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Prospective Students

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  1. Can a student enter the Ph.D. degree program directly with just an undergraduate degree? Answer
  2. What degrees are offered at the Rosenstiel School? Answer
  3. What is the difference between a research-based Master of Science, Master of Professional Sciences and Masters of Science in MAF? Answer
  4. What is the application deadline? Answer
  5. How many students do you accept to the program each year? Answer
  6. What is the demographic profile of your student body? Answer
  7. What type of financial support is available to Rosenstiel graduate students? Answer
  8. Is a GRE subject test required, or only the general test? Answer
  9. Is there a minimum GRE score required for entry into the program? Answer
  10. What is the GPA requirement for entry into the program? Answer
  11. Who has to take the TOEFL exam? Answer
  12. What is the visa process for international students? Answer
  13. What is the appropriate ETS code to use for the GRE and TOEFL exams? Answer
  14. Will visiting the Rosenstiel School help my chances of being accepted? Answer
  15. If I am not invited to the Recruiting Open House in the spring, does it mean that I'm not a competitive applicant? Answer
  16. My application is submitted and I am waiting to hear back. When will I know if I've been accepted? Answer
  17. Can I be admitted in the Spring Semester instead of the Fall? How about during the Summer? Answer
  18. Is health insurance required? Answer
  19. Do I have to purchase the health insurance plan offered by the University? What if I am covered under my parents/spouse/other source? Answer
  20. How much does the University of Miami insurance plan cost? Answer
  21. Do I have to pay the health insurance premium or is it covered in my assistantship or fellowship? Answer
  22. Where do Rosenstiel graduate students live? Answer
  23. What is MSGSO? Answer

  1. Can a student enter the Ph.D. degree program directly with just an undergraduate degree?

    Yes! In all of the divisions having Ph.D. programs, direct entry for study leading to the Ph.D. is both possible and encouraged. In fact, because the number of students we can admit is limited, the chances of acceptance and funding are often better if the applicant indicates that they wish to be considered for the Ph.D. track. However, the rules and requirements for entry as a MS versus a Ph.D. student can differ depending on the program, and applicants should consult the guidelines of the academic division they are applying to. In some disciplines, the MS by itself is highly marketable and some students enter choosing to seek that degree alone. Other students may have interests that are less well defined from the start, and so for them earning the MS is a useful step on the path to the Ph.D.

  2. What degrees are offered at the Rosenstiel School?

    The Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science is a graduate school, one of twelve colleges and schools that make up the University of Miami. We offer instruction leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and research-based Master of Science (MS) degrees through academic divisions that include Marine Biology and Fisheries, Marine and Atmospheric Chemistry, Marine Geology and Geophysics, Meteorology and Physical Oceanography, and Applied Marine Physics. Though graduate students typically concentrate in one of these curricular areas, interdisciplinary study is encouraged and coursework can be tailored to the individual student. The division of Marine Affairs and Policy also offers a Master of Science degree, and we also have a Master of Professional Sciences program as well. The University of Miami School of Law and the Rosenstiel School also offer a joint degree program in law and marine affairs and policy (J.D. and MA degrees awarded).

    The Rosenstiel School also awards undergraduate degrees in marine and atmospheric science. Nearly all of the courses in the undergraduate curriculum are taught by Rosenstiel faculty on the university's main Coral Gables campus. For further information on the Undergraduate Marine and Atmospheric Science program, please click here.

  3. What is the difference between a research-based Master of Science, Master of Professional Sciences and Masters of Science in MAF?

    In the divisions of Marine Biology and Fisheries, Marine and Atmospheric Chemistry, Marine Geology and Geophysics, Meteorology and Physical Oceanography, and Applied Marine Physics, there is the opportunity for a research-based Master of science. While funding is only guaranteed for PhD students, there are a number of different funding opportunities for MS students as well (including fellowships from private companies, and federally funded research grants). Students interested in this degree should contact the program director from one of the 5 divisions.

