Admission to Program
Admission to the Double Dawgs pathway does not guarantee admission to the graduate program
Ecology majors may apply to this Double Dawgs pathway in the fall semester of their junior year. Students who meet the following eligibility requirements specified below should arrange to meet with both the undergraduate advisor Misha Boyd (mlboyd@uga.edu) and the graduate advisor Julie Gunby (gunby@uga.edu) early in the semester to discuss feasibility and to be advised on coursework.
To be eligible for this pathway, students must:
- have completed at least 60 credit hours before the start of their junior year
- be on track to complete a minimum of 15 hours of their 3000-level and above Ecology major coursework by the end of their junior year
- have a minimum GPA of 3.4 at the time they apply to the Double Dawgs pathway
Curriculum
Graduate-level courses that may be used to satisfy undergraduate and graduate program requirements.
Any 6000, 7000, or 8000-level ECOL course may be used towards the undergraduate Ecology degree (maximum 12 credit hours). Additionally, students may enroll in the 6000-level option when available for courses from other departments that are currently listed as Major Electives for the Ecology degree (see the UGA Bulletin for complete list).
Students will work with the undergraduate academic advisor and their prospective graduate advisor to select undergraduate coursework that will prepare them adequately for their graduate thesis work. Graduate coursework will be determined by the MS program requirements and consultation with the student’s advisory committee.
Additional requirements that are unique to this Double Dawgs program:
The ICAS program embraces a partnership model in which the student engages with a non-academic partner. Conducting engaged research or collaboration with non-academic partners is a vital strategy for effectively bridging the persistent gap between knowledge generation and its real-world implementation. Although the ICAS program can be completed with a thesis or non-thesis option, both require that the student select a partner with whom they will facilitate an active collaboration. Below, we summarize the ICAS program if it is completed with a thesis—the non-thesis program is similar but does not require the production of a thesis.
Compared to conventional M.S. programs, the new ICAS model has four distinguishing features that highlight its focus on integrating research, practice, and problem-solving:
1. Three required courses adopt a knowledge-to-action approach to deliver conservation training and experiential learning.
a. ECOL 6080 - Principles of Conservation and Sustainable Development (4 credits)
b. ECOL 8400 - Perspectives on Conservation and Sustainable Development (2 credits)
c. ECOL 8710 - Land Conservation Practicum (4 credits) or ECOL 8750 – Endangered Species Practicum (4 credits)
2. Research is co-designed with the student’s faculty advisor and a non-academic partner.
3. Students generate a deliverable product specific to partners’ needs.
4. The deliverable product is included in the thesis document.
Admission to Graduate Program
Students in this pathway should apply to the Ecology MS program in the Fall of their fourth year. The application deadline is December 1st. Applicants must provide the same documentation required by other prospective students and as outlined on the Graduate School application webpage, with the exception that one of the three letters of recommendation must come from the prospective faculty advisor in the Odum School of Ecology. The Graduate Program Committee will review applications in December and January, and make offers of admission beginning in February. Applicants should have:
- a competitive undergraduate GPA at the time of application
- three letters of recommendation, one of which must be a support letter from the prospective M.S. faculty advisor
- a statement of purpose detailing their interests in ecology as a discipline, professional aspirations, and proposed research (if thesis-based), including the context for the research and any results to date.