No, please submit unofficial copies of your transcript for initial admissions review. You will be notified if you are required to submit an official copy of your transcript.

Yes. Many of our graduate students in Earth and Space Sciences have undergraduate degrees in geology; however, our students also come with degrees in anthropology, atmospheric sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, geography, mathematics, oceanography, and physics to name a few.

Math, physics, and chemistry are fundamental to the study of Earth and Space Sciences. All applicants should take courses in these subjects before they apply at a minimum of the level we expect of students in our undergraduate program: one year of calculus with analytical geometry (UW MATH 124, 125, 126); at least two quarters of calculus-based Physics (UW PHYS 121, 122); and two quarters of general Chemistry (UW CHEM 142, 152).

We expect new graduate students to be ready and able to begin doing research in their chosen field. As research interests in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington are so varied, we do not have one set of standard expectations. For example, applicants interested in seismology, space physics, atmospheres, mineral physics, or glaciology generally need a stronger background in mathematics and physics to be competitive. Researchers in surface processes and geomorphology regularly use calculus-based process models and statistics in addition to geological concepts, applicants will likely be more competitive if they have training in these areas. If you are concerned about your background preparation, you should pay close attention to the current interests and directions of the research group that you would like to join and if you have questions, you should contact faculty members in that group to ask them what they expect of their new graduate students.

We encourage prospective applicants to review information on our department website about ESS research and then, to contact ESS faculty. Prospective applicants should share their research interests, aspirations, and career plans with faculty and ask about present and future research opportunities. These early conversations often help prospective applicants clarify their goals and plan for graduate study.

Applicants who have earned an undergraduate degree may apply to either program. (Applicants do not need an MS degree before they can begin working on a PhD degree.) Therefore, the decision should be based on an applicant’s professional and personal goals. Both our thesis MS and non-thesis MS degrees are research-based, academic and research activities during the first year are very similar for students seeking either MS or PhD degrees. Students who ultimately want a PhD should select that option when applying.

The Department of Earth and Space Sciences does not require a separate application for financial support. MS students typically do not receive funding, however their faculty advisor may have funding available. PhD applicants who are admitted are offered a TA or RA for the first academic year. Financial support for successive years is contingent on satisfactory progress and the availability of funding. In total, PhD students are awarded support during the nine-month academic year for five calendar years.

TA and RA appointments require 20 hours of service per week. For 2019-2020 the gross monthly salary was $2388 (pre-General Examination) and $2567 (post-General Examination, or with a related MS degree), and include a tuition waiver and health insurance benefits. Current salaries can be found at Salary Schedules . Students are responsible for paying approximately $400 each quarter in student fees. TAs and RAs with eligible appointments are covered by the Graduate Appointee Insurance Program (GAIP) and currently do not pay a monthly premium. The UW pays 65% of the monthly premium for dependents. TAs and RAs at the UW are represented by UAW Local 4121, which negotiates salary and benefits, see UW/UAW Contract.

Average GPA changes from year to year, but is around 3.2 and the median GPA is around 3.5. The Admissions Committee practices a holistic review process and gives comparable weight to each item submitted as part of the application so an applicant will not be denied admission based solely on GPA.

After the Admissions Committee has determined that an applicant is admissible (likely to succeed in our graduate program), the application is forwarded to faculty doing research of interest to the applicant. Applicants will be admitted if they can be matched to a faculty member looking for new graduate students to join his or her research group and if there is funding available. While we make every effort to match applicants with faculty advisors at the time of admission, students are free to change advisors or research groups at any time, subject to identifying a faculty member willing to be advisor, and subject to availability of funding.

The Department of Earth and Space Sciences hosts an invitation-only Open House for Prospective Graduate Students in late February each year. Applicants who visit at other times should contact faculty with whom they are interested in doing research before they arrive in Seattle to schedule individual meetings. Applicants may also contact the ESS Student Services to schedule a meeting to discuss general admissions questions.