If interested in
applying to work with Remsen, then here's what you need to know before you go
any further:
[• I am currently not accepting any new students. My lab is currently full, and I am
strongly considering retiring in about 4 years]
• I sponsor Ph.D. and M.S. students.
• When we
accept students, we also offer them financial support, either as a Teaching
Assistant or Curatorial Assistant; these stipends are currently $15,250
(although this may seem lower than in many programs, the cost of living in Baton
Rouge is one of the lowest in any metropolitan areas in the USA).
• I place two restrictions on
students' research projects: (1) they must be focused on tropical birds, and
(2) they must involve collecting and use of specimens to some extent. Other
than that, I do not expect students to apply with, or arrive with, formal
research plans; instead, I prefer that new students not commit to a specific
research plan until the end of their first year, when they will have been
exposed to many new ideas and realities.
• Those with
tropical field experience or experience in collecting specimens have an
advantage. Applicants lacking a
strong background in bird natural history are at a great disadvantage.
• Although I
don't put much emphasis on GRE scores, the Graduate School and the Dept. of
Biological Sciences do. Required minimum GRE (math + verbal) for your
application to make it past the Graduate School is 1100. Foreign students should be fluent in
English, preferably in Academic English. TOEFL, SAT scores must be submitted with the application
form. For non-English-first
speakers, more emphasis is put on the TOEFL score than the GRE Verbal score. Those with GPAs lower than 3.0 will also
have a difficult time being admitted to the Dept. of Biological Sciences.
• If interested primarily in
molecular phylogenetics of birds, then you should contact my colleague Dr. Fred Sheldon. If interested primarily in molecular
population genetics of birds, then contact my colleague Dr. Robb Brumfield. Both
also work with tropical birds. Also, Dr. Phil Stouffer, LSU School of Renewable
Natural Resources, is a prominent tropical bird ecologist who sponsors M.S. and
Ph.D. students; he and his students interact frequently with LSUMNS.
• If still interested, see:
Synopsis of Graduate Program in Ornithology
and for details on LSU application
procedure, including online application:
and for details on Dept. Biological
Sciences graduate admissions:
Dept.
Biological Sciences Graduate Programs
• DEADLINES: although we have no hard
deadlines, please get your application completed by late December. Review of
applications begins in early January, although decisions are not usually made
until at least mid-February.