Grad Student Resources

MS to PhD Change Guidelines

General Information

Students pursuing an MS Degree in the Biology & Wildlife Department who wish to shift directly to the PhD program without first graduating may apply to do so. A new full UAF application is not required. Read on to learn about the process of application and review. 

Deadlines - Students wishing to shift directly from the MS to the Ph.D. should apply during the normal graduate application review cycles listed on our prospective graduate students webpage.

Application - Applicants should submit electronic copies of the following items to the Biology and Wildlife Department (uaf-bw-apps@alaska.edu). Items to submit:

    • Statement of interest 
    • Copy of the M.S. proposal and any other evidence of progress as an MS student that the student wishes to submit, which may include publications, conference abstracts, successful grant proposals, etc.
    • Current curriculum vitae (CV)

The application also requires a letter of support from the advisor, submitted to uaf-bw-apps@alaska.edu by the advisor. 

Student statement of interest

The statement of interest should include:

  • The student’s career goals
  • The rationale for changing from the MS to the PhD program prior to graduation
  • A summary of research progress to date
  • A brief characterization of the research to be pursued as a PhD student, including draft titles of the dissertation as a whole and at least three chapters expected within the dissertation
  • An explanation of how the proposed PhD research project differs from the current MS research 
Advisor letter of support

In the letter of support, the advisor should address:

  • The suitability of the student for the PhD program
  • The suitability of the proposed PhD research project
  • The expected PhD graduation date 
  • The expected means of financial support for both research expenses and student support, as well as a semester by semester breakdown of student support. 
Review Process

Applications will be reviewed by Biology and Wildlife Department faculty members in the relevant disciplinary review panel.  Reviewers are encouraged to consider the application in the context of new Ph.D. graduate applications to the program. 

The submitted application items, as well as the current UAF GPA, current standing in the MS program, and the information contained in the original MS application, will be made available to faculty reviewers. Faculty reviews will be compiled and submitted to the Department Chair, who will make a final assessment that considers reviewer recommendations, student academic performance and research progress during the MS, potential to succeed in the PhD program, and available funding.  

Application review is a competitive process, and not every application is approved. 

If Accepted

If the student is accepted to the PhD program, the student should submit a degree change form, "Change or Add Graduate Degree, Major, or Certificate", available at https://www.uaf.edu/gradschool/current-students/forms.php.