    The division of Marine Affairs also offers a Master of Science degree, but there are some differences between this Masters program and that in the other 5 divisions: (1) The deadline is different (applications are due by June 1 for admission in the Fall term). (2) Although some funding opportunities exist for this degree, students accepted into this program are generally admitted without any guarantee of financial support. Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information about this program. (3) There is no PhD program in MAF. However the University of Miami does have a PhD program in Environmental Science and Policy, and more information on that program can be found at: http://abess.miami.edu/academics/graduate-program/.

    For the Master of Professional Sciences (MPS), the deadline is June 1 for admission in the Fall semester, and there is no guarantee of funding. For more information on that program, see: http://mps.rsmas.miami.edu/.

  4. What is the application deadline?

    RSMAS accepts applications year round but the following applies:

    PhD and research based Master of Science (excluding Marine Affairs and policy; MAF): For best chances of fall admission into one of our PhD or research based Masters of Science programs, your complete application must be received by January 1st. However, applications received by December 1st will have the highest chance of being invited to our on-site annual recruitment visit in February.

    Master of Professional Sciences (MPS) and Masters of Science (MS) in MAF: For fall admission into our MAF program and MPS programs, your complete application must be received by June 1st.

    For all programs: Note that all required documents (transcripts, GRE scores, etc.) should be in the file by the target date. If you miss the target date, please try to submit any outstanding materials as soon as possible. We will accept photocopies of documents during the review process, but we must have the originals of all documents in the file before a student can be offered acceptance into a program. For further information on the application process, please click here. Once you have initiated your online application process, information regarding your application and required documents can be found on your MyUM account: www.myum.miami.edu.

    *Revised: 10/5/2011

  5. How many students do you accept to the program each year?

    We usually offer admission to approximately 20% of our applicants with the expectation that a total incoming class of about 30-35 students will enroll in the Fall. Application pressure varies considerably between discipline, with Marine Biology and Fisheries receiving the largest number of completed applications each year.

  6. What is the demographic profile of your student body?

    Our current graduate student population consists of approximately 280 enrolled students, of which 53% are male and 47% are female. Though we draw applicants from all over the world, the majority of our international students come from Asia, South America and Europe. For the most recent 2011-2012 academic year, 67% of our graduate students were pursuing the Ph.D. degree while the others were enrolled in MS or MPS programs.

  7. What type of financial support is available to Rosenstiel graduate students?

    Students admitted into the Divisions of Marine Biology and Fisheries, Marine and Atmospheric Chemistry, Marine Geology and Geophysics, Meteorology and Physical Oceanography, and Applied Marine Physics are typically offered support for the duration of their graduate study (up to five years for the Ph.D.; provisional on adequate progress each year). This financial support comes in the form of research assistantships (RA), fellowships, and teaching assistantships (TA), or some combination thereof over the period of matriculation. Research assistantships are the primary means of providing graduate student support at the Rosenstiel School. Funding for RAs typically comes from grants or contracts to individual investigators; hence, not all faculty members are in a position to accept students each year. Applicants are strongly encouraged to research their prospective academic division(s) and to contact potential faculty mentors during the application process.

    RAs, TAs and university- or school-sponsored fellowships provide a competitive stipend for living plus payment of tuition up to the number of course credits required for the degree. The stipend offered to Ph.D. students is typically higher than that offered to M.S. students. Some non-university fellowships provide a monetary amount that can be applied to either tuition or stipend needs. If accepted, you will receive a separate letter describing the nature and amount of financial support being offered, in addition to your certificate of admission.

    Students accepted into the Division of Marine Affairs and Policy (MAF) and the Master of Professional Science program are generally admitted without any guarantee of financial support. This reflects the fact that, historically, there is less agency-sponsored support for research in policy or the social sciences, making RA opportunities much more limited. Many MAF students, nonetheless, find at least partial support for their studies upon arrival through on-campus jobs and part-time RAs in other divisions. MAF students are also eligible for fellowship nominations and for some teaching assistantships.

