ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE PROGRAMS IN BIOLOGY (ECOLOGY-TRACK) AND GEOLOGY
(revised February 2003)
The
following general information applies to all applicants. However,
applications for the ecology programs and the geology programs are reviewed
separately and independently by the two sub-committees (consisting of ecology
faculty and geology faculty, respectively) that constitute the Department's
Graduate Admissions Committee.
Students with a baccalaureate or graduate degree from an accredited university are admitted on the basis of their academic record (university transcripts and grade point average, GPA), scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), statement of objectives, and three letters of recommendation. Other evidence of aptitude for advanced studies may also be considered, such as previous research experience and published papers or abstracts. For U.S. applicants or students with a degree from a U.S. institution, the Graduate School requires a 2.70 GPA (on a 0-4.0 scale) or equivalent for all previous academic work. If the GPA is below this level, "provisional" admission is possible but in such cases the applicant must have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 in biology, geology or a closely related field. For all students, the minimum acceptable scores for the GRE are 1050 for the combined verbal and quantitative components, and 4.0 for the analytical writing component. Students with lower scores may still be considered for admission if their academic record shows an aptitude for research. The statement of objectives, which must be included with the application, should describe the applicant's educational and career goals. This statement is important because admission to the graduate program is greatly facilitated if an applicant's research interests can be matched to the expertise of one of the faculty members.
International students with a native
language other than English must submit their score for the Test of English as a
Foreign Language (TOEFL). The
minimum acceptable score for admission is 213 on the computer-based test (or 550
on the paper-based version) but to be considered for financial aid minimum
scores of at least 250 (computer-based, or 600 paper-based) on the TOEFL as well
as 450 on the verbal component of the GRE are required.
For all students, the application for graduate studies must be made to the University's Graduate School. For full consideration, applications should be submitted no later than February 1st. The necessary forms and other information can be obtained from http://gradschool.utoledo.edu. The forms can either be downloaded from this site or submitted on-line. University transcripts and GRE and TOEFL score results must be reported to the University before any decisions can be made regarding admission or financial aid. "Official" copies of these documents (i.e., those sent directly from your university and the Educational Testing Service) must be provided within a few months of the student's arrival in Toledo, but when applying for admission and financial aid unofficial photocopies of these documents are acceptable. Once the Graduate School has received all the required application materials it will forward the student's file to the EEES Department for consideration.
Students with a baccalaureate degree in a related field are encouraged to apply, but they may be required to take some additional undergraduate course work to make up deficiencies if admitted to the graduate program.
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE PROGRAM IN BIOLOGY (ECOLOGY-TRACK)
(revised April 2006)
Students are admitted to the Ph.D. program on the basis of their potential ability to make a unique and substantial scientific contribution to the field of ecology. Acceptance by a faculty research adviser is required for admission to the Ph.D. program. All applicants will be evaluated on the basis of their statement of educational and career objectives, previous research and teaching experience, published papers, university grade point average (GPA) or other evidence of academic performance, scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and three letters of recommendation. Two categories of applicants will be considered: 1) those with a M.S. degree from an accredited university and 2) those with a BS (BA) from an accredited university and outstanding academic performance and proven research potential.
Students who already have a M.S. will be given priority consideration if they have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and minimum GRE scores (verbal+quantitative, and analytical writing) of 1100 and 4.5, respectively. Applicants who do not have a M.S. will be considered for admission directly to the Ph.D. program if they have a minimum GPA of 3.5 and minimum GRE scores (verbal+ quantitative, and analytical writing) of 1200 and 5.5, respectively. Research experience, either as an undergraduate or as a post-BS professional, is also required. Students with an undergraduate degree may also apply first to the MS program and, if accepted, work with their major advisor and research committee to determine eligibility for switching to the Ph.D. program after the first year of graduate work.
With few exceptions, international students with a native language other than English are expected to have minimum TOEFL scores of 250 (on the computer-based test) or 600 (on the paper-based version). Applicants should contact individual faculty members in the EEES Department to discuss potential research topics for their degree program. Students with scores lower than those listed may still be considered for admission if their academic record shows a strong aptitude for research and their research interests have a close fit with those of a faculty member who wishes to advise the student. For full consideration for fall semester admission, applications should be submitted no later than February 1st.
SPECIFIC DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
● Master of Science in Biology (Ecology-Track): click here
● Master of Science in Geology: click here
● Master of Science and Education in Biology (Ecology-Track) or Geology: click here
● Doctor of Philosophy in Biology (Ecology-Track): click here