Applicants should have a baccalaureate degree in agriculture or biological sciences with strong academic performance. Other applicants will be considered provided they have a strong biological science background, including courses in biology, chemistry, and mathematics. Physics, statistics, agriculture, soils, and botany or plant science courses are recommended. Ph.D. applicants should have a M.S. degree or significant research experience.

All international applicants must take and submit scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), with the exceptions noted below. The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 550 for the paper-based test, 213 for the computer-based test, or a total score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section for the Internet-based test (iBT). Applicants with iBT speaking scores between 15 and 18 may be considered for provisional admission, with Graduate School approval, which requires an institutional test of English proficiency upon the first semester of enrollment and, if necessary, remedial course work. The minimum composite score for the IELTS is 6.5.