How to Apply

If you have any questions as you complete your application, please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator, Neal Jahren, at [email protected].

Application deadlines

We are currently accepting applications for Fall 2026 admission. The application deadline for Fall 2026 admission is December 1, 2025. The EEB Graduate Program only accepts new students in the fall term.

Required materials

All materials must be submitted directly through the University of Minnesota online application by the deadline. Your applications will not be considered complete until all required materials have been submitted according to the following instructions.

Materials	How to Submit
Application for Graduate Admissions	Go to the University of Minnesota online application. Complete all required fields: Personal information Application background TOEFL test information - if applicable Languages Awards and activities Employment/Residence information Financial support Research Description Diversity Statement Resume/CV Three recommendation letters All materials must be submitted into the online application. Once you submit, your application is final. No changes or additions will be accepted. Note that the EEB Graduate Program does not consider GRE scores in admission decisions.
Application Fee	$75 for U.S. applicants, $95 for international applicants. Learn more information on the application fee. The EEB program does not waive or defer application fees. US citizens and permanent residents can apply for a fee waiver through the Big 10 Academic Alliance. For more information, visit their website.
Transcripts	Unofficial transcripts or academic records must be uploaded directly to the online application. Get instructions for uploading transcripts. International students should also upload an English translation if the transcript is not in English. Learn more information on international transcripts and credentials. Please do not mail in paper copies of your transcripts, as this may cause serious delays in the processing of your application. There is no need for official transcripts or academic records for initial review. If you are admitted, the University will then request official copies of this material. See the Graduate School's Application Information page for details.
CV	Upload your CV in PDF format. Do not upload more than one copy.
English Proficiency	The University of Minnesota accepts several different credentials for demonstrating English proficiency, including TOEFL and IELTS. Learn more information. To have TOEFL scores sent directly to the University of Minnesota, use the school code 6874. You may leave the department code blank, or enter 99 (for departments that are not listed).
Research Description	Please provide a narrative account of your motivation for applying to the EEB program including your research and career goals. Your statement must list the EEB faculty you wish to work with and why you want to study with them. Please address any relevant research activities, internships, or other experiences that have shaped your interests in pursuing a graduate degree in EEB. This statement is an important part of your application and will be read carefully by the EEB Graduate Faculty for content and coherence. Limit this statement to no more than three single-spaced pages.
Diversity of Views and Experiences (DOVE) Statement	Diversity of views and experiences is fundamental to the University's mission, and the University's faculty, staff and students share responsibility for the collective achievement of this goal. Please describe the distinctive perspectives or life experiences, such as successfully overcoming obstacles or hardships, that you would bring to your graduate program. Describe how these perspectives or life experiences could contribute to the education and enhanced perspective of fellow students at the University of Minnesota. Please confine your statement to two single-spaced pages. For US Citizens and Permanent Residents, this statement will be used to determine if you are eligible to be nominated by the admissions committee for a Diversity of Views and Experiences Fellowship (DOVE Fellowship).
Letters of recommendation	Three letters of recommendation are required. The most informative recommendations will come from current or former professors who can assess your potential for graduate work. Additional referees, such as employers, are also acceptable. All letters must be submitted via the