., OEB only offers PhDs). However, keep in mind that these are interdisciplinary departments, and you would likely gain similar skills and knowledge regardless of the department.
For more information on ECo, check out this website for more information. You can also checkout the ECo graduate student handbook for much more information on the program (likely has too many details for now, but I wanted to share the resource).
ECo offers thesis (research) and non-thesis (professional) degrees over 5 concentrations:
The thesis/dissertation degree leads to the MS or PhD degree and centers around the completion of a major independent research project in addition to a modest coursework requirement. The professional degree leads to the MS degree and centers around a professional paper based on an internship/ practicum in addition to a more substantial coursework requirement.
For more information on the OEB graduate program, check out this website. OEB only offers PhD level degrees. Many of the same ideas mention above related to finding a faculty mentor and securing funding also apply to the OEB department. As an additional resource, OEB compiles a list of faculty that have funding (or have funding pending) looking to take on students in the next academic year. The deadline for applications in OEB is typically Dec 1st, and is set by the UMass graduate school.
For more information on ECo, check out this website for more information. You can also checkout the ECo graduate student handbook for much more information on the program (likely has too many details for now, but I wanted to share the resource).
ECo offers thesis (research) and non-thesis (professional) degrees over 5 concentrations:
- Wildlife, fish, conservation biology
- Forest resources and arboriculture
- Water, wetlands and watersheds
- Human dimensions and environmental policy
- Sustainable building systems
The thesis/dissertation degree leads to the MS or PhD degree and centers around the completion of a major independent research project in addition to a modest coursework requirement. The professional degree leads to the MS degree and centers around a professional paper based on an internship/ practicum in addition to a more substantial coursework requirement.
For more information on the OEB graduate program, check out this website. OEB only offers PhD level degrees. Many of the same ideas mention above related to finding a faculty mentor and securing funding also apply to the OEB department. As an additional resource, OEB compiles a list of faculty that have funding (or have funding pending) looking to take on students in the next academic year. The deadline for applications in OEB is typically Dec 1st, and is set by the UMass graduate school.
External Fellowship list.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of external fellowships that people interested in graduate school can pursue. Please check to make sure you fulfill the eligibility requirements before applying (unfortunately many of them require US Citizenship). Please also keep in mind that I can help you craft a research proposal and personal statement. This is also a great resource for help in writing a proposal: On the Art of Writing Proposals.
Fellowship list:
Fellowship list:
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
- Ford Foundation Fellowship
- The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans
- National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) opportunities
- USDA Graduate Fellowship Grants Program
- EPA Star Fellowship
- GEM Fellowship Program
- List of Fellowships compiled by Oregon State University
- List of Fellowships and other resources compiled by Pathways to Science
- UCLA grant/fellowship database
- University of Illinois Fellowship Finder