Application Process

Program Entrance Requirements

Applicants to the Program in Ecology and Environmental Science will be judged on the basis of their grade point averages, scores on the general Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), three letters of recommendation, relevant training and experience in ecology or environmental science, and individual potential for achievement. TOEFL scores are required for international applicants. Before admitting a qualified applicant, the Admissions Committee will verify that one of the program faculty members agrees to serve as the advisor for the new student. The major advisor will then work with the prospective student to arrange a graduate assistantship to support their graduate training. Incoming students who lack course work in fundamental areas of chemistry, physics, mathematics, or biology may be asked to make up these deficiencies in addition to the course of studies required for the M.S. or Ph.D. degree.

Financial Support

Research and teaching assistantships are available for students on a competitive basis. All applicants will automatically be considered for any available assistantships. No additional materials or requests are necessary. Some students are admitted initially without funding, and are given support when it becomes available.

EES Application Procedure

Application to the program may be made for Fall, Spring, and/or Summer enrollment. Summer enrollment may be of particular interest for applicants interested in field work for the M.S. degree, because field research for the M.S. degree generally involves two field seasons. Enrollment in the summer for field research can enhance the applicant's ability to complete the M.S. program within 2 years.

Applications for fall or summer admission should generally be submitted with accompanying GRE scores and transcripts by the end of January. Students who wish to enter the program at the beginning of the spring semester, should generally submit their application by early October. Early applications are likely to be considered for more potential assistantship positions than those arriving later.

Applicants to the EES program should list EES as the proposed Department of Study on the application form. The form also includes a major area of interest, minor area of interest, and a statement of purpose to be written by the applicant. Applicants should give considerable thought to these parts of the application as they are the primary indicators used for matching applicants to potential advisors. The areas of interest should be broad enough to include the range of potential research areas that might be of interest to the applicant. The statement of purpose should speak to the applicant's motivation, but should also further define the types of research that would be of interest to the applicant. Applicants are also encouraged to contact potential faculty advisors after submitting an application, so that both the student and prospective advisor can work to achieve a close match between interests and expertise.

Completed applications are evaluated by the EES Admissions Committee and by prospective faculty advisors. Many offers to prospective students are made between mid-February and mid-April for Fall admissions; however, a few may be made as late as the summer. Applicants should feel free to contact the EES graduate coordinator (contact information below) at any time with inquiries about the status of their application.

Materials

Graduate application materials may be downloaded from the Graduate School web site (Graduate Forms) or hard copies can be obtain by contacting:

The Graduate School
Winslow Hall
University of Maine
Orono, Maine 04469
or graduate@maine.edu

Duplicate applications should be submitted directly to the Graduate School.

Further information about the Program in Ecology and Environmental Science is available on this website. Inquiries for additional information should be directed to:

EES Graduate Coordinator
Graduate Program in Ecology and Environmental Science
100 Murray Hall
University of Maine
Orono, Maine 04469

Phone: 207-581-2540
E-mail: ees@umit.maine.edu