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Admissions

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology students posing on mountain

Iowa State University requires a formal graduate application. Before applying to the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology graduate program, please carefully review the program information outlined below and the university U.S. applicant instructions or international applicant instructions.

EEB Application Procedure and Requirements

EEB is a 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.

Admission Standards

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. The Duolingo score will only be accepted through spring 2025 semester.

NOTE: 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.

When to Apply

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 by the following dates:
Spring: October 1
Summer: March 1
Fall: December 15 
Applications can be submitted after these dates for consideration; however, funding opportunities are limited.

Required Application Materials

  • Graduate application including statement of purpose
  • Resume or curriculum vitae
  • 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 fall 2024 and beyond, please choose ONLY the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Major when you apply.

Decision Timeline

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.

Questions?

See our frequently asked questions page or contact us at eeb@iastate.edu.