Students must complete 30 units of upper division and graduate courses with a minimum 15 graduate units selected from the biological sciences or from closely related fields such as geography, geology, and mathematics. Successful applicants to our program typically have:
Strong letters of recommendation from people who have observed the applicant in a research setting outside of the classroom and can comment on their ability to excel in graduate school.
A well-written Personal Statement of Research Interests. Ideally, these should link what you've accomplished to what you hope to do in graduate school.
A Bachelor's degree in Biology or a related field (e.g. Environmental Science, Ecology, Marine Science). Applicants with a Bachelor's in a different field often are not as competitive, in part because of their lack of experience conducting relevant research. Additionally, if accepted, such students may be required to take additional coursework.
For foreign students, a minimum score on the TOEFL exam of 550 (paper exam) or 80 (computer-based exam) is required.
GRE scores are no longer required for admissions. GRE scores are poor predictors of graduate success, and such standardized tests can be barriers to applicants. Effective immediately, GRE scores will not be considered by EPA Faculty when making acceptance decisions. IELTS overall score of 6.5 or higher.