Notes for prospective students

For students wishing to study with Prof. Graeme Cumming

This section is intended to offer some guidelines and suggestions for students who may be interested in working with me. Please read it carefully before you contact me.

The quality of your graduate experience will be greatly influenced by your choice of advisor. I suggest that before writing to potential advisors, myself included, you think very carefully about the kind of research that you would like to do and the skills that you would like to learn while doing it. Completion of a graduate degree requires persistence and motivation. If you select a field of study that you are not really interested in, the temptation to drop out when things become difficult will be high.

My own research is relatively quantitative, and I expect students to master a range of numerical techniques; we also do a lot of work with GIS and remotely sensed data. You do not need these skills prior to attending UCT, but you must be willing to learn them. I expect you to be motivated and inspired by your subject and to work hard to master new skills and meet challenges as they arise. Although I will assist you as needed, I do not like to micro-manage students or to constantly issue instructions; spoon-feeding will not help you to grow. If you are scared of maths or computers, and/or if you require step by step guidance when doing research, I will not be an appropriate advisor for you.

I am currently able to accept applications from only a few of the people who write to me expressing an interest in coming to UCT. In making decisions I look primarily at three things: the quality and interests of the applicant, the availability of funding, and the current number of students in the lab. Competition for places is high enough that you will need good grades to gain admittance, unless you have an exceptional amount of work experience or other relevant skills.

I do not expect that students will necessarily work on projects that I suggest (depending partially on the funding source). The point of taking a graduate degree is to develop intellectually; I see the advisor's role as being to guide, not to direct. If you decide to write to me, I suggest that you start with a short note introducing yourself and enquiring about the current availability of places. If I reply in the affirmative, please send me the following as attachments to your response:

• A CV that includes your work experience and grades.
• A statement of interest that explains to me what motivates you to pursue a higher degree, what kinds of theoretical questions in ecology interest you, and why you think that I might be an appropriate advisor.
• A brief summary of the kind of project that you would like to work on.

Current Opportunities

We can often fund South African students through CoE bursaries, so carry on and contact me if you are South African. I do not currently have funding support available for students of other nationalities, although there is some competitive funding around that you could apply for if your grades are excellent.