How to Apply

Applications are currently being accepted for the Fall 2026 semester. Incoming Master's students and in-coming or continuing Doctoral students are eligible to apply. Incoming students must already have applied and been accepted to a graduate degree program that offers the Climate Adaptation Science specialization. PhD students in Sociology and Applied Economics often apply for the CAS program during their second, as opposed to their first, year.

Only MS and PhD students from the following DEGREE PROGRAMS are eligible to apply: 
MS: Applied Economics, Applied Environmental Geoscience, Biology, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Climate Science, Ecology, Economics and Statistics, Environment and Society, Geography, Geology, Industrial Mathematics and Statistics, Sociology, and Watershed Sciences.
PhD: Biology, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Climate Science, Ecology, Economics, Environment and Society, Geology, Mathematical Sciences, Sociology, and Watershed Sciences.
If you are not in one of these degree programs but are still interested in applying, please email Lexi Turano.

We will accept a first round of CAS applications through Friday, May 15, 2026. All applications submitted prior to May 15 will receive full consideration for acceptance to the CAS specialization program. We will alert applicants who submitted their materials prior to May 15, 2026 to their program status on Monday, June 1, 2026. 
 
We will continue accepting CAS applications through Saturday, August 15, 2026. Applicants who submit materials by August 15 will be considered for acceptance to the CAS specialization program depending on program resources. We will alert applicants who submitted their materials prior to August 15, 2026, to their program status on Monday, August 24, 2026. 

Students admitted to the CAS program in Fall 2026 will receive a stipend of $5,000 to support their commitment to the two year program ($5,000 for the total 2 years). This stipend may be 1) paid out as an unqualified scholarship to the student or 2) used as reimbursement toward tuition and fees.

Again: admission to the Climate Adaptation Science program is contingent upon admission to a disciplinary degree program at USU, and degree conferrence will be coordinated within that home department.

To apply to the Climate Adaptation Science specialization, please provide the following materials, submitted as a single pdf, to Lexi Turano.

  1. Name, Department, and Degree Program
  2. Resume
  3. An essay of no more than 500 words that describes:
    1. What attracts you to the Climate Adaptation Science program
    2. What you want to gain from the program
    3. Your prior relevant experience (educational, paid, volunteer, or recreational)
    4. What you would bring to the program: we specifically want to know how you will contribute to your cohort and what your research and career goals are
  4. A letter of support from your graduate advisor: The letter should address your interest in and aptitude for interdisciplinary research and how an interdisciplinary degree would benefit your professional capacities and career goals. Additionally, your graduate advisor should explain how your anticipated or current graduate research relates to climate adaptation and how it might be extended to interdisciplinary topics. The letter also must provide assurance that your advisor approves of your participation in the CAS specialization and will work with other CAS faculty, as needed, to support your research.