{"id":63,"date":"2023-03-18T02:03:19","date_gmt":"2023-03-18T02:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/diversity-in-stem-cooperative\/?page_id=63"},"modified":"2025-03-26T16:58:09","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T16:58:09","slug":"applying-for-grad-school-at-nau","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/diversity-in-stem-cooperative\/applying-for-grad-school-at-nau\/","title":{"rendered":"Applying for grad school"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>What is graduate school, and what should you know before applying?<\/h1>\n<p>In most scientific disciplines, graduate school means doing a Master&#8217;s (MS) and\/or PhD with a strong research focus. Instead of taking classes, you will focus on a major research project, often called a thesis or (for PhD students) a dissertation. Because this research is important not only for you but also for the professor you work with and the university where you are working, most programs will waive or pay your tuition, provide your health care coverage, and supply some amount of stipend. To earn this support you may serve as a Teaching Assistant (TA) or a Research Assistant (RA). These are two different types of Graduate Assistantships (GAs). Usually TA positions are supplied by the Department, whereas the availability of an RA position depends on whether the professor you are working with has research funding for your project.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you are interested in attending graduate school at NAU or another university, there are a few important things to know. Fortunately NAU has multiple programs designed to help you succeed!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Resources to explore grad school options, find the right program, and prepare successful applications:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Participate in the <a href=\"https:\/\/nau.edu\/cefns\/sloan-mitsi\/bridge-program\/\">MITSI Bridge Program<\/a> to help you explore graduate school options<\/li>\n<li>Participate in the <a href=\"https:\/\/nau.edu\/lsamp\">LSAMP Post-Baccalaureate Transition Success Program<\/a> (see the <strong>Grad school preparation<\/strong> tab)<\/li>\n<li>Learn everything about grad school applications from friendly grad students in the School of Earth and Sustainability! They have a <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1Quy_92H1luTDsOvY2EMWlKNKn6UlFxEE\/view?usp=drive_link\">video<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1GpFN6FMwhILOKTLOLcPMDX1Rw2BOL_YD\/view?usp=drive_link\">presentation slides<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1OzJfOn7ro_xYll93eNBvspo11w4wjE2YhzGoAcvlfxE\/edit?usp=drive_link\">Google Doc of resources.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Read <a href=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/269\/2024\/02\/ajpheart_a-practical-guide-to-grad-school-interviewing-for-historically-excluded-individuals.pdf\">this paper<\/a> about how to prepare to talk to faculty and interview for graduate school. It is geared towards students in physiology, but has some very helpful advice as you prepare to describe your interests to potential faculty mentors!<\/li>\n<li>Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/career\/graduate-school\/\">NAU Career Services<\/a> information about graduate school<\/li>\n<li>Explore the <a href=\"https:\/\/scatter.wordpress.com\/2018\/07\/24\/guest-post-grad-schools-hidden-curriculum\/\">hidden curriculum of grad school<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Map out the types of support you might need during graduate school to <a href=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/269\/2024\/02\/network_map_presentation.pdf\">create a supportive network<\/a> (resource from the <a href=\"https:\/\/eswnonline.org\/mentor-mapping\/\">Earth Science Women&#8217;s Network<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Explore more resources to succeed in many aspects of graduate research from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inclusiveconservationlab.com\/resources\">Moore Inclusive Conservation Lab<\/a> @UBC<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Ask your potential faculty advisors about:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Research projects and funding<\/li>\n<li>Coursework<\/li>\n<li>Summer plans and funding<\/li>\n<li>Contact info for current and former grad students you can talk to<\/li>\n<li>Opportunities for collaboration<\/li>\n<li>Quality of life and community<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-tall-banner-image wp-image-195\" src=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/269\/2023\/03\/Calderon_Common_Room_err8144_28141310796_o-960x384.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/269\/2023\/03\/Calderon_Common_Room_err8144_28141310796_o-960x384.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/269\/2023\/03\/Calderon_Common_Room_err8144_28141310796_o-465x186.jpeg 465w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/269\/2023\/03\/Calderon_Common_Room_err8144_28141310796_o-1440x576.jpeg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/p>\n<!