Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies

Happy Holidays! The Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies will be closed for in-person and phone services from December 20 to January 5 at 8:30 a.m. During this time, please contact us by email.

The University will be closed from December 24, reopening on Friday, January 2 at 8:30 a.m..

Grad Students' Words of Wisdom

Portrait of graduate student Megan Brasher

Megan Brasher

Advice for Prospective Grad Students...

If you're struggling, don't be afraid to reach out.

Portrait of MBIOT Biotechnology at U of Guelph grad student Nathaniel Hoffman

Nathaniel Hoffman

Advice for Prospective Grad Students...

Soak up as much knowledge as you can from the talented faculty members at the University of Guelph!

Portrait of Amanda Avison

Amanda Avison

Words of wisdom for a prospective grad student...

 You get out of your education what you put into it.

Christie Brodie MCL, Master of Conservation Leadership at Guelph

Christie Brodie

Advice for Prospective Grad Students...

I have always followed my gut and trusted my instincts. I truly believe I wouldn’t have had the opportunities I have had if I didn’t trust that what was meant to happen, would happen at the right time for me. From the short internship that has become a career, to waiting for this program to exist to pursue my masters – timing is everything.

B&W portrait of Bob Wiseman

Bob Wiseman

Words of Wisdom...

When an airline asks you to sign a waiver for your guitar just scribble quickly in hard to read handwriting "no thank you" and hand it back. Later if they damage your equipment you can claim you did not understand why they handed that waiver to you.

Bob Wiseman Online

Profile of graduate student Matthew Rudland (MSc, Environmental Sciences) in the atrium of Mac Donald Stewart Hall at the University of Guelph

Matthew Rudland

How Will Your Research Improve Life?

My research dealt with using biostimulants as environmentally friendly alternatives to fungicides, for preventing dollar spot disease, which is one of the most prevalent disease that affects turfgrass on golf courses worldwide. My research will hopefully help to identify species and cultivars of turfgrass that respond positively to various biostimulant applications and therefore have a lower disease incidence. This will potentially allow golf course managers to use fewer fungicides in the future by switching to biostimulant applications, which will reduce the environmental impact that they have on the surrounding ecosystems.

Portrait of graduate student Tracy Bento (MSc, Marketing & Consumer Studies) in the atrium of MacDonald Stewart Hall at the University of Guelph

Tracy Bento

Advice for Prospective Grad Students… 

I would tell prospective students that pursuing graduate studies at UofG is a good choice, as they provide students with the opportunity to learn in a classroom, along with research opportunities. The research opportunities give you an opportunity to put the knowledge you learned in the classroom into a real-life situation. The research that you will pursue will add valuable information to the academic and industry community.

Abbie Viscardi

Abbie Viscardi

Other Thoughts… 

In graduate studies, you will work harder than you have ever worked, but it is going to be so rewarding. There are experts in every field at the University of Guelph, who will support you and offer so many resources that are available to help you succeed. You are also going to meet some incredible people along the way, especially since there is such strong comradery among fellow graduate students. I know this is a cliché, but I think you get out of your time here what you put into it, and there are so many opportunities available to take advantage of, to ensure you have a great experience. 

Ted Cogan

Ted Cogan

About Financial Support...

In addition to providing a stable funding guarantee, the department and college offered a number of additional travel and research funding opportunities that contributed substantially to the quality of my work. 

Julia Billings portrait

Julia Billings

Advice for prospective grad students:

I encourage prospective graduate students to embrace interdisciplinary learning and seek out mentorship opportunities. Graduate school is about more than just coursework—it is about developing critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and building professional relationships. Stay open to new perspectives, actively engage in discussions, and take advantage of the research and networking opportunities available at U of G.