Information for Prospective Students

How to Apply

Students the Master's and PhD programs earn a major in Natural Resources and an emphasis is one of the following: Fisheries Conservation and Management, Ecology and Management of Rangelands, Natural Resources Studies, Watershed Management and Ecohydrology, or Wildlife Conservation and Management.

Entrance Requirements

You MUST have earned a Master's degree to be admitted to our PhD program.

Individual programs and faculty look for different qualifications in their students. Our most competitive applicants have biology/natural resources degrees and some research or applied experience, but we do admit students who have a less traditional path toward their interest in natural resources ecology and management. As a consequence, most of the degree options don't specify particular course or degree prerequisites, except for the Natural Resources Studies option.

Entrance and degree requirements for Natural Resources Studies option

Talk to faculty with whom you are interested in working or to Cheryl Craddock if you are switching fields and need advice on how to make your application as competitive as possible.

Deadlines

Deadlines for our program are emphasis-specific. Natural Resources Studies has formal application deadlines (February 1 for Fall admission, and August 1 for Spring admission)

All other options accept applications year-round, and also admit for both the fall and spring terms.

Application Materials

Application Component	Send to Graduate College	Send to School of Natural Resources and the Environment
Application to the Graduate College (and application fee) https://apply.grad.arizona.edu/	√
Letter of intent/statement of purpose Use no more than 3 pages to desribe your interests in our program, your background, and your motivation for attending graduate school. Highlight your research and academic background, and take the time to briefly address any shortcomings in your application (if any).	Attach to on-line application
Summary of course work (click on option for pdf) Fisheries Conservation and Management, Ecology and Management of Rangelands, Natural Resources Studies, Watershed Management and Ecohydrology, or Wildlife Conservation and Management	Attach to on-line application
3 confidential letters of recommendation No specific forms are required		√
Official Transcripts You must send transcripts for every prior school you list on the graduate college application. Include official translations for documents not in English.	Hard copies must be sent to the School, but you may also scan unofficial copies with on-line application	√
Official GRE scores We look for a combined score of 1100 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the general GRE. The University code is 4832; you can use 0106,0108, 0110, 0113, or 0115 for the department/specific interest code. You will need to retake the GRES if your scores are over 5 years old.	√
Official TOEFL scores (for international applicants only) A minimum score of 550 on the paper-based, 213 on the computer-based score, or a 79 on the internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for all applicants whose native language is not English. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination can be submitted in lieu of the TOEFL. The minimum IELTS score requirement for admission consideration is a score of 7, with a score of no less than 6 on any individual module. Test scores must be dated within two years of the date of enrollment.	√

Tips for a successful application

The most important thing you can do is to make contact with potential advisors to detemine if they are accepting students. You want to know if they have money and space for you, and whether or not you can get along. The professor needs to know if you're the right person for his or her lab. Finding a good fit between you and a faculty mentor will be critical to your success in graduate school.

Look through our list of faculty and the brief descriptions of their research interests, then go to the library and read through their recent articles. This will give a good sense of what they and their students are doing. Contact the faculty with whom you are interested in working and talk about their research and how it matches your own interests. If you have questions, talk to your current or recent professors about the process.
As you continue to communicate with faculty about coming to the University of Arizona, make sure to talk also with their graduate students. They'll give you additional insight about studying at the School of Natural Resources and the Environment.