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Sustainable Development & Conservation Biology (CONS) Graduate Program
CONS 2011 Cohort!
NEW: Message from the CONS Program Director
Dear Prospective CONSers,
Thanks for your interest in the CONS M.S. Program at the University of Maryland. As has been the case in the past 3 years, we received a large applicant pool this year. Most applicants far exceeded our admissions standards, and we would have loved to admit the many outstanding applicants. We can only accept 15-20 students per year, and we were forced to make some tough decisions.
This year we had 89 total applications: 28 PPCN and 61 CONS. As always we had an incredibly strong and deep pool of excellent applicants. We will be sending out letters of admission to the top 15 candidates. We have also identified ~20 students for our waitlist, and we will contact them should any of our offers be turned down. The remaining 53 applicants will receive a letter indicating that their application has been closed.
The quantitative measures for the 15 students we will offer admission are:
Mean GPA 3.64 (range 3.3 - 4.0)
Mean GRE verbal 592 (84%)
Mean GRE quantitative 709 (76%)
Mean GRE analytical writing 4.5 (67%)
Our admissions decisions were made on the complete application, and based on the committee's overall perception of the candidate's quality and fit with the program. No one item determined acceptance or rejection. Given the large number of excellent applications, we were able to select students outstanding in all categories. We evaluated the following items: scores (GPA, GRE), recommendations (written letters, rankings), evidence of leadership, academic preparedness (quantitative skills, ecology, economics, policy courses), and evidence of real-world experience (internships, research experience, work experience, Peace Corps/Americorps).
You should be able to login to the University of Maryland Graduate Admissions webpage to verify your status shortly, and we encourage you to check our "FAQ" and "Prospective Students" sections for admissions advice for future application seasons.
On behalf of all in the CONS program, we wish you all the best of luck in your future career.
Sincerely,
Dr. Karen Lips
Director CONS Program
Important Registration Information for Current CONS Students:
Wondering how many credits you need to be registered for in order to be considered a full time student? Click here or visit the Biological Sciences Graduate Program (BISI) website for more information.
Fall 2012 Registration Information for Current CONS Students:
There are several courses available for the Fall 2012 semester that will fulfill CONS core requirements. These courses, also listed on the CONS graduation checklist, are highlighted below:
• BIOL708T Advanced Topics in Biology: Theoretical Ecology (Ecology Core)
• PUAF 640 Microeconomic and Policy Analysis (Economics Core)
• AREC 453 Natural Resources and Public Policy (Economic Core)
For newly admitted CONS students:
The CONS program continues to welcome new students for Fall 2012. New admits will be receiving a CONS Orientation Manual by mid April. Please read this manual carefully, as it will answer most of your questions regarding the CONS program, course selection, tuition, registration, and student life. If you still have questions, feel free to email the CONS office (consoffice@umd.edu) and our office staff will be happy to assist you.
CONS Travel Funds
CONS Students: Thinking about attending a conference or presenting your scholarly paper?
Click here for information about how to apply for CONS travel funds!
Where can a CONS degree take you?
Click here to view our latest alumni profile!
Check out the latest CONS News!
Quick Links
Graduation Requirements (.doc)
CONSentrations/ Specializations(.doc)
On- and Off-Campus Sustainability Resources
Contact the CONS program
Graduate Program in Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology
0105 Cole Field House
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Email: consoffice@umd.edu
Telephone: 301-405-7409
Fax: 301-314-9358
Note: The CONS Office is now closed for the summer term. We will open again at the end of August for the Fall 2012 semester. Please expect a slight delay in email corrospondence due to limited office personnel over the summer months.
The CONS Office is closed during semester breaks and when the university is closed.
Directions to our office once on campus:
From Stamp Student Union, cross Union Lane. Walk across the Union Lane Garage parking lot and enter in the side, glass door of Cole Field House toward the back of the buiding, right off the parking lot. The CONS office is in the MEES Suite (down the hall on the right) in Room 0105.
You can get a campus map at the information desk in Stamp Student Union, or print one at the following link: http://www.transportation.umd.edu/pdf/2006pdfmap.pdf
