Dear Prospective Applicant:

Thank you for your interest in the Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development Program at the University of Georgia, which has been established in the Odum School of Ecology. This program is specifically intended to grant degrees at the Master's level, though students with similar interests can be accommodated in the Ecology degree program at the Ph.D. level.

We admitted our first class of 15 students to the program in Fall 1993. Currently we plan to admit no more than 10 students per academic year. This is a small program and as a result, we are able to work closely with our students. Student interest over the last few years have ranged from the study of the biodiversity of the coarse woody debris in forests to wetlands policy issues to the development and analysis of environmental education programs. Because we have a core sequence of courses that begin in the Fall, we plan only to admit students once each year.

The Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development Program is composed of a core curriculum that will provide a strong background in biological and social science aspects of conservation and development issues. Students will also be required to participate in a seminar course on conservation and development issues which addresses the multidisciplinary nature conservation and development programs (ECOL 8400) and an advanced topics course (ECOL 8420). Students can then choose other supplementary courses for their particular area of interest. We also require that students take two credit hours of ECOL 8990 (Problems in Ecology) with their major advisor during their first Spring semester on campus. This time is to be spent developing a thesis topic and exploring methodologies that will be needed to complete the work. This helps students progress toward a work plan for the summer thesis work.

As for admission requirements, we strongly advise all students to have completed a course in Ecology (Introductory Biology as a prerequisite) before enrolling in our program. The University has minimum requirements of 850 (Verbal + Quantitative) on the GRE and a minimum GPA of 2.6. However, because admission to our program is very competitive, GRE scores usually average 1300 and undergraduate GPA around 3.4.

For many students financial aid is an important consideration for entering a graduate program. The annual competition for student stipend support takes place during February (University-Wide Assistantships) and March (Teaching Assistantships). It is best to have your application and all supporting materials submitted by early January to be considered in this competition. Research assistantships, arranged through individual faculty members with grant funds, might be available, though demand for these positions is also high.

The program's priority deadline for applications for Fall admission is January 1. We cannot guarantee that the Admissions Committee will review your application if the Graduate School has not received a complete application by January 1. You should be aware that applications, transcripts and GRE scores must be received and processed by the Graduate School before copies are sent to the department. Due to the volume of applications received, delays of 2-3 weeks at the Graduate School are common. Therefore, in order to have a completed file ready for review by our admissions committee, you should send those documents to the Graduate School by January 1. The Background and Interest form, letters of recommendation, and curriculum vitae are sent directly to the Odum School of Ecology.

If requested, general information about the University of Georgia and application materials will be sent to you. We strongly encourage applicants to contact faculty members by e-mail.

Sincerely,

Ecology Program Office
Odum School of Ecology