  8. Is a GRE subject test required, or only the general test?

    An official score of the general Graduate Record Examination Test (GRE) must be submitted. The revised GRE test will begin Aug. 1, 2011. Registration for the GRE revised General Test opens on March 15, 2011. Score reports for tests taken between August and October 2011 will become available November 2011. If you need to send your score report to us before November 2011, you need to take the GRE test before August 1, 2011. Reminder, your application to enter the graduate program and associated documents must be received by Dec. 1. However, applications will be considered up till Jan. 1. To qualify for some fellowships, it is only recommended, not required, that applicants to the Division of Marine Biology and Fisheries submit the score of the Subject Test in Biology. To send your GRE score reports to our campus please use Institution code: 7690.

    For Test Takers in China (including Hong Kong), Korea or Taiwan:
    If you're taking the test in these areas, there are some important changes with the GRE revised General Test introduction you should know.

    GRE scores are valid for a period of five years.

  9. Is there a minimum GRE score required for entry into the program?

    The University of Miami requires a minimum score of 1000 (total of verbal + quantitative) or new GRE score 297 (total of verbal + quantitative) for acceptance into the Graduate School.

    The GRE will report the results for the revised exam (taken after August 1, 2011) and its equivalent to the current score format (taken prior to August 1, 2011).

    The Rosenstiel School does not have a minimum score requirement of its own (other than the UM minimum), but most admitted applicants score approximately 80% or better.

    To send your GRE score reports to our campus please use Institution code: 7690.

  10. What is the GPA requirement for entry into the program?

    GPA of 3.0 as stated in the Graduate School Bulletin. For further information on the application process, please click here.

  11. Who has to take the TOEFL exam?

    International applicants whose native language is not English must submit official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). An exception to this rule is the international student who is earning a degree or has done a substantial amount of course work at a North American university.  A minimum score of 550 (paper-based test), 213 (computer-based test), 80 for the iBT (internet-based test), or 6.5 for the IELTS is required by the University of Miami for admission. This requirement cannot be waived. TOEFL scores remain valid for a period of two years. To send your TOEFL score reports to our campus please use Institution code: 2919.

  12. What is the visa process for international students?

    If you are accepted to the Rosenstiel School with financial support from us, we will prepare your I-20 and send it to you by express mail. You must verify that all the information on the I-20 is correct and then take it the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate to apply for your F-1 visa. If you are required to obtain an F-1 or J-1 visa, please contact your U.S. Embassy or Consulate and inquire about how to apply for an exchange visitor visa. Contact information for and information on visa application procedures at U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide is available through the U.S. State Department website: http://www.travel.state.gov.

    To apply for an F-1 visa, you must provide the U.S. Embassy or Consulate your Form I-20, your passport, statement of funds, and other documents as required by the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. To apply for a J-1 visa, you must provide the U.S. Embassy or Consulate with your Form DS-2019, passport, statement of funds, and other documents as required by the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

    For more information regarding international admissions, please see the following: http://www.miami.edu/sa/index.php/student_life/student_services/isss/.

  13. What is the appropriate ETS code to use for the GRE and TOEFL exams?

    Please use institution code 7690 for the GRE scores and 2919 for the TOEFL.

  14. Will visiting the Rosenstiel School help my chances of being accepted?

    Though certainly not required, a personal visit is one way for faculty and students to meet and explore mutual interests. The decision of where to go to graduate school is one of the most important decisions you will make in your career, and the opportunity to visit and get the feel of a place can play an important role in your decision. Visiting the campus also allows for prospective faculty mentors to meet and get to know you. Since much of the funding available for graduate research assistantships is controlled by individual investigators, it doesn't hurt for a potential faculty advisor to be able to associate a face with an application file. On the other hand, a personal visit won't substitute for a weak application and so you shouldn't be worried if resources or distance make a visit unaffordable or impractical.

    Each spring, we invite a limited number of applicants to attend a Recruiting Open House at our expense. We encourage students who are invited to the Open House to attend during that time since, in addition to the tours and interviews with faculty members, it allows you to meet fellow applicants.

