Earth and Environmental Science (EES) Graduate Program Information

Application Information for Prospective Graduate Students for the Earth and Environmental Science Graduate Programs

Thank you for your interest in the Earth and Environmental Science (EES) Graduate Programs at UTA.

Please read this information carefully before submitting your application. Please do not send multiple emails to all our faculty; instead, check the general information for graduate admissions at UTA


For the EES (Earth and Environmental Sciences), you can apply either for the M.Sc. or the Ph.D. program. Please note that these are campus-wide programs, including all of the faculty from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and several faculty members from other departments. The faculty involved in this program are shown at https://www.uta.edu/academics/schools-colleges/science/departments/ees/faculty. Before contacting faculty members, we recommend looking into each faculty research profile and/or personal website to identify common research interests, expectations, and potential graduate opportunities.

Information about the EES M.Sc. program can be found at http://catalog.uta.edu/science/earth/graduate/#masterstext. Please note that there are several programs (Environmental Science and Geoscience) with thesis, non-thesis, and professional choices, and strictly follow the program's catalog requirements and required courses. Our department also offers two Fast-Track Degree Plans (BS to MS): https://catalog.uta.edu/science/earth/undergraduate/#bachelorstext. According to the UTA website, the EES M.Sc. program requires the student to be admitted initially as a non-thesis choice. A student can change to a thesis option (if the student prefers to) within the first year when the student locates a thesis supervisor on a mutual basis. Doing a one-semester research project with a report is also within the non-thesis option. The basic admission requirements for the M.S.-Environmental Science Option program are one semester of introductory physics for science majors, two semesters of introductory chemistry for science majors, and Calculus I and II. The basic admission requirements for the M.S-Geoscience Option program include a B.S. degree in an Earth Science discipline with the following courses or their equivalent: Mineralogy, Petrology, Structure, Stratigraphy/sedimentology, Field Geology, and Geophysics or Paleontology (Biostratigraphy and Life through Time). In addition, one semester of Biology, Calculus I- II, and a year of Chemistry and Physics are required. For the Environmental Science and Geoscience options, a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required, as calculated by the Graduate School.


Information about the EES Ph.D. program is available at http://catalog.uta.edu/science/earth/graduate/#doctoraltext. For the research interests of our department faculty, refer to https://www.uta.edu/ees/people/faculty.php. You will need to understand the expertise and contact the faculty member you wish to work with before formally applying. Admission Fee waivers are only provided to prospective PhD applicants who identified a potential advisor on a mutual basis or to outstanding MS applicants. Please note that the Ph.D. applicants must have a faculty member agree to serve as their major advisor for program admission. The Ph.D. application without the support of an identified faculty is incomplete, and it will be given the status of ‘Deferral’ until all the requirements are fulfilled. A Master’s Degree, or at least 30 hours of graduate coursework, in Environmental Science, Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, or Engineering is required. Students with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, or Engineering will be considered for the B.S.-to-Ph.D. track if they meet the other requirements for admission to doctoral studies. A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is also required, as calculated by the Graduate School.


For international students, please refer to https://www.uta.edu/admissions/apply/international-graduate. Required English abilities: TOEFL (79) scores at 20 (reading), 16 (listening), 21 (speaking; and 23 for GTA), and 22 (writing); or overall band of IELTS at 6.5 (speaking at 7.0 for GTA); or Duolingo at 100 (120 for GTA). Applications require GRE scores. Duolingo scores can substitute for TOEFL or IELTS for admission purposes only. The EES Program requires 2-3 recommendation letters to be sent to the EES Department (ricardo.sanchezmurrillo@uta.edu) directly from the referees for both MS and PhD candidates. Applications will be processed until all letters are received.

 


The application process is available at https://www.uta.edu/admissions/apply.

Program Admission Term Priority Date Submission Deadline (All Documents)
Ph.D. Fall December 15 January 15
Spring July 15 August 15
M.Sc. Fall March 15 April 30
Spring July 15 August 15

 

Statement of Purpose (PhD and MSc)

One page statement of purpose including:

  • Academic motivation and background: Clearly state your field of interest, what motivates you to pursue it, and how your prior education prepared you for graduate studies.
  • Research experience and interests: Describe relevant research or technical experience, your role and skills, teamwork, and the research areas or questions you wish to explore.
  • Fit with the program: Explain why EES specific programs and (if applicable) faculty align with your academic and research goals.
  • Career objectives: Outline your short- and long-term professional goals and how the PhD or MS degree supports them

In addition, PhD students must submit a CV or Resume.

Applicants are required to pay a mandatory non-refundable/non-transferrable application fee to UTA. Payment should be made when you submit the application and must be made by credit card. Applicants without foreign country transcripts pay $75, and those with foreign transcripts pay $90. However, only $75 can be paid when the application is submitted, and the additional $15 will be paid afterward. The notification of how to pay the additional $15 will be emailed a few days after you submit your application. The application costs may vary annually.

You must log in to your UTA student account, view your application status, and communicate with grad.recruit@uta.edu for any missing documents. Once your application is complete, it will be relayed to the EES Department/Program, and the Application Committee will meet periodically (once a month) to review and decide.

Admission to EES graduate programs is selective, considering GPA, GRE-waiver rubric, language and communication abilities, and past research accomplishments (e.g., publications and conference presentations). For qualified students (especially Ph.D.), the EES department offers GTA (Graduate Teaching Assistantship) positions, and individual faculty may provide GRA (Graduate Research Assistantship) positions. Both GRA and GTA positions include monthly stipends and coverage of tuition fees. The GTA application is open around December to late Janury, and the student can contact individual faculty about GRA opportunities at any time. To apply for a GTA, students must have identified an advisor.

The Department of Earth and Environmental Science requires all international graduate students seeking a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) position to meet English proficiency requirements. Students must achieve an IELTS score of 7.0 or higher, a TOEFL score of 23 or higher in all sections, or complete a certified English Language Proficiency Assessment at UTA.

The application materials (including official transcripts and test scores) submitted to UTA will be routed to the EES Department for the admission decision.



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