Graduate Information 

Thank you for your interest in graduate study in Ecology or Fish and Wildlife Management at Montana State University. The Ecology and Fish and Wildlife Management Programs provide opportunities for students to pursue M.S. and/or Ph.D. degrees in those disciplines under the guidance of our faculty.  Graduate students may conduct research on a diversity of topics pertaining to their individual areas of interest. 

Only a limited number of graduate students are admitted to our program each year.  We accept students into the program based on their academic performance, graduate record examination scores, recommendation letters, experience, and potential for scientific and professional excellence.  Students must meet the minimum entrance requirements to be considered by an advisor. To help students locate an advisor and determine eligibility, the department uses a preliminary application form.

To be considered for the program, fill out the preliminary application form, specify the degree and program in which you are interested, and return the form to the Ecology Department.  A paper copy of the preliminary application form may be requested from the Ecology Department (310 Lewis Hall, Bozeman, MT 59717).  The information provided in the preliminary application form will enable the department to decide if you qualify as a graduate student.  

Qualified students must identify a willing graduate advisor from our list of faculty.  We do not accept students into the program unless the advisor and student have identified a potential thesis or dissertation project and secured funding for the project and the student's stipend.  Please do not send, or cause to be sent, any formal application materials such as transcripts or letters of recommendation until you have located an advisor.  We recommend that you formally apply only if a faculty member indicates that he or she is willing to serve as your graduate advisor. 

Program Qualifications

An applicant must fulfill the following four qualifications. In exceptional cases, at the request of the students advisor, the Department Head may waive one of the qualifications. 

1. A composite of the applicant's letters of recommendation must indicate the student has good prospects of success in graduate school. 
2. The applicant should have at least the equivalent of three-fourths of the science courses required in the undergraduate curriculum at Montana State University in the option chosen for graduate study. 
3. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test scores must be submitted at the time the student submits the application for admission to the College of Graduate Studies. The sum of the verbal and quantitative scores should be at least 1100. (For information regarding the GRE, check out their website at: http://www.gre.org/ )
4. The applicant should have maintained the following minimal undergraduate grade-point averages: 3.0 average in all biology courses; 3.0 average in all courses taken during the junior and senior years; and 2.5 average in all chemistry, physics and mathematics courses. For international students a minimum TOEFL score of 550 is required. 

Once the application has been accepted at a departmental level, it will be sent on to the College of Graduate Studies where the Graduate Dean will give final approval. 

Please see the web pages of individual graduate advisors in the Ecology Department to obtain more information about graduate positions that may be available.

1. The minimum credit requirement for a master's degree is 30 credits, and at least 20 credits must be from course work other than thesis work.  A minimum of 10 thesis credits must be successfully completed. Minimum thesis registration is one (1) credit for a semester.   
2. Two-thirds of the minimum number of credits (including not more than ten (10) credits for the thesis) required for a degree must be taken from MSU
3. Non-thesis credits: In all programs, at least twenty (20) credits must be for coursework other than the thesis.
4. Major area: 50% of the degree minimum credit requirements must be taken in the major area of study.
5. Transferring credits: A maximum of nine (9) credits total of all 400 and graduate level courses taken at MSU prior to completion of a baccalaureate degree may be reserved and applied toward any graduate program requirements with the approval of the student's graduate committee and Graduate Dean. (For more information, refer to the section on Petitions, Appeals and Grievances.)
6. Course work more than six years old at the time the degree is granted will not apply towards credit requirements.

Doctoral Degree Credit Guidelines

1. The minimum credit requirement for a Doctoral degree is 30 credits, and at least 12 credits must be from course work other than thesis work. A minimum of 18 thesis credits must be successfully completed. In addition, a minimum of 9 credits must be from course work in a supporting area. 

For further information regarding Masters and Doctoral programs and requirements, please consult the on-line Graduate Catalog. The on-line catalog has the most current and up-to-date information. All graduate students are required to know the information provided in the catalog as stated by the College of Graduate Studies. 

Applications are accepted and evaluated year round, though most students begin studies in the fall semester. To be admitted for a specific term, applications must be turned in by specific dates.  The Ecology department application deadlines are listed below, and generally fall a week before those listed by the College of Graduate Studies. Deadlines for completed applications do change, and you should verify these dates either with the Ecology department office or with the The College of Graduate Studies.  The College of Graduate Studies lists application deadlines on their web page, or you can call them at 406-994-4145.  Remember that the Ecology department will need to see your application at least one week prior to listed College of Graduate Studies deadlines. 

Ecology Department Application Deadlines

Domestic Degree Seeking Applications:

Fall Semester:                  July 8

Spring Semester:              November 24

Summer Semester:           March 25

International Degree & Non-degree Seeking Applications:

Fall Semester:                   May 8

Spring Semester:               November 24

Summer Semester:            January 25

To be considered for teaching assistantships for the following fall semester, application materials must be received by March 1st. 

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) are chosen in March and offered to students in early April for the next academic year following a faculty vote to rank applicants. GTAs carry tuition fee waivers, and in 2003-2004 the stipend was $974 per month for the nine-month academic year. (For further graduate school expenses, consult the MSU fee schedules as provided in the Graduate Catalog) Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) are research project-specific and are awarded by individual faculty as funds are available. GRA stipends are comparable to those of GTAs but often cover the calendar year. Some fee waivers may be available with GRAs depending upon funding sources. 

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