The deadline to apply to graduate school is quickly approaching, and UC Merced officials are busy spreading the word about the benefits and opportunities of applying to one of the many tailored graduate programs available at the college.
But first, they said, future students should be mindful of important dates and materials.
“Students should always be conscious of application deadlines and program requirements,” said Jesus Cisneros of UC Merced’s Graduate Division.
He said applicants sometimes overlook the fact that graduate schools throughout the state and nation have varying application requirements and procedures. At UC Merced, the deadline is Jan. 15 to be eligible for enrollment in the fall 2008 semester.
Cisneros recommends viewing the Frequently Asked Questions on the university’s Graduate Division Web site to learn more about the application process and to print out a handy checklist of all the documents the university needs: a $60 application fee, transcripts, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, TOEFL score, a financial aid application and a statement of purpose and personal history.
He advised that students should not be scared off by the cost of an advanced education. Many of the school’s graduate students are funded through teaching or research fellowships, which include tuition assistance and a monthly stipend.
“There are also external grants and fellowships available as well as loans,” he said.
UC Merced has nine graduate programs both at the masters and Ph.D. level and range from electrical engineering and computer science to quantitative systems biology to world cultures.
Those who choose and are accepted to UC Merced can expect a hands-on and innovative education that takes a highly interdisciplinary approach.
To foster its interdisciplinary graduate programs, UC Merced is structuring many of its research and graduate educational activities around research institutes involving faculty from multiple schools.
For example, Cisneros explained, the Sierra Nevada Research Institute has faculty researching issues relating to environmental policy, history of the Sierra range, effects of climate change on the area and biodiversity of the region.
“As a student, you can participate and collaborate with colleagues in the Sierra Nevada Research Institute whether you are coming from the natural sciences, social sciences or engineering disciplines.”
