Application Information

Admission Requirements (Graduate School Admission Requirements):

A Bachelor’s degree from an approved institution, an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 basis), and an undergraduate major suitable for entering the proposed field are required. Normally, students will have had undergraduate training in the biological or agricultural sciences.

Satisfactory preparation for graduate study should include mathematics through differential and integral calculus, chemistry through organic chemistry with lab, physics through light and electricity, and a comprehensive biology sequence. Course work in these areas may be required during the first year of graduate study if deficiencies exist.

Graduates of U.S. institutions must submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (no older than 2 years) including the Aptitude and Advanced tests (biology or biochemistry/cell and molecular biology). We recommend that prospective students take the GRE Package #1 (verbal reasoning, analytical reasoning, writing, and quantitative reasoning), although we will accept the results of GRE Package #2. Students should contact the Educational Testing Service for the exact time and location of the examination and general information on this procedure. Results of the examination must be sent to the Graduate School, Bascom Hall, Univ. of Wis., Madison, WI 53706. At the option of the major professor, graduates of foreign institutions may be required to submit GRE scores in order to qualify for Graduate Research Assistantships. Any student interested in competing for fellowship or scholarship awards from the University of Wisconsin must submit GRE scores.

Every applicant whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English, must provide official scores (no older than 2 years) from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB). An admitted applicant whose TOEFL (paper-based) test score is below 580; TOEFL computer-based test (CBT) score below 237; or MELAB below 82 must take an English assessment test upon arrival. You must then register for any recommended English as a Second Language (ESL) course(s) in the first semester you are enrolled. Note: Department/Program requirements may be higher than the minimum scores stated above.

Admission of the student is recommended by one of the departments involved. For admission to Graduate School and to the Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics Program, the Chair of PBPG signs the admissions form with concurrence of the Chair (or Admissions Chair) of the department of the student’s major professor. If a student initially enters a graduate program other than Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics, then later wishes to pursue a Ph.D. degree in PBPG, the student must request a change of major. This must be approved by the Chair of PBPG and the major professor’s department.

On rare occasions students who show promise may not fulfill the requirements for normal entry into the program and admission on probation is required. If a student has an undergraduate GPA of less than 3.0 or has been dropped from another graduate program because of academic difficulties, the application for admission or change of major must be supported by a letter from the proposed major professor. This must be approved by the Chair and at least two members of the PBPG Executive Committee as well as the department of the student’s major professor. The maximum probationary period is two academic semesters.

Financial Assistance:

Financial support may be available through Research Assistantships (RA’s) or Graduate School Fellowships. Fellowships are granted to students with very outstanding academic records. We ask that your application be complete, including GRE scores, by January 15 for Fellowship competition. Research Assistantships are awarded by individual professors through funds available to their research programs. The stipend for RA’s is currently $18,120 for 12 months and includes a tuition waiver. The admission application will also serve as an application for an assistantship. There is no deadline for RA applications.

International student Financial Information

Application Checklist:

Only online applications will be accepted. For procedures, contact: Graduate School Application Instructions.

• Online application
• Official Transcript - Official transcripts or academic records from each institution attended. International academic records must be in the original language accompanied by an official English translation. Documents must be issued by the school with the official seal/stamp and an official signature(s).
• 3 letters of recommendation - Letters can now be submitted electronically. Forms for letters of recommendation can be found at: http://info.gradsch.wisc.edu/admin/admissions/elorinstructions.html.
• Statement for Reason for Graduate Study
• List Awards, Honors, Presentations, and Publications
• GRE
• MELAB or TOEFEL (International students only)

Graduate School Checklist

Application items should be sent to Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics program.

Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics Program
Department of Agronomy
1575 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706

If you have any questions regarding our program, or your application, please contact us via email clsmith8@wisc.edu