Application Procedures

Minimum eligibility requirements including undergraduate GPA and English language proficiency can be found on the UWM Graduate School website.  Please note that these are minimum requirements. Acceptance is a competitive process based on the pool of applicants to the Geosciences Department.  Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee acceptance into our program. 

We do not have a required set of prior coursework for admission. We recognize that our graduate students come from a wide variety of scholastic backgrounds, including traditional geoscience programs, but also related fields in STEM.  However, you must have an appropriate background in aspects of the geosciences relevant to your intended field of study.  If you are unsure whether your background is likely to meet the eligibility requirements, it is best to contact the professors in your chosen field of study.  If the admissions committee decides that you have most of the necessary coursework, but are missing a few key classes, they can recommend admission with a deficiency, and you would be allowed to take those background courses simultaneously with your graduate courses. 

Graduate students work very closely with a faculty research advisor, so it is important to identify a faculty member or members whose interests match your own.  

• Examine faculty research profiles to determine if your interests match our current department expertise. 
• Send the faculty member(s) an email introducing yourself, describing your background and interests, and inquiring about possible graduate research positions with that faculty member.

Most of our students are admitted with significant financial support as a teaching assistant (TA), research assistant (RA), or fellowship.  

• Read about the different types of financial support. 
• If you would like to be considered for any UWM Graduate Fellowship, be sure to submit your application by December 15 for Fall admission. (Fellowships are not available during Spring admission, but you can apply later as a continuing student.) 
• If you think you are eligible for the Advanced Opportunity Program Fellowship, contact the Graduate Advisor (bowlesj@uwm.edu) as soon as possible. Many of our incoming students have received this award. 

Your application should be submitted online at the Graduate School application portal; nothing needs to be sent directly to the department.  You will need to provide the following information: 

• Basic information such as contact information and planned course of study. 
• Reasons Statement. Instead of an open-ended personal statement, we ask you to specifically address the following 5 points.  These tie into our evaluation rubric and help us better assess your candidacy.  
  1. Why a graduate degree?  Explain why you are seeking a research-based graduate degree.  What skills and knowledge do you hope to gain, and how will this help you pursue your long-term career goals? 
  2.  Why UWM? The geoscience field is very broad, and not every department can have expertise in every geoscience discipline. What topics within the field of geoscience excite you most?  Explain how you see your own research interests overlapping with specific UWM Geosciences Department expertise.  If you have discussed possible thesis or dissertation topics with UWM faculty, explain what excites you about these topics. 
  3.  Research Experience. UWM Geosciences graduate programs are research-based, so we are looking for any prior experience with scientific research, or evidence documenting your enthusiasm for scientific research. Describe any previous research experience and what you accomplished. For MS applicants, this may include independent research conducted with a faculty member, research projects that were part of a class, or relevant internships or volunteer work. PhD applicants should describe their MS research, plus any other experience. 
  4. Ability to persist through challenge.  The graduate student experience and life in general can pose a variety of challenges. Describe an example of how you have shown resilience and/or perseverance in the pursuit of your academic goals or in your personal life and how you have grown as a result. 
  5.  Any  additional information that you want us to know or that will help us better understand your application.  Do you have strengths that might not be obvious from other parts of your application? (And what specific accomplishments demonstrate those strengths?) Are there any parts of your application that you would like to explain in more detail, in your own voice? (For example, an explanation for a low grade?) 
• Transcripts from any degree-granting institution (BS or MS).  Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. If you are admitted, you will need to provide official transcripts at that time.  
• Letters of Recommendation. Have names and contact information (email addresses) for 3 people who can write recommendation letters on your behalf. It is a good idea to ask recommenders whether they are willing to write your letters first.  Usually recommenders are geosciences faculty, but they can also be employers in geologic fields.  Once you input the email addresses of your 3 recommenders into the site, it will automatically send email requests to those recommenders. 
• Application Fee. A $75 application fee can be paid directly on the website.  Fee waivers are available in the following cases: 
  • Application fee grants are available to applicants who have completed or are currently completing eligible graduate school preparation programs. (Examples include the UWM STEM-Inspire Program, McNair Scholars, the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP), and the HBCU Scholar Recognition Program.) 
  • Applicants who attend the Graduate School Open House on the UWM campus in Milwaukee may receive an application fee waiver. (Restrictions apply.  Be sure to read details.)  
  • A limited number of additional application fee waivers are available for U.S. citizens and permanent residents only. You may request a waiver by e-mailing the Geosciences Graduate Director (bowlesj@uwm.edu) to explain your situation and why you are requesting the waiver. 
• GRE scores NOT required. The Department of Geosciences no longer requires submission of GRE scores. Do not provide GRE scores. 
• For international students.  Please see UWM’s Center for International Education for additional admissions requirements including how to demonstrate English language proficiency and how to submit transcripts that are not written in English. (Note that applicants seeking funding as a Teaching Assistant must meet a higher English language standard. See here for details.) 

New graduate students can start either in Fall (September) or Spring (January) semesters. Most new students start in Fall because that is when we typically have the most available openings.  However, if you apply for one semester and we cannot fit you in that semester, we can defer your application to the next semester when there may be space. 

Fall Admission – Application Deadlines  (starting the following September): 

• December 15 to receive full consideration for UWM Graduate Fellowships 
• January 15 to receive full consideration for other types of funding (including Teaching and Research Assistantships) 

Spring Admission – Application Deadline (starting the following January): September 15 

Both the January 15 deadline for fall application and the September 15 deadline for spring application are rolling – applications will be accepted past the deadline but accepted applicants who meet deadlines will have first priority for teaching and research assistant support and will receive notification of their acceptance as early as late February (for Fall applicants). Notification of non-acceptance is usually made by May 1 (for Fall applicants). 

We strive to evaluate applications as quickly as possible, and the earliest you may hear about your application is approximately 4 weeks after the preferred deadline.  If you do not hear from us in this time frame, that does not indicate that your application has been declined.  We often have new TA or RA-funded positions that become available over the course of several months, and we make new offers as this happens. 

Your complete application will be evaluated according to the following five criteria: 

1. Alignment with Program.  Are the stated research interests and goals attainable within the UWM Department of Geosciences? 
2. Academic background.  Is the breadth and depth of coursework sufficient to undertake proposed degree program? 
3. Academic achievement.  Evidence of ability to excel in graduate-level coursework 
4. Scholarly potential.  Evidence of ability to undertake independent research. 
5. Commitment to long-term goals.  Evidence of ability to articulate, plan for, and persist in achieving long-term goals 

For questions about particular research areas or projects, please contact any of our faculty.   

For general questions about the programs, available funding, and application procedures, please contact the Graduate Advisor:  

Dr. Julie Bowles, Associate Professor 
bowlesj@uwm.edu 
(414) 229-6110 

For questions about your application materials, contact the Graduate School at (414) 229-6569 or gradschool@uwm.edu.