108 THOMPSON HALL
MANHATTAN, KS 66506-3201
Telephone (785) 532-6724
Fax (785) 532-5159
GRADUATE STUDENT APPLICATIONS
AND FINANCIAL AID
Every man is the maker of his own fortune. Richard Steele (1672-1729)
APPLICATIONS FOR GRADUATE STUDY
Application forms and information are available at a graduate school website: http://www.k-state.edu/grad/gsprospective/apply/index.htm
Please note that these forms, and all supporting materials (see list at the above website) must be sent to the Geology Department, not the graduate school. We review the applications, and forward them to the graduate school with our recommendations.
The preferred address for application materials is: Department of Geology, ATTN: Graduate Admissions Director, 108 Thompson Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-3201, USA. E-mail address: joviatt@ksu.edu
FINANCIAL AID
Financial aid is often available in the form of Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) and Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs). Both types of assistantships require approximately 20 hours of work each week during the period of the assistantship, and thus limit the number of courses that can be taken at the same me. Generally, students on assistantships will finish their M.S. degree in two years, and normally such students will receive support for only two years. Students with outside support (not on assistantships) can often complete their studies in a shorter time (sometimes two summers and two semesters.)
Students wanting to be considered for Graduate Teaching Assistantships should indicate an interest in teaching on the personal statements they submit as part of their applications. For international students, a demonstration of proficiency in spoken English is also required (see the graduate school website). Graduate Teaching Assistantships carry a waiver of tuition (but not fees, which can be over $300 a semester, depending on credit hours enrolled). GTAs do not normally include the summers; most students do their thesis research during these times, but some find internships or summer jobs (visa status permitting).
Students wanting to be considered for Graduate Research Assistantships should communicate with the faculty member whose research interests fit their own, to determine whether such funding might be available. These assistantships do not include a waiver of tuition, but tuition is charged at in-state rates. Sometimes the supervising faculty member will pay the tuition from research funds. The prospective student should ask about that.
Students applying for GTAs will be automatically considered for department scholarships to supplement the assistantships. For the second year, students on GTAs should apply for continued scholarship support, both from the department and other sources.
Graduate students will find that most thesis research has related expenses, such as field work and/or laboratory analyses. There are several sources for funding to cover such expenses, both from the department and from various professional societies. See, for example, the Geological Society of America, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Sigma Xi, and the Kansas Geological Foundation. Research funding should be applied for during the first year of residence.
Finally, many graduate students are eligible for federal student loans. For details, and assistance in applications, see http://www.ksu.edu/sfa/applyfedassistance.htm
APPLICATIONS FROM NON-GEOLOGY MAJORS
Geology is a field that draws upon many specialties, and at advanced levels, some of these are as pertinent as basic geology. Students with backgrounds in engineering, chemistry, physics, biology, computer science, and similarly rigorous fields will often become specialists in geological engineering, geochemistry, geophysics, geobiology, geophysical modeling, and related fields. We welcome applications from such students, but do note that they must expect to take some geology courses---perhaps 12 credit hours if they have no geology background at all---in addition to the 30 hours required for the M.S. degree.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Please note that the graduate school has several strict requirements for international applicants. Among these are the need for a satisfactory TOEFL score, a signed Affidavit of Financial Aid Form, and a strict observance of deadlines. The deadlines are of particular concern when visas are involved, as obtaining a visa can be a long and frustrating experience.