Prospective Students

We are always on the lookout for potential graduate students with diverse backgrounds and experiences.  The UC Santa Cruz Ocean Sciences Department offers both Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctorate (Ph.D.) degree programs. I encourage all prospective graduate students to explore the Ocean Sciences prospective student page to learn more about these programs, including the program prerequisites. 

Areas of student research in the Polito Lab include using stable isotopes to study the ecological and paleoecological responses of marine food webs to global climate change, the foraging ecology of seabirds and marine mammals, and the impacts of oil spills and coastal restoration on marsh ecosystems. When project specific funding is not available, M.S. and Ph.D. applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for external fellowships such as the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP), NOAA Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program, and/or other funding sources that could provide support for you here at UCSC. 

If you would like to inquire about joining the Polito Lab and learn about current opportunities the first step is to fill out this pre-application. We will then reach out directly to prospective students to answer questions and help navigate the application process.

The Polito Lab strives to create an inclusive, respectful, intellectually challenging climate that embraces individual difference in race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, spirituality, socioeconomic status, disability, family status, experiences, opinions and ideas.