Graduate School and Employment

Graduate school
Want even more geoscience classes?! Both BA and BS students head to masters and PhD programs at a wide variety of institutions. Talk with your advisor and the faculty about your interests in graduate school; they can make you aware of programs you might be interested in. We can get you in touch with alums who are students or professors in graduate geoscience programs, too. Be in touch with faculty and the Administrative Assistant to find out who is where. Talking to alums is always very helpful.

"Coming out of W&L geology has made me feel more prepared for graduate school not only because of what I learned in the classroom but also the fieldwork and lab opportunities are exceptional and more abundant than anywhere else I have been. Many of the skills I learned at W&L are not even taught in graduate school." Kat Telfeyan

Some years, in the fall, we have a graduate school panel with alums who are in or were recently in a variety of geoscience graduation programs. You can learn about how to find out about programs, the application process, what it's like to be in a research lab, and more. There is plenty of time for your individual questions.

If you are interested in environmental graduate programs, contact Professor Robert Humston, Program Head of Environmental Studies, to request access to the Google Groups W&L Envs Job Board (graduate program opportunities are included in the listings).

Geoscience graduate programs major have gone to in the last few years
Iceland School of Energy, Sustainable energy
American University, Sustainability management
Boston College, Biogeochemistry
Colorado State University, fluvial geomorphology
University of Georgia, Geophysics
University of Michigan, Environmental engineering
University of Texas-Austin, geophysics

Geoscience employment
If you are planning on heading off to a job, feel free to talk with faculty about your interests. They know a lot about jobs in different fields and alums who work in those fields. Conversations with alumni about certain industries and positions are always beneficial. Alums regularly send job listings to us which are forwarded on to you.

You should definitely go talk to the Office of Career and Professional Development; officers there will help you figure out how to best communicate your skills and goals, fine-tune your résumés and cover letters, practice for interviews, and find alums you about careers. 

There are several opportunities each year to meet with alums for mock interviews or information sessions, including the Geoscience and Environmental Career Panel each winter term, sponsored by Earth and Enviromental Geoscience, Environmental Studies, and CaPD. This event features several alumni talking about their career paths and positions in environmental jobs. There are also break-out sessions so you can spend more time talking to each of the panelists. Beyond the panel, most alumni in all geoscience fields are happy to talk to you about what they do, and they might work at an organization or company that offers internships or may have job openings, so be sure to talk to faculty and the geosicence Administrative Assistant to find out if there are alums you can talk to about experiences you are interested in finding out more about.

If you are interested in environmental internships or short-term or full-time employment, contact Professor Robert Humston, Program Head of Environmental Studies, to request access to the Google Groups W&L Envs Job Board.