Admission

GRADUATE SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICANTS

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Minimum undergraduate Grade Point Average of 3.0 (for regular admission status)
• Extra requirements for international applicants

• Minimum TOEFL or IELTS scores for regular admission status (test must have been taken within the last two years)
• Computer-based TOEFL: all parts > 20 and essay > 4.0
• Paper-based TOEFL: all parts > 53 and essay > 4.0
• IELTS: overall band score > 6.0 and all individual band scores > 5.5
• Provide evidence of financial resources necessary for graduate study at KU for an academic year (for more details contact International Student and Scholar Services at isss@ku.edu)

DEPARTMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICANTS

Admission to the graduate program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology is based on background, preparation, test scores, and prior academic performance. A graduate student in ecology and evolutionary biology should have a broad undergraduate background in natural science and math, including calculus, physics, chemistry, population biology, organismal biology, and genetics. Deficiencies can be made up during the first year of graduate study

The Graduate Admissions Committee for the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) Department has not set minimum criteria for admission because these depend to some extent on the quality of all our applicants in any year.  Listed below are the qualifications successful applicants have had.

• Average GRE scores of successful applicants (test must have been taken within the last five years)
• Scores from before 10/1/02:  aggregate score of 1800 or higher
• Scores from after 10/1/02:  verbal/quantitative aggregate score of 1200 or higher and analytical writing score of 4.5 or higher
• 3.2 or higher undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA)

HOW TO APPLY

SEEK OUT A FACULTY SPONSOR

A prospective student must have a faculty sponsor before being admitted. Students should correspond with one or more faculty members before and during the application process to identify prospective sponsors. Acknowledgement of sponsorship from a faculty member is critical to admission. We encourage interested students to visit our campus to meet faculty and other graduate students. Graduate school is critically important in beginning a career, and the decision of where to enroll should be made carefully. We strive to create the best match possible between each student’s goals and aspirations and our programs and facilities.

SUBMIT APPLICATION MATERIALS

• Materials to be sent to KU’s Graduate School office (mailing address: Graduate Applications, Graduate School, Attn: Office Staffing, 1450 Jayhawk Blvd., Room 300, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS  66045-7535.):
• Application form
  • Electronic
  • Paper
• Application fee
• One set of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
• Materials to be sent EEB office (mailing address:  Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Attn: Graduate Coordinator, 1200 Sunnyside Ave., Room 2041, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045-7534):
• Three letters of recommendation completed on the standard EEB letter of recommendation form (typically sent directly to us by your recommenders; please note that letters from prospective faculty sponsors are considered supplementary to the three required letters)
• A current resume or curriculum vita
• A statement describing your career goals, which must also include names of faculty members you have contacted or with whom you would like to work
• Official GRE scores
• Official TOEFL or IELTS scores (for international applicants)
• Evidence of financial resources (for international applicants)

APPLICATION DEADLINE

If you wish to be considered for any of a number of University fellowships and assistantships, all application materials for fall admission must be submitted before January 10.  Applications may be accepted after this date, but financial aid through the department may not be available for late applicants.  The Department guarantees financial support for students entering the doctoral program for a total of five years (pending budgetary approval from the state and subject to yearly review of the student’s performance).  This support may be in the form of a combination of graduate teaching assistantships, research assistantships, curatorial assistantships, and fellowships

For additional information, please contact Jaime Keeler ( ; 785-864-2362), Graduate Coordinator for the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.