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Sample Statement of Interest

This sample statement of interest was prepared for an application to the Master of Science in

Natural Resources and Environmental Studies by Kristen Kieta and has been shared here with

credit to the student (with permission). Please do not copy (plagiarize) this statement. However,

you can use it as an example for consideration in the preparation of your own application.

Statement of Interest – Kristen Kieta

When answering the question “why do you want to go to graduate school?” I can say

and Environmental Studies master’s program will further focus my research interests and allow

me to outline current gaps in knowledge and research that managerial and regulatory

organizations need. I am resolute in my belief that the research I conduct and projects I

participate in are conducted with the goal that their results will be a tangible tool for

environmental managers or other cooperative agencies. In discussions with my potential

supervisor Dr. Phillip Owens, it is clear that he conducts his research in this regard.

While working for the US Geological Survey, the project that I have taken the greatest

interest in is an investigation assessing the effectiveness of perpetual easements on

phosphorus reduction in a tributary to the Minnesota River. This study is what initially interested

me in the science and design of buffers, and it is what I hope to continue to study and research

opportunities for interdisciplinary research like what I have found through this USGS study.

Beyond just focusing my research goals and expanding my knowledge of hydrologic systems, I

also want my graduate program to be a learning experience in experimental design, writing

proposals and technical papers, and new ways of approaching environmental problems. The

impressive research facilities and unique faculty from a diverse range of scientific and

management backgrounds lead me to believe I would get exactly this experience during my

time at UNBC.

As I reviewed the graduate calendar on the UNBC website I saw a number of courses I

would be interested in taking outside of the required core courses. One of the draws to the

NRES program is its interdisciplinary nature that allows students to take electives from a broad

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would both increase my knowledge of subjects directly involved with Dr. Owen’s research

project, but also because they are each directly related to the hydrologic career path I hope to

take after graduate school.

When I first began thinking about graduate school it was with the intention of eventually

becoming a professor, either at a four year college or community college. However, after

spending more than two years with the USGS, it is my hope that after graduation I will find a

position as a civil scientist. There is a value that cannot be monetized in much of the science

being done at agencies like Environment Canada, the US EPA, and the USGS. Whereas small

watershed projects and conservation groups do not have the ability to take on large scientific

studies, agencies like those listed above can do so while acting as a completely neutral party,

the environmental field. In speaking with Dr. Owens and reviewing the Environment Canada

project proposal, it became clear that partnerships among numerous universities and agencies

are vital. Thus, it is my hope that during my time as a graduate student I would have the

opportunity to develop relationships with scientists in a number of different agencies. Ultimately I

intend to find a job where the work being done is of use to others in progressing towards a

healthier environment and sustainable future. Only time will tell whether this will be through

scientific research at a federal agency, remediation work at a consulting firm, or teaching at a

community college, but regardless of my eventual career, I am confident that a master’s degree

from UNBC will have prepared me for any task I am asked to complete.