Soil Science Thesis Option Graduate Program

B. Application Procedure

1. Graduate student inquiries are acknowledged by the Soil Science Graduate Coordinator and application forms and information about graduate studies in Soil Science are forwarded to prospective students. A student may start their program at any time during the year.
   
   
2. The completed application, letters of reference and a course work summary prepared under supervision of the graduate faculty chair will be distributed to an evaluation committee consisting of the Soil Science Graduate Coordinator and to all members of the Soil Science graduate faculty in the student's area of interest. This committee will review and recommend whether to accept or reject an applicant for graduate work.
   
   
3. All members of the Soil Science graduate faculty have access to the graduate application files and materials, and may submit comments and recommendations to the evaluating committee.
   
   
4. In most cases, the Graduate Coordinator and the faculty committee will make recommendations on the acceptance of a graduate student. When a student's admission or rejection is not clear cut, the chair of the graduate faculty will convene the individuals who reviewed the application. Difficult cases may be referred to the entire Soil Science graduate faculty for a decision.
   
   
5. The Graduate Coordinator will then recommend acceptance, rejection or any special conditions to the University Office of Admissions, where the final decision is made. This decision is normally made within four weeks after all application material are received.
   
   
6. Applicants will receive official written notification of their acceptance or rejection from the Office of Admissions. Informal notification will generally also be made by the department.
   
   
7. Two Soil Science Graduate Merit Assistantships are given out each year. Students who apply before the February 1st deadline are evaluated by the soil science graduate faculty. The Soil Science Faculty decide who will be offered the awards. The award provides a one-year assistantship. The awardee can ask any professor to be their advisor and in some cases a professor may have additional assistantship support for a student to complete their degree. In other cases a student may need to choose a major professor and work with the professor in developing a proposal to obtain further funding to complete the graduate program.