Admission to the Plant Biology Program

Criteria for Admission

The Plant Biology Program encourages applications from all qualified students who are excited by plant science and are strongly motivated to pursue research careers in academia, industry or government. Washington University gives consideration to all applicants regardless of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or disability.

Requirements for admission to the graduate program in Plant Biology include a baccalaureate degree, generally in the natural or physical sciences or a field of engineering. In addition to a strong background in biology, applicants should have completed college courses in mathematics, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants must submit scores for the general tests of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and are encouraged to submit scores for one or more subject tests. Biology, Biochemistry and Chemistry are most common, but other subject tests will also be considered. Foreign students not educated at English-speaking colleges or universities must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Because an essential criterion for admission is evidence of potential as an independent research scientist, under-graduate or postgraduate research experience is considered highly desirable.

The Admissions Process

Refer to the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences for specific and detailed information on the admissions process.

The Plant Biology Program is one of twelve Ph.D. Programs offered within the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (DBBS). Applications for all twelve Programs are accepted at DBBS from September through early December and are then forwarded to the appropriate admissions committee. Because all twelve Programs use the same application form, be sure to specify that you are applying to the Plant Biology Program.

The application deadline is December 1. Application forms are electronically accessible through the Division of Biology and Biomedical Science website at dbbs.wustl.edu. There is no application fee. For questions regarding the application, call the Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences at 1-800 -852-9074 (toll-free) or by email to dbbs-admissions@dbbs.wustl.edu.

After applications are complete and have been reviewed, outstanding candidates are invited to visit St. Louis, at the University's expense. This gives applicants the chance to meet faculty and current students and to learn more about ongoing research, educational opportunities and life at the University and in the St. Louis area.

Students offered admission are admitted only once per year, to begin classes in the fall semester. However, admitted students can matriculate in the summer and receive stipend support before classes begin, if they wish, in order to get settled and begin their first research rotation.

Each admitted student in the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences is guaranteed a competitive stipend ( click here for current DBBS stipend levels), health insurance coverage and free tuition for the entire duration of training in the Division, provided that all academic standards are maintained.