Admission Procedures

Admission and support are based on academic record, recommendation letters and a statement of research purpose. Our department’s Committee for Graduate Study (CGS) reviews applications, aided by individual faculty in relevant research fields. The most important criteria are a strong academic record, prior research experience, and an expressed interest in the areas of faculty research activities. We strongly encourage all potential applicants to contact members of the faculty within their area of interest to initiate a dialogue about research opportunities. This process helps to create a faculty advocate for the applicant and provides a focus for interactions during a visit.

Admission is not based on any prescribed formula or particular criteria. No single component of an academic record is paramount, nor do any aspects directly preclude consideration of admission. We evaluate the balance of applicants’ records. Also, admission is not linked to study research areas.

Furthermore, there are no stipulated course requirements for admission, but it is expected that applicants will possess a background of courses in allied sciences and mathematics, and preferably substantive, independent field experience in earth sciences. Research advisors may require students to take courses to supplement their baccalaureate degree if they lack appropriate depth in those areas. Suggested background courses are described in more detail below.

Minimum standards for admission of graduate students to the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences are intended as guidelines for members of the Graduate Studies Committee in their assessment of applicants for admission and departmental financial support.

Departmental financial support includes associate instructor (AI) positions and departmental fellowships. Research associate (RA) support may also be available from individual faculty members but is not considered here as “departmental financial support.”

Minimum standards apply to students with degrees in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, as well as degrees in disciplines other than the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Minimum standards apply to students applying for the M.S. or Ph.D. degree. Applicants with a baccalaureate from a U.S. or non-U.S. institution.

• Minimum overall GPA of 3.0
• Minimum GPA of 3.0 in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (if applicable)
• 3 letters of recommendation from academic sources supporting admission
• Research-focused personal statement. This statement is particularly important for students applying for the Ph.D. degree, as it should include evidence of research fit with specific faculty in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.

A significant background of coursework (with a B average or higher) in allied sciences and mathematics would include one year of university-level courses in two of these categories:

1. Chemistry, Physics, Biology
2. Mathematics through differential and integral calculus
3. 6 credit hours of non-introductory courses (i.e., 300-level or higher)

A substantive foundation course including independent work similar to G429, Field Geology in the Rocky Mountains, a course taught at the IU Geologic Field Station in Montana. (Students can receive up to six hours of graduate credit for this IU course if field geosciences were not part of their baccalaureate degree.) Comparable field experience, if deemed equivalent to 6 credit hours, would include:

• field course(s) in geophysics, oceanography, zoology, or environmental sciences,
• participation in a research project in geosciences which includes substantial independent field work.

In exceptional cases, faculty may petition the Graduate Studies Committee for admission of a student who does not meet the minimum standards for admission. A student who meets our admission standards may be admitted to the graduate program in the department without guaranteed departmental financial support, and the student may apply to progress from “non-funded” to “funded” status in subsequent semesters.

For International students seeking admission, all the above guidelines apply with two important additions for students whose native language is not English:

• a minimum TOEFL score of 80 points at the time of application
• pass the TEPAIC exam by January in order to be considered for AI funding for the subsequent Fall semester. The TEPAIC Exam – Test of English Proficiency for Associate Instructor Candidates – is administered in August (twice), January and late March of each academic year. The examination is administered only at the Indiana University campus and can be taken only after the student is admitted into the graduate program in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.