Entrance Requirements & Guidelines
Each graduate program has its own set of requirements in addition to the University of Arizona’s graduate college minimum requirements. Most completed applications include a letter of intent, summary of coursework form, a minimum of three letters of recommendation, transcripts, and proof of English proficiency, if required.
Choose an M.S. or Ph.D in Natural Resources in one of five different emphasis areas, or an M.S. in Water, Society, and Policy. You may also pursue a dual degree program, Ph.D. minor or a graduate certificate.
Natural Resources Graduate Programs
You must have earned a master’s degree to be admitted into the Natural Resources Ph.D. program. Please be aware that individual programs and faculty look for different qualifications in their students. Our most competitive applicants have biology or natural resources degrees and some research or applied experience, but we do admit students who have taken a less traditional path. The degree requirements for each option listed below can be considered strong recommendations, as some of the coursework can be taken as part of a degree program. Contact the graduate coordinator if you have questions:
- Natural Resources Studies option
- Ecology, Management, and Restoration of Rangelands option
- Watershed Management and Ecohydrology option
- Wildlife or Fisheries Conservation and Management option
Water, Society & Policy Graduate Programs
There are no prerequisite course requirements for Water, Society, and Policy graduate students. Some individual courses in the core have prerequisites such as economics, physics or calculus, but there is sufficient breadth in the core curriculum that if you haven’t already taken these prerequisites, other courses are available to fulfill the program requirements.
How to Apply
Application deadlines vary depending on the program. You must submit an online application with the Graduate College for admission consideration. All application materials can be uploaded into the online system, including unofficial documents, English proficiency, and optional GRE score reports. The online application will ask you for the program and option to which you are applying and you will need to list all faculty with whom you have been in correspondence.
Please read our admissions survival guide prior to beginning your application.
Required Documents for Your Online Application
- A letter of intent.
- A summary of coursework form (students coming from institutions outside of the United States are required to list courses and grades. The U.S. is on a 4.0 scale, but other countries are on a scale of 10 or 100. Please make a note on the scale on which you received your grades).
- A minimum of three letters of recommendation. The application will generate an email request for the letters after your recommenders' contact information. This is the only part of the application that you can edit once you submit the application. You'll be able to see who has sent their letter and who has not. You will be able to add recommenders throughout the process in case one of your recommenders does not respond. Please see the application tips link for tips on selecting recommenders. Your recommenders can choose to use regular mail, or send an email with the letter attached to the graduate coordinator. You can let them know this, but these instructions are also in the email that is sent via the online mechanism.
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended will only be required if you are admitted to the program. Please only upload unofficial transcripts into the online process.
- GRE scores. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) IS NO LONGER REQUIRED FOR ADMISSION. If you have already taken the GRE, your official scores will be automatically submitted electronically from the testing service if you have listed the University of Arizona as. a recipient of your scores. You may upload scanned copies of your results here for the purpose of evaluation but only as an added component of your application. The GRE is now OPTIONAL.
International students must also provide proof of English proficiency.
The University Code is 4832 or all test scores. You do not need a more specific code as the scores are entered into a central system.
You may be asked to upload additional documents, including TOEFL score reports or your resume depending on the program you select or your residency status.
Official transcripts can be sent to the graduate coordinator and the university's Graduate College only if you are recommended for admission:
Graduate Coordinator
School of Natural Resources and the Environment
1064 E. Lowell
The University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85719
Summary of coursework forms. Save as a PDF and attach to online application.
- Ecology, Management, and Restoration of Rangelands
- Fisheries Conservation and Management
- Natural Resources Studies
- Watershed Management and Ecohydrology
- Wildlife Conservation and Management
Deadlines
Application deadlines vary among different graduate program options. Please see the area-specific deadlines for domestic students below.
- M.S. in Water, Society, and Policy: We accept applications at any time for Fall and Spring admissions. Applicants are encouraged to apply at least two months prior to the semester in which they'd like to enroll. International students should apply at least five months in advance of the semester in which they wish to enroll.
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Natural Resources Studies: January 1 for Fall admission, and August 1 for Spring admission.
- M.S. of Ph.D. in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Ecology, Management, and Restoration of Rangelands: We accept applications at any time for Fall and Spring admission. Applicants are encouraged to apply at least two months prior to the semester in which they would like to enroll. International students should apply at least five months in advance of the semester in which they wish to enroll.
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Watershed Management and Ecohydrology: January 15 for Fall admission and August 1 for Spring admission.
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Wildlife or Fisheries Conservation and Management: We accept applications at any time for Fall and Spring admission. Applicants are encouraged to apply at least two months prior to the semester in which they would like to enroll. International students should apply at least five months in advance of the semester in which they wish to enroll.
Visit the Graduate College for more detailed graduate student information and the online application.
Questions? Contact Graduate Coordinator Debbie Cross at debbiecross@arizona.edu.
Your Cost to Attend
Funding is something you’ll need to think about and discuss with potential faculty advisors very early, as The School of Natural Resources and the Environment does not have departmental funding for graduate students. Graduate students are rarely accepted without funding. to the Natural Resources program. The Water, Society, and Policy program will admit students without funding.
You can fund your studies through fellowships, an existing faculty grant, working as a teaching assistant, scholarships, financial aid and tuition savings programs, such as the Western Regional Graduate Program. The WRGP is only available for students in the Water, Society and Policy M.S. program.