For Interested Students

Greetings,

Thanks for investigating graduate opportunities at UW-Madison. Below you will find some information for students interested in working with my research group, based at SAGE, a research center of the Nelson Institute -- if you have additional question, feel free to email me. I typically advise a group of about five M.S. and Ph.D. students working on issues related to air pollution and energy, with most students focused on atmospheric modeling as a method to address interdisciplinary questions linking air quality, climate change, energy use, transportation, land use, public health, and/or public policy. This type of research connects with multiple disciplines and degree programs, and I provide some information below to help prospective students choose the degree program that best fits their interests and career goals.

All of my graduate students are fully funded, usually as research assistants working on grants with which I am involved. Our offices are based in SAGE, providing a vibrant intellectual and social community for students in a range of graduate programs. Please see my homepage for more details about ongoing projects.

Applying to UW-Madison

Potential students interested in working with my group at SAGE must select the graduate degree program best suited to their interests and career goals. The first decision is to consider whether you are - or might be - interested in a Ph.D., or whether you seek a terminal Master's degree. A Ph.D. is a research-oriented degree, with course work on theory and methods to train students to produce original research using state-of-the-art approaches. A Ph.D. is a good background for careers in academia, research (e.g. government or industry labs), high-level program development, or other career expecting you to have research experience and a deep expertise in a particular topic. A terminal Master's prepares you for a professional career in government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector -- my M.S. advisees have been successful finding jobs in environmental consulting and with government agencies.

The next decision -- what degree program would be the best fit? Currently, about half of my students are enrolled in the Nelson Institute's Environment & Resources (E&R) program, and about half are enrolled in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOS). I can also advise students in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE) and in the La Follette School of Public Policy. All offer Master's degrees, and all except La Follette offer Ph.D.s. Each program has different advantages, and it is not uncommon for students to apply to more than one department if they aren't sure which is the best fit. In general, the Nelson Institute's E&R program is intended for students wanting a deeply interdisciplinary academic experience. The E&R program is flexible in its degree requirements, so each student can tailor course work and committee composition to best suit his/her needs. The AOS program focuses on the physical and chemical processes of the atmosphere and ocean, with a recommended set of classes ("the core") expecting a strong math and science background. My own Ph.D. is in AOS (Princeton, 2001), and the atmospheric focus of my group's work connects closely with the AOS department. CEE is a great choice for students interested in future positions with an engineering focus, or students from undergraduate or Master's engineering programs. La Follette students do not generally pursue thesis work as part of their M.S. degree programs, so to date I have not advised a La Follette student in my group. However, public policy issues are closely connected with our work, and I would welcome policy students interested in issues at the interface of environmental science and policy (Ph.D.s related to environmental policy may be pursued as part of the E&R program).

In addition to degree programs, the University of Wisconsin--Madison offers a range of graduate certificate programs allowing students to develop proficiency in specific areas and earn a credential to reflect this focus area. Courses in the certificate programs can "double count" with requirements from degree programs, so even though credit requirements for certificates range from 12-19, these may count in part or in large to your degree requirements. The overlap between certificate courses and degree courses is particularly high in the Nelson Institute's E&R program, where certificate classes often count 100% toward degree requirement. Four certificate programs overlap closely with the work of my group: Energy Analysis and Policy (EAP), Air Resources Management (ARM), Transportation Management and Policy (TMP), and the Certificate on Humans and the Global Environment (CHANGE). Whereas EPA, ARM, and TMP may be considered topical certificates on energy, air, and transportation, respectively, in many ways the CHANGE may be described as more methodological, as it is intended for Ph.D. students interested in learning how to conduct successful interdisciplinary research. Certificate programs are totally optional, but to date all of my students have participated in one or more -- the interdisciplinary nature of our research lends itself well to the certificate program foci. Some certificate programs also open additional funding opportunities, including the CHANGE Fellowships http://www.sage.wisc.edu/igert/fellowship_application.html, which require a separate application (note early January deadline).

To illustrate how these programs connect, here are a few examples of recent student programs:

* Environment & Resources M.S. w/ EAP certificate
* Environment & Resources M.S. w/ TMP & ARM certificates
* Environment & Resources M.S. w/ CHANGE certificate
* Environment & Resources Ph.D.
* Environment & Resources Ph.D. w/ TMP certificate
* Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences M.S. w/ ARM certificate
* Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences M.S. w/ CHANGE certificate
* Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Ph.D. w/ EAP & ARM certificates

Once you have decided which program(s) to apply, you should fill out the on-line graduate school application:

https://www.gradsch.wisc.edu/eapp/eapp.pl

You can apply to up to three graduate programs (for the one application fee.) As part of this process, contact your references and send them the information to send in their recommendations; have your official transcripts and test scores sent to UW-Madison; and, If applying for a fellowship, submit the respective application(s). Some on campus fellowships also require you to submit a separate application (i.e. CHANGE Fellowship.)

When you apply, note in your application the names of the professor(s) with whom you are interested in working -- be sure to read faculty biographies to make sure your interests match those of your potential advisor. In particular, applicants for the E&R PhD are required to designate an advisor when they apply. I will definitely see any application that explicitly mentions me as a potential advisor, and you can make sure I don't miss your application by sending me a separate email with the following information: 1) the department(s) you are applying to; 2) your resume or c.v.; 3) a brief statement on your research interests and/or goals. Also note in your application if you are interested in one or more of the certificate programs. This information in your essay will clarify what funding opportunities you may be eligible for. You are also encouraged to apply to external fellowships, especially the NSF Graduate Fellowship and the NSDEG Graduate Fellowship, at the same time as you apply to UW-Madison.

If you are admitted to UW-Madison with me as your advisor, I will work with you to identify possible sources of funding. I encourage you to email me before submitting your application if you feel that your interests are a good fit with my group. Good luck with the application process!

Best Regards,
Tracey Holloway