EEB is a highly competitive, direct-admit graduate program, where students are admitted into the lab of a major professor as well as into the EEB program. As such it is imperative that prospective students identify a potential professor before applying to the program. Applicants should review our faculty directory to identify research faculty working in areas that align with their interests and goals. Once relevant faculty members have been identified, applicants should contact those faculty directly to inquire about open graduate positions and funding opportunities for their planned term of entry. Only applicants that contact faculty, apply for the program and are then nominated by a faculty member will be considered for admission to the program.

The EEB program does not allow for self-funding nor can we provide conditional admission. We also do not provide application fee waivers.

MS & PhD applicants should meet the following criteria:

• An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better (3.3 GPA for any graduate work)
• Research readiness
• International applicants: An English proficiency score of 79-iBT, 550-PBT, 6.5-IELTS, 53-PTE or 105 Duolingo (NOTE: this score will only be good for Summer - Fall 2025). Beginning Spring 2026, the minimum Duolingo score will be 115.You are exempted from providing an English proficiency score if you hold a bachelor's or higher degree from a country where English is the ONLY official language. Please refer to the attached document for a listing: Countries where English is the only official language.

We no longer require the GRE for admission to our program.

Research readiness: an applicant's commitment and readiness to conduct graduate-level research, may be evaluated on:

• Letters of recommendation that clearly describe research performance or suitability to pursue research
• Strong performance in undergraduate research experiences and/or capstone projects
• Related internships/work experience
• Strong performance in upper-level undergraduate and/or graduate-level courses
• A well-crafted statement of purpose that clearly describes research interests and goals
• Unique life/work experience
• Accepted or in print peer-reviewed publications
• Participation in national professional association conferences and symposia, including presentation of peer-reviewed research, abstracts and posters
• Significant documented laboratory and/or field research conducted independently by an applicant.

To receive priority consideration for competitively awarded fellowships, and to ensure there are no Visa issues for international students, applicants should submit a complete application package December 15 for fall admission.

Applications can be submitted after these dates for consideration; however, funding opportunities are limited.

• Graduate application
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• A statement of purpose and research interest(s)
• Letters of recommendation (3)
• Transcripts
• Additional information speaking to the applicant's research readiness (e.g., copies of publications, evidence of conference presentations or other material that the potential major professor may deem pertinent)
• International applicants: Official English proficiency exam results

All materials should be submitted through the online application system.  Applicants are responsible for submitting the required materials and ensuring that all letters of recommendation are received. Letters of recommendation can be tracked through the online system.

NOTE: for spring 2025 and beyond, please choose either the EEOB-A or EEOB-S Graduate Major when you apply.

Please see the graduate application information for further information on how to complete the application.
 

The Admissions Committee begins reviewing nominated applicants in January. Initial admission offers are made in March. Applicants nominated after January are reviewed on an individual basis. Applicants that do not receive a nomination are notified in April.

A formal admission review is required for transfers and co-majors. The same admission standards used for external applicants will be used for internal applicants. The following must be submitted:

• A nomination letter from a current EEB faculty member who is willing to serve as your major (or co-major professor if you want to add the co-major) . This nomination should include a funding plan. This nomination should be sent directly from the professor to eeb@iastate.edu  
• From you: a current transcript, a statement of your research interest and your most recent CV sent to eeb@iastate.edu