Skip to main content Skip to navigation
Moffett Research Lab Information for Prospective Graduate Students – Read First!
Thank you for your interest in graduate study in the Washington State University Hydrology, Ecohydrology, and Landscape Dynamics research lab!

 

I invite inquiries about future graduate study at any time, but I will be most active in replying to inquiries during Fall semester (September-December).

I invite you to contact me again this fall, AFTER READING THE INFORMATION BELOW.

Admission for graduate study in my research group is competitive.  Prerequisites for graduate work in my research group include: good grades in undergraduate coursework in engineering and/or in physics and calculus, exposure to surface water and/or groundwater hydrology, research and technical writing experience, overall good grades, and prior study at an English-speaking institution of higher education (college or graduate level).  Students without any calculus or physics coursework or without prior study at an English-speaking school will not be considered.  

If interested, please email me this fall with the subject line “prospective graduate student” or similar, and include: a concise statement of research interests/potential research topics related to physical hydrology and ecohydrology, a CV including research and work experience, and copies of unofficial transcript(s) to date. GPA and GRE scores not required (optional). It may take me some time to reply to your message while I determine if I will have the opportunity to admit a student. When I am able, I will reply to let you know if it might be worth your while for us to speak further about your interests.  Formal applications are due January 10 each year and I will aim to reply to you at least a few weeks before the application deadline. We are also sometimes able to accept late applications.

In the meantime, you can increase your chances of admission to this or any graduate program by seeking out independent funding. If you are able to earn for yourself a grant or fellowship with full stipend and tuition support then you are likely to have your pick of many offers for graduate study, including this one. If you apply for any grants or fellowships that require naming a potential graduate supervisor, then you may contact me with specific information about your pending application at that time. I expect to work with admitted students to help them craft an original research project of interest to them, so I am typically flexible on the types of research topics I am interested in and capable of advising. Please do not list me by name as a potential supervisor without first contacting me to see if I am willing. Various US Federal programs (e.g., NSF, EPA, DOE, DOD, NASA, NOAA) and private foundations, among others, may have competitive graduate fellowships with summer or fall deadlines that you should consider applying for this year. For example, the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship application is generally due in October of the year before you wish to begin graduate study.

If admitted to Washington State University Vancouver, graduate students are provided a stipend, tuition support, and partial benefits, are expected to complete their studies on the Vancouver campus, and are required to live in the state of Washington during their degree.

Washington State University is an Equal Opportunity employer. I particularly encourage inquiry from students of diverse or minority backgrounds, with diverse life experience, veteran status, or disability, first-generation college students, or students with otherwise unique perspectives. My research group is a place of transparency and respect where we work together to help each student achieve their best potential as a researcher, scientist, and human being.