Most Earth & Environmental Sciences graduate students are supported as teaching assistants or as research assistants through funded grants; the annual stipend for TAs and most RAs is currently $23,500 and includes a tuition waiver. Competitive fellowships with larger stipends are also available to top applicants for the Ph.D. program.

Applicants pursue a thesis program for a Master of Science degree. To be acceptable, the thesis must contain an original contribution to knowledge and be in form and of literary quality worthy of publication. In addition to the thesis, 24 semester hours of course work are required.