Admissions & Aid

Applicants

• To expedite review of your application, applicants are encouraged to notify the Dean's office at asksmast@umassd.edu upon applying to any of our programs.
• The number of available teaching and research assistantships is limited. To be considered for an assistantship, you must submit your applications before the deadline.
• Contact the Dean's office with any questions about the application process or the academic program.

Admissions standards

Successful applicants will generally have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree with a GPA of 3.00 or better.

They will also have:

• An undergraduate major in one of the basic scientific disciplines or engineering
• Or, will have strong multidisciplinary training with completion of at least six semesters of coursework in the natural sciences, generally to include biology, chemistry, and/or physics
• Preparation in mathematics at least through integral calculus is strongly encouraged

Faculty advocates

Students who do not meet the criteria need to identify a faculty advocate who must bring a request for an exception before the Admissions Committee. At the discretion of the Admissions Committee, applicants may make up deficiencies in prior coursework either before or after admission is granted to IMS. Consideration will be on a case-by-case basis, and the recommendation of the committee will be forwarded to the SMAST Dean for approval.

Candidates may apply for admission at either the master's or PhD (doctoral) level.

• Students admitted directly into the PhD (doctoral) program are expected to have exceptional academic credentials and/or work experience.
• Students entering with a bachelor’s degree may be required to complete the requirements of a master's degree before admission to the doctoral program.
• Students entering with a master's degree can be admitted at the doctoral level provided the degree, coursework and research experience warrant such a decision by the Admissions Committee.

Tuition, fees, expenses, and financial aid

Information on the tuition, fees, other expenses, and financial aid associated with graduate degree programs can be found on the UMass Dartmouth Tuition and Fees and Financial Information pages.

Stipends

• Stipend levels are flexible and competitive to accommodate a range of disciplines. Our stipend levels recognize your need for adequate support during your course of study.
• All students receiving a stipend will also receive a tuition waiver, but not necessarily a fee waiver.
• COAST PSM students are not generally eligible for stipends.