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Graduate Student Opportunities
The Landscape Ecology Program provides opportunities for graduate students to be trained in the field of landscape ecology and related disciplines. Note, UMass does not offer a degree in ‘landscape ecology' per se. Rather, the landscape ecology program is an unofficial program of study within the Department of Natural Resources Conservation. The graduate degree conferred is in either Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation (WFCON) or Forestry and Wood Technology (FOR). Alternatively, students may earn a graduate degree in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (OEB) if accepted into this interdepartmental and multidisciplinary graduate program.

The Program periodically accepts both Master's and Doctoral degree candidates, as well as post-docs. Positions are entirely contingent on availability of extramural funding and/or teaching teaching assistantship. Most students are supported exclusively on research assistantships, and their research program is, in part, dictated by the conditions of the research grant or contract under which the assistant is being provided.
Criteria for Acceptance

Adequate funds must be available to support the student for the duration of their graduate program--typically ~$25,000/yr for 2-3 yrs for MS student; ~$30,000/yr for 3-5 yrs for Ph.D. student. If you have independent funds to support yourself, please indicate this when applying. Contingent on funding, applicants are evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

  • Academic performance: minimum GPA 3.0.
  • Writing proficiency: minimum GRE verbal 60th percentile and/or publication record.
  • Quantitative skills: minimum GRE quantitative 60th percentile and/or excellent statistical/mathematical/ computer modeling background.
  • Work ethic/personal skills: proven ability to work with others and demonstrated superior work ethic (largely from recommendations)
How to Apply

Please follow these procedures to apply:

  1. Contact Dr. McGarigal via Email (mcgarigalk@forwild.umass.edu) or phone (413-577-0655) to express your interest and inquire as to availability of positions. Please be specific as to your interests and qualifications.
  2. Contingent upon step 1, send detailed resume or CV, 3 letters of recommendation, GRE scores and summary of transcripts, along with a letter of interest to Dr. McGarigal.
  3. Contingent upon step 2, formallyapply to the graduate school for admission. Note, graduate students will not be accepted into our department without faculty sponsorship.
Positions Available
Currently there are no graduate student positions available. However, available funding changes frequently, so qualified students are encouraged to initiate contact with Dr. McGarigal and inquire frequently as to position availability. In addition, students with their own funding sources are encouraged to contact Dr. McGarigal anytime.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Kevin McGarigal
Department of Natural Resources Conservation
University of Massachusetts
304 Holdsworth Natural Resources Center
Box 34210
Amherst, MA 01003
Fax: (413) 545-4358
Phone: (413) 577-0655
Email: mcgarigalk@forwild.umass.edu