Graduate Degree Programs
We offer graduate degrees with competitive assistant-ship stipends and tuition waivers!
An Ideal Laboratory
Toledo's location near Lake Erie and its diverse ecosystems — from wetlands to savannahs and woodlands — provide a rich laboratory and opportunities for hands-on field work near campus:
- Lake Erie's productive fisheries and wetlands
- The Maumee River
- Oak Openings remarkable diversity of savannas and woodlands
- Wetland remnants of the Great Black Swamp
Our primary strengths in graduate education and research are in:
- Aquatic and wetland ecology
- Organismal and conservation biology
- Human impacts on the biosphere
- Earth surface processes
Research in other areas of both ecology and geology are also conducted. Much of this research occurs in the Toledo region and often in other parts of the U.S. and the world.
Additional Information
- Application Information
Students may apply for admission at any time of the year; if financial assistance is also requested, applications should be received by February 15 for admission during the next academic year. - Department Entrance Requirements
- Financial Assistance
- Request Information
- Faculty Research Areas of Interest
To be admitted to the Department of Environmental Sciences graduate program, a student must meet the entrance requirements for both the Department and Graduate College and also be accepted by a faculty member who will serve as their research advisor. Prior to applying, students should investigate the teaching and research activities of the faculty members in the department. Students are also encouraged to contact faculty members directly, by either email or telephone, to inquire about their research interests and possible opportunities available in their research lab.
Application NOTE: Identifying a Faculty/Research Advisor
Prospective students are strongly encouraged to communicate directly with faculty members with whom you have overlapping research interests, as we do not accept students without a pre-decided faculty advisor. The number of graduate students that any faculty member can accept is limited and acceptance is competitive, so it is important to contact prospective advisors prior to submitting an application.
We are unable to accept prospective students without pre-identified funding. Most accepted students receive funding via graduate assistantships (research or teaching assistantships, or fellowships). Funding for graduate assistantships is limited and competitive. Please contact prospective faculty advisors prior to submitting an application.
The University of Toledo is a Carnegie Foundation Doctoral-Research University and
a member of Ohio's State University System. The beautiful main campus is located in
an outlying residential area of the city. After its merger in 2006 with the Medical
University of Ohio, the University of Toledo became the third largest public university
in the state in terms of its operating budget.
For further information, contact:
Scott Heckathorn, Ph.D.
Professor and Graduate Admissions Coordinator
Bowman-Oddy, #3001F
419.530.4328
scott.heckathorn@utoledo.edu
Jeanine Refsnider, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Graduate Advisor
Bowman-Oddy, #3007C
419.530.2664
jeanine.refsnider@utoledo.edu