-- shortcode-block -->\n<div class=\"shortcode-block\">\n      <div class=\"block-header\">\n        <h3>Graduate Programs in STEM at NAU<\/h3>\n    <\/div>\n          <div class=\"block-body\">\n      <div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/nau.edu\/graduate-college\/programs-overview\/\">All graduate programs<\/a><\/p>\n<h4>College of the Environment, Forestry, and Natural Sciences<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nau.edu\/astronomy-and-planetary-science\/phd-astronomy-planetary-science\/\">Astronomy and Planetary Science<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nau.edu\/applied-physics-and-materials-science\/graduate-degrees\/\">Applied Physics and Material Sciences<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nau.edu\/biological-sciences\/graduate-student-information\/\">Biological Sciences<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nau.edu\/chem-biochem\/ms-chemistry\/\">Chemistry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nau.edu\/ses\/graduate-degrees\/\">Environmental Sciences, Climate Sciences, Geology, Environmental Sustainability, and Environmental Policy<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nau.edu\/forestry\/\">Forestry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nau.edu\/math\/masters-degrees\/\">Mathematics and Statistics<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nau.edu\/school-of-informatics-computing-and-cyber-systems\/graduate\/\">Informatics,\u00a0Computing, and Cyber Systems<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nau.edu\/civil-environmental-engineering\/graduate\/\">Civil and Environmental Engineering<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nau.edu\/mechanical-engineering\/graduate\/\">Mechanical Engineering<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>College of Health and Human Services<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nau.edu\/health-sciences\/\">Health Sciences<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>College of Social and Behavioral Sciences<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nau.edu\/ais\/graduate-certificate\/\">Applied Indigenous Studies<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nau.edu\/psychological-sciences\/ma-psychological-sciences\/\">Psychological Sciences<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nau.edu\/sociology\/applied-sociology-ma\/\">Sociology<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n          <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n<!-- shortcode-right-column -->\n<div class=\"shortcode-right-column\" >\n    <div class=\"shortcode-right-column__container\">\n<!-- shortcode-contact -->\n<div class=\"shortcode-contact\">\n    <div class=\"contact-header\">\n        <h3>Get in touch!<\/h3>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"contact-body\">\n                <a href=\"mailto:disco@nau.edu\" aria-label=\"Get in touch!: Email Address\" title=\"Email Address\">\n            <div class=\"contact-icon-container\">\n                <i class=\"fas fa-envelope\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                <span class=\"sr-only\">Email:<\/span>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"contact-email\">disco&#8203;@nau.edu<\/div>\n        <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"eplus-bg-color-row bg-color-nau-blue\"><div class=\"eplus-bg-color-row-content\">\n<p>Looking for more resources and contacts? Reach out to anyone in the <a href=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/diversity-in-stem-cooperative\/disco-network\/\">DiSCO network<\/a>!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"eplus-bg-color-row bg-color-nau-yellow\"><div class=\"eplus-bg-color-row-content\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/groups.google.com\/a\/ggroups.nau.edu\/g\/disco\">Join the DiSCO google group<\/a> to find events and opportunities. You must be signed in with a NAU google account. If you do not have one, please email your request to be added to <a href=\"mailto:disco@nau.edu\">disco@nau.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is graduate school, and what should you know before applying? In most scientific disciplines, graduate school means doing a Master&#8217;s (MS) and\/or PhD with a strong research focus. Instead of taking classes, you will focus on a major research project, often called a thesis or (for PhD students) a dissertation. Because this research is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":673,"featured_media":190,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","ring_central_script_selection":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-63","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/diversity-in-stem-cooperative\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/63","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/diversity-in-stem-cooperative\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/diversity-in-stem-cooperative\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/diversity-in-stem-cooperative\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/673"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/diversity-in-stem-cooperative\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/diversity-in-stem-cooperative\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/63\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":425,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/diversity-in-stem-cooperative\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/63\/revisions\/425"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/diversity-in-stem-cooperative\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/diversity-in-stem-cooperative\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}