Graduate Program

Our graduate degrees prepare students for careers in academia, public agencies, the private sector, and industry.

ESS offers two graduate research degrees (MS and PhD), and one applied Geosciences MS degree (not currently accepting applications). Faculty admit graduate students to start in the Autumn quarter and the application deadline is December 1. For more information, see “How to Apply” and review the research interests of our faculty.

ESS Graduate Degrees

MS in Earth and Space Sciences - Research Program

MS in Applied Geosciences - MESSAGe Program

Note that MESSAGe is not accepting students for the 25-26 academic year. Application to this program is paused until further notice.

The Masters in Earth and Space Sciences, Applied Geosciences (MESSAGe) is designed for students who are seeking to go into the private sector or public agencies and wish to have a lead role in geology, geomorphology, environmental geology or engineering geology. The program offers a unique blend of classroom and field experiences to build fundamental knowledge and practical skills that employers are seeking.

Key learning goals include proficiency in knowledge and skills that relate specifically to the work of a professional, practicing geologist.

MESSAGe has a track record of job placement for graduates of greater than 95%.

MESSAGe Program

PhD in Earth and Space Sciences - Research Program

Dual-title PhD in ESS and Astrobiology

The internationally recognized UW Astrobiology (UWAB) Program is comprised of an interdisciplinary community of around 50 graduate students, faculty members, postdocs and research scientists, across eight astrobiology-affiliated departments in four different colleges. ESS is an important component to this program, with seven participating faculty members, two postdocs, and around 10 graduate students.

Through the dual-title PhD in ESS and Astrobiology, students will obtain a broad overview of the field of astrobiology, a functional familiarity with methods and concepts from a number of different fields, and the ability to communicate effectively across disciplines.

Dual-title PhD Program Visit UW Astrobiology

PhD in ESS - Data Science Option

The Department of Earth and Space Sciences is partnering with the eScience Institute at the UW to offer a PhD curriculum in Earth and Space Sciences with the Data Science Option (DSO).

The Data Science Option (DSO) is designed to meet a critical educational cap at the intersection of Earth and Space Sciences and Data Science. With the new Data Science Option, the ESS graduates will be equipped to tackle modern ESS challenges using large datasets, machine learning, statistical inference, and visualization techniques. The ESS DSO provides students with a foundation in the field of data science, builds critical knowledge and skills to apply to a variety of modern data analysis techniques, and tools to advance and accelerate ESS research and applications.

PhD DSO Program

Graduate Certificates

Astrobiology Graduate Certificate (available for MS and PhD)

For students admitted to the Astrobiology program, please note that there are additional graduation requirements, which can be found for the Graduate Certificate in Astrobiology here.

Program on Climate Change (PCC) Graduate Certificate (available for MS and PhD)

The Graduate Certificate in Climate Science (GCeCS) was created to provide an interdisciplinary training in methods, research issues, and communication of climate science that enhances the scientific breadth and professional employability of GCeCS awardees. The certificate combines the PCC courses, specifically designed to address the cross-linkages in the earth system that disciplinary curricula are not able to do, with a capstone in Climate Science Communication. Detailed information about the PCC GCeCS can be found on the Program on Climate Change website.

Preparing for the Graduate Program in Earth and Space Sciences

Our graduate students come from a variety of disciplines, but should have a solid background in math, physics, and chemistry. Some of the more common backgrounds are geology, physics, and chemistry. Students typically begin taking courses in their field of interest immediately, and are encouraged to being their research early in their first year.

First year students typically take an introduction to research course, a research seminar, and classes related to their field of study. Students will also conduct research, which may include laboratory work, field work, data analysis, or something else, depending on their research focus. Most students will also TA or RA, if they are receiving an assistantship.

While there are no specific requirements for admission into the graduate program has no specific course requirements, students should meet general undergraduate science requirements. It is recommended students have at least one year of calculus with analytical geometry (Math 124, 125, 126), at least two quarters of calculus-based physics (Phys 121 & 122), and at least two quarters of general chemistry (Chem 142 & 152), with a GPA above 3.2. Students should have demonstrated capability of tackling tough problems in their respective field on interest.

Research in Earth and Space Sciences

Earth and Space Sciences is a broad as it sounds. Our faculty are actively conducting research across several fields within the Geosciences. We encourage students to utilize multi- disciplinary resources be it departments, labs, classes, or faculty when pursing their research and many of our courses are cross listed with other environmentally focused programs.

Our faculty, staff, and students are involved in a diverse array of research projects using everything from state of the art laboratories, such as our space plasma laboratory, local resources with projects at Mt. St. Helens, and even remote field camps such as McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Students develop their own research projects based on their interests, with their advisors providing support and experience. If you are interested in applying to ESS for graduate school, contact faculty directly to find out more about their research and whether they are accepting graduate students.

Browse our faculty directory

Available Funding

PhD students admitted to ESS are guaranteed support (either through a Research Assistant (RA) or Teaching Assistant (TA) positions), for 5 years during the nine-month academic year. Most students are funded primarily with RAs, but all students are expected to TA for at least one quarter. Funding during summer is not guaranteed, though most students receive some level of summer support. Some TA positions are available in summer. Students should discuss funding availability with their advisors. Funding is variable for all MS applicants.

Graduate Funding Information

Graduate Student Community

Graduate students in ESS work together to build a supportive and collaborative community to support each other in our academic and personal pursuits. Graduate students are encouraged to serve in one of many elected or volunteer roles that work to organize the many community events and programs, and that represent ESS graduate students to the department faculty, College of the Environment, and University.

For more information about our community and student involvement, please follow the link below.

ESS Community

Resources and FAQs

For questions regarding the graduate program, please contact our Student Services.

Frequently asked questions

Department ofEarth and Space Sciences