Q. I am considering grad school at Rutgers and would like to be your student.  Can you get me in?  Can you fund my work?  Is your program good?  Is your program good for me?  Does your work fit well with my interests?

A. You should read each of these sections before feeling like you understand the process.


ADMISSIONS:  Are you good enough to get in?  I am not the person to ask.  How do you apply?  I am not the person to ask.  In fact, I have limited input into the process since students have to be accepted by 1) Rutgers' Graduate School, and 2) the Graduate Program of Geography.  For more information, I would encourage you to visit the program's web page at www.geography.rutgers.edu or contact the chair of the graduate program, Rick Schroeder.

Still, I generally encourage the following procedure:
1) Begin by getting the application materials
2) Apply to the graduate program in geography
3) Once you have applied, but before any decision has been made, you should find a likely advisor and let the grad program know that you have done that
4) Correspond with the advisor to ensure that he/she is actively following your application for acceptance and funding
5) Wait and see

Again, I am NOT the authority on these matters.  These are just some thoughts on how you might proceed.


ADVISING AND COMMITTEES:  I accept a limited number of advisees at either the Masters or PhD level in Geography.  I also serve on some committees, but still request that you observe the following basic protocol.

If interested, you should send me a letter or email formally requesting that I serve as your advisor or committee member.  The letter should make it clear what degree you are pursuing, your status in pursuit of that degree, the area of specialty that you pursuing and the degree of specialization that you seek, and the reasons that you think I should serve as your advisor.  In particular, you should mention what aspects of my work make me an appropriate advisor for you.


FUNDING:  I do not currently have sufficient funding to offer any financial support to incoming graduate students.  If I did have funding, it would generally be available first to my current advisees and then to the most very exceptional entering student.

Incoming students need to be aware that acceptance to the program does NOT assure them of funding.  Some funding is made available each year through the geography program for teaching assistants and fellows.  For more information, I would encourage you to visit the program's web page at www.geography.rutgers.edu or contact the chair of the graduate program, Rick Schroeder.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS:  The geography program has traditionally been a very successful venue for graduate students.  However, I have heard that recent changes in immigration laws (and/or enforcement) have made it much more difficult for potential students to obtain visas.  You should be aware that this has become more difficult and you should be aware that I am not familiar with the process.

GEOGRAPHY PROGRAM:  I am a member of the graduate program of Geography.  That is presently my only graduate affiliation.  As to whether it is a good program, I can only respond, "Of course it is good."  As to whether it is a good program FOR YOU, I strongly encourage you to contact students currently enrolled in the program for honest assessments of how the program works and a list of its pluses and minuses.  I would be happy to provide you the emails of a couple of my students upon your request.

For specific or technical questions about admissions, degree requirements, transferring credits, or funding through geography, I would encourage you to visit the program's web page at http://geography.rutgers.edu/ and contact the chair of the graduate program, Rick Schroeder.


MY WORK:  You can learn more about my work through my web pages at www.crssa.rutgers.edu/people/dtulloch

As explained on my web page, my research is focuses in a few areas:
a) Landscape Change
b) Institutional GIS (including GIS Policy issues)
c) PPGIS (Public Participatory Geographic Information Systems)
d) Applications of GIS that addressing socio-environmental issues




I am more than willing to discuss these matters further, but would encourage you to contact me with specific questions or concerns at dtulloch@crssa.rutgers.edu.