Application Deadline for Fall 2024: December 1, 2023
We are no longer considering applications for Fall 2023.
The application deadline for both domestic and international students is December 1 for admission the following Fall. The Department will only admit students in the Fall semester. We will start accepting applications for Fall 2024 admissions in September 2023.
Admission Requirements
We recommend that applicants have a Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a biology-related field. Students who have a M.S. degree in a related field are encouraged to apply. Previous research experience is highly desirable but not essential. Applicants are strongly encouraged to correspond directly with faculty in our Department whose work is of particular interest.
Applicants should review the UA Graduate College’s minimum admission requirements.
How to Apply
To apply, you must follow the steps below and complete the University of Arizona’s Graduate College online application:
- Create a GradApp account.
- Complete your GradApp profile.
- Select "Apply to a Program" from the sidebar.
- Choose “Main Campus” under campus and "Degree Seeking" under application type. Choose "Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (PHD)" or "Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (MS)" under program of study.
- This should initiate your application under "My Active Applications."
Application Checklist
Upload a statement of purpose, approximately 1-3 pages in length (PDF format preferred), that addresses the following:
- What are your goals and objectives for pursuing a graduate degree?
- What are your qualifications and indicators of success in this endeavor?
- Include career objectives that obtaining this degree will facilitate.
Upload a current resume or Curriculum Vitae outlining your education, honors, memberships and participation in professional organizations, employment history, research and scholarly activities, and publications.
Upload unofficial transcripts of your college work for initial review purposes only. If offered admission, you will need to provide official, sealed transcripts before you can be admitted.
You'll need three letters of recommendation from persons qualified to evaluate your scholarly potential. Enter contact information for your referees in the online application. Your referees will receive an email directly from the University of Arizona instructing them to upload their letter and answer a few supplemental questions.
You will be asked to provide a list of faculty members in our Department who 1) you are interested in working with; and 2) you’ve corresponded with regarding your research interests (if any).
The most important thing you can do as a prospective student is make contact with potential faculty advisors to determine if their area(s) of research match your own interests. Finding a good fit between you and a faculty mentor will be critical to your success in graduate school. Please review our faculty members and their research interests—this will give you a good sense of the work that they and their current students are doing.
You will have the option to upload any additional information/materials that you think may strengthen your application.
English proficiency is one of the conditions of admission for applicants whose native language is not English. Non-native English speaking applicants must submit official TOEFL (or IELTS) scores as part of their application. A minimum TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 550 paper based (PB), 79 internet based (iBT), or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) composite score of 7 (no subject area below a 6) is required.
The University of Arizona's institution code for sending official electronic score reports from ETS is 4832.
See the Graduate College’s English Proficiency requirements for more information.
Please contact our Graduate Program Coordinator, Pennie Rabago, if you have any questions or experience issues with submitting any part of your application online. If you are having technical issues with the online program, please contact the Graduate College.