APPLY
Applications are now being accepted for the Interfaces of Global Change Program. New and existing graduate students can apply.
Applications will be accepted for fall or spring admission. Deadlines for applications:
- Admission in August (fall semester): deadline for applications is March 1st
- Admission in January (spring semester): deadline is November 30th
Single-year fellowships (which include funding for tuition costs and a monthly stipend) are awarded competitively on an annual basis. All applicants wishing to be considered for a 2019 fellowship should apply during the March 1st application cycle only. No fellowships will be awarded in the November 30th cycle.
Application Format
Please pay close attention to the application requirements described below. Incorrectly formatted or incomplete applications will not be considered by the admissions committee. Each applicant must have a clearly articulated funding plan (at least 3 years of financial support planned, which cannot include the IGC fellowship). If the funding plan includes any departmental support (e.g., GTA), the letter must include a signature from the home department’s authorized representative (department head or graduate program coordinator).
To Apply:
New Students
1. Interested students should contact one of our GCC faculty members, or any other Virginia Tech faculty member, about joining their research program.
2. Once you have identified a faculty mentor, complete the normal application process to the Virginia Tech Graduate School. In the online application, choose the faculty mentor’s home department under the “Programs” option.
3. Applicants should then submit the following materials in PDF format, addressed to the IGC Admissions Review Committee, to Jessica Zielske, IGC Program Coordinator (jcoker@vt.edu):
a. A CV that includes your GPA and GRE scores (and TOEFL scores for international applicants).
b. Contact information for three references.
c. A 1-page cover letter that addresses these questions:
- With what faculty member(s) will you be working and what will be your home department?
- What kind of interdisciplinary research will you be doing that relates to the Interfaces of Global Change program?
- How will the Interfaces of Global Change IGEP benefit your career plans?
- Do you need to be considered for one of our 1-year fellowships*?
d. A brief letter of support, sent directly to the IGC Program Coordinator, from the prospective Ph.D. mentor(s) explaining:
- How will the applicant’s training benefit from the IGC IGEP?
- Provide an explicit funding plan that describes how stipend, tuition, and research expenses will be covered over the course of the applicant’s tenure at Virginia Tech (at least 3 years of financial support planned, which cannot include the IGC fellowship).
- If Departmental support is part of the funding plan (e.g., a GTA), the letter must include a signature from the home department’s authorized representative (department head or graduate program coordinator).
Internal Students
Existing Virginia Tech students can also apply to the Interfaces of Global Change Program. Application instructions are HERE.
