Living and learning are intimately intertwined at USD
MS EOS students are encouraged to take advantage of the university's vast resources as well as those in the local community. San Diego is alive with cultural events, sports, art and miles of beaches. The business, biotech, geotech, environmental science and marine science communities are among the most productive and respected in the country, providing students with the resources they need to succeed inside and outside of the classroom.
Admissions Requirements
Priority application deadline: January 15
Note: Applications received after this date will be considered, but evaluation of applications typically begins in early February, and university financial aid cannot be guaranteed to applicants whose materials are received after April 1. Students whose applications are complete by the January 15 priority deadline typically are notified of the admissions decision by the end of March.
Letters of recommendation: Applicants should provide letters of recommendation from three professors who are familiar with the applicant's scholarly work or from professional supervisors who have had experience in a graduate program and can provide information regarding the applicant's potential for success as a graduate student.
Recommendations from coaches, family friends and other people who are familiar with the applicant may be helpful but should not be submitted in place of the three academic recommendations.
Personal statement: Applicants should provide a personal statement that addresses their specific research interests and their compatibility with the expertise of a particular MS research mentor. Applicants should familiarize themselves with MS research mentors' research/publications and contact one or more of the mentors about conducting research under their supervision before submitting an application.
MySanDiego Portal: Within 2-3 days after submitting an application, applicants should receive an e-mail that provides a user name and password that will allow the applicant to use the USD student portal, MySanDiego.edu. Applicants should check the portal after submitting all materials to make sure that their application is complete. At times, a missing transcript or letter of recommendation may delay review of an application. It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure that all of their materials have been received by USD and that their application is complete. Financial aid information also should be available through the portal, after an applicant's financial aid materials have been received. Questions about the status of a financial aid application should be addressed to the Office of Financial Aid (torerohub@sandiego.edu).
Academic requirements
Applicants are required to have:
- One semester of the following: life science for science majors (with laboratory), physics for science majors (with laboratory), calculus, statistics and earth science/atmospheric science for science majors (with laboratory),
- One year of chemistry (with laboratory)
- A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
In some cases, an applicant's undergraduate degree program did not include one or more of the courses required for admission. It is strongly recommended that those courses be completed prior to entering the program (i.e., by the end of the summer before a student's first semester at USD).
Frequently asked questions
We do not require a degree in a natural science. However, if in the process of completing your undergraduate degree you did not take a course we require for admission, we recommend that you take that course before being admitted to our program.
We evaluate all applications as a whole. Deficiencies in your GPA may be offset by other factors, such as research experience. In addition to GPA considerations, we pay special attention to your personal statement, your stated research interests and goals, and letters of recommendation.
We require a minimum of three letters from science professors. These professors should either know you from classes you took from them or from research work you did with them. Letters from professors outside of science, employers and others who know you particularly well may be submitted in addition to the three science letters. Letters from friends, relatives, clergy, etc. will not help our evaluation process and should be avoided.
Your personal statement is an opportunity for you to demonstrate to us that you have thought carefully about why you want to pursue an MS in Environmental and Ocean Sciences, why you want to do it at USD, and what your longer-term professional goals are. This statement also should describe how your research interests match the expertise of the Environmental and Ocean Sciences core and affiliated graduate faculty. Information about those areas of expertise can be found on the Environmental and Ocean Sciences graduate faculty page.
We offer Dean's Graduate Merit Scholarships, which typically are awarded during a student's first two years in the program. In addition, MS EOS faculty may have grants or contracts that can help to support students. Assuming you have applied for financial aid before the April 1 deadline and filled out a FAFSA, the university may provide an additional grant that can cover up to 25% of tuition costs. Note that this date is more than two months after the priority deadline for applying to the MS EOS program. There are also a limited number of work positions available in the department for 10-15 hours per week. For more information, contact Graduate Student Financial Aid.
On-campus housing for graduate students is extremely limited. Most graduate students find off-campus housing. We also have a resource for finding other USD graduate students for roommates.
Graduate students who have successfully completed the MS in Environmental and Ocean Sciences have gone into many areas. Many have completed PhD programs; some are now employed as research technicians at various government agencies (e.g. National Marine Fisheries Service), academic institutions and in private industry; others are teaching in middle and high schools.
Please read Information for International Students on the Graduate Admissions website.
For information about the Master of Science in Environmental and Ocean Sciences and its faculty, contact:
Drew Talley, PhD, Program Director
dtalley@sandiego.edu
EOS Graduate Program
eosgradprogram@sandiego.edu
For general information about admission to the graduate program at USD, contact:
Graduate Admissions
grads@sandiego.edu
Find more information about applying to USD graduate programs on the Graduate Admissions website.