Instructions for graduate applicants

​Thank you for your interest in our graduate program in Biological Sciences here at Clemson University. Our lab is quantifies how climate change and habitat loss influence individual variation in behavior and social structure in aquatic animals. My students have worked on a variety of topics in the field of evolutionary behavioral ecology including impacts of drought and disease in blue crabs, mate choice in sailfin mollies, behavioral syndromes in octopus, gregariousness in spiny lobsters, herbivory in parrotfishes, structure use in reef fishes, ecological impacts of marine debris, crayfish worm symbiont interactions, and coral reef community ecology. 
​​I am considering graduate applications for our MS and PhD programs. The minimum requirements for consideration are (1) a BS or MS degree in marine ecology, marine conservation, behavioral ecology, or ecology; (2) two years of field experience including open water SCUBA diving certification and small boat operation, and (3) a strong interest in experimental field biology. All applicants will be required to submit a 2-3 page pre-proposal of their graduate research project as part of the application.
​​
Graduate students in Biological Sciences are supported by either a graduate research assistantship or a graduate teaching assistantship. Teaching support is available for 6 semesters for MS students and for 10 semesters for PhD students. I currently do not have funding for a graduate research assistantship.
​We approach these topics by using a combination of manipulative field experiments, controlled laboratory experiments, individual-based models, structural equation models, and acoustic telemetry. Successful graduate student applicants usually have field experience with marine invertebrates, small boat operations, and open water SCUBA certification. Graduate students in my lab are expected to train and supervise undergraduate research students as part of Clemson's Creative Inquiry Program.
If you would like to apply to graduate position in our lab, please send me the following information.
  1. A cover letter describing which degree you are seeking (MS or PhD), your career goals describing your ideal job you would like to have after leaving graduate school, and how a degree from my lab here at Clemson might help you reach your career goals.
  2. A CV or resume that describes your previous academic and research experiences.
  3. An unofficial copy of your academic transcripts.
  4. A 2-3 page proposal idea for a project that you might be interested in doing for your graduate research. This can, and should be, closely related to the research topics described above.
After I have seen your cover letter, CV, transcripts and project proposal, I will be better able to make a recommendation regarding your chances of acceptance into our graduate program. Please understand that our program at Clemson receives dozens of applications, but only a few students are accepted each year. Thanks again for your interest in applying to the Childress lab.
You can find out more about the formal graduate application process click here.
Dr. Michael Childress
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Dept. of Forestry and Environmental Conservation 
Clemson University
Clemson, SC 29634-0314
​864.985.2384
Proudly powered by Weebly