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

MSc Tourism and Hospitality at the University of Guelph graduate student Zhehao Zhao

Zhehao Zhao

Advice for Prospective Grad Students...

Smart or slow, doesn't really matter in the end, the point is everyone has their own time zone, all you have to have is your own balance of work, play, and all other stuff, the others don't really matter.

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. 

Portrait of Toochukwu Urama

Toochukwu Kingsley Urama

Toochukwu's advice for someone considering grad school

Approach every challenge and opportunity with an open mind and unwavering determination. Graduate school is more than just gaining knowledge; it’s about realizing your true potential, pushing your boundaries, and turning your passion into something real.

Emily Vis

Emily Vis

About My Advisor...

“My advisor has allowed me to grow as an independent researcher, and ensures I stay on track. I have had a wonderful experience growing into the student I am now. ”

Jayson Capistrano in the Hagen Aqualab

Jayson Capistrano

Tips for prospective grad students...

To future graduate students, it is important to keep a clean, legible, and logical lab notebook! Also remember that your brain is your best weapon to succeed in graduate school and it functions best when it is well-rested; only pull all-nighters if necessary. Learn to manage your time and try not to do multiple things at once; multi-tasking in the lab can lead to errors in experiments. Finally, enjoy your time and get all the food and freebies from conferences and other events!

U of Guelph Population Medicine Epidemiology MSc student, Mariah Crevier weighing a calf

Mariah Crevier

Advice for Prospective Grad Students...

My advice would be that a Masters degree is like a roller coaster. You will have your ups and downs in your research but that is all apart of being a scientist! There is no such thing as a 'bad' discovery.

Shannon Klingel

Shannon Klingel

Advice for Prospective Grad Studies...

If I were to speak with someone considering Guelph, I would tell them that although it may not be a very lucrative venture, it is an incredibly fulfilling experience. Additionally, for those thinking about diving into graduate studies but are unsure about the difficulty or commitment, always remember: a little drive and determination can go a long way! 

Katie Kroeze

Advice for prospective grad students...

My student philosophy is that anyone can learn anything. However, to succeed and enjoy your graduate school education you need to create good relationships with your mentors and those you look up to and get involved in student life by joining things that resonate with you whether that be student councils, clubs, intramural teams, etc!

Portrait of graduate student Kiran Bains

Kiran Bains

Advice for Prospective Grad Students...

Grad school opens doors! SO many doors were opened up for me just in the last two years of my degree.
Make sure you choose an adviser who is well-known in the industry because they will help you grow quickly in the field. I saw my adviser as a professional mentor and I'm able to go to her with questions about the industry. She has given me so much insight into the future of our professional field which has helped shape my future career goals. Take advantage of all the mentorship opportunities that you can. Grad school is the BEST place for that! Finding mentors when you're not a student is hard. Being a student is a great excuse to find mentors who will be so strategically useful to you, if you take advantage of your time here!

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.