  15. If I am not invited to the Recruiting Open House in the spring, does it mean that I'm not a competitive applicant?

    Not at all. Unfortunately, we only have a limited number of invitation slots and can't possibly invite all of our most promising applicants. Not receiving an invitation does not necessarily mean that your application is less competitive than those of students who have been invited. In some cases, distance/cost issues affect our decisions of who to invite. In other cases, we may target applicants for visits in disciplinary areas in which application pressure is low, or who have interests in new emerging research areas where faculty interest is high. If you are not invited to visit during the Open House, you can still be proactive and arrange your own visit at another time.

  16. My application is submitted and I am waiting to hear back. When will I know if I've been accepted?

    During the application process, you can check the status of your application on myUM account click here. In late January or early February, some applicants will be contacted about attending our Recruiting Open House. The majority of admissions decisions will be made by the end of March for applicants other than those to Marine Affairs and Policy, which has a later application deadline.

  17. Can I be admitted in the Spring Semester instead of the Fall? How about during the Summer?

    For Ph.D. study in all divisions other than Marine Affairs and Policy, spring admission is possible only in cases where a student has already earned their Master's degree in the same or similar discipline. Formal coursework is not offered at the Rosenstiel School during the summer sessions although students can arrive early to begin research if arranged in advance with a potential advisor. Note that international students can only arrive prior to the start of the Fall semester if formally accepted to either the Summer I or Summer II sessions for visa reasons.

  18. Is health insurance required?

    Yes, all domestic students enrolled in six or more credit hours per semester (or considered full time), and all international students, are required to have health insurance. The University of Miami Student Health Service offers a student health insurance plan. The premium for this plan is added to each student's fees.

  19. Do I have to purchase the health insurance plan offered by the University? What if I am covered under my parents/spouse/other source?

    Domestic students with adequate alternative coverage may request cancellation of the health insurance fee by submitting a Domestic Insurance Cancellation Form, or through the electronic MyUM system. Students with limited out of area coverage are urged to carefully review their options before waiving the Student Health Service sponsored insurance plan. Deadlines to waive the insurance fee are September 1st for the Fall semester, February 1st for the Spring semester, May 20th for Summer I and July 1st for Summer II.

    All international students are required to enroll in the University sponsored heath insurance program. This cannot be waived.

  20. How much does the University of Miami insurance plan cost?

    The annual premiums for the 2010–2011 insurance plan offered by the University through United HealthCare are $2006 for domestic students and $2189 for international students.

    Further information on the plan can be found at: http://www.miami.edu/sa/index.php/student_health_center/

  21. Do I have to pay the health insurance premium or is it covered in my assistantship or fellowship?

    All students who receive a research assistantship, teaching assistantship, or fellowship for a full year will have their premium covered by RSMAS.

    For more information regarding health insurance and services offered by the Student Health Center, please visit: http://www.miami.edu/sa/index.php/student_health_center/.

    Begining Jan. 2012 the Student Health Center will be expanding: http://www.themiamihurricane.com/2011/04/03/multipurpose-health-facility-to-break-ground/.

  22. Where do Rosenstiel graduate students live?

    The Rosenstiel School is not a residential campus and there are no housing facilities on site. The main campus of the University of Miami, located about ten kilometers away in Coral Gables, does offer some graduate student housing in the form of campus apartments. However, most Rosenstiel students choose to live in apartments or rental units in the many diverse neighborhoods of the greater Miami area. Further information on housing can be found by clicking here.

  23. What is MSGSO?

    MSGSO is the Marine Science Graduate Student Organization. In addition to sponsoring numerous parties and events throughout the year, it serves as an important link between students and the school’s administration. One of MSGSO’s major yearly objectives is to raise money for the Student Travel Fund, which helps support the travel costs of students presenting research results at professional scientific meetings. The major fund raising event for this purpose is an annual auction. MSGSO also maintains an on-campus laundry facility and can provide emergency interest-free student loans. For further information on MSGSO and a current list of officers and division representatives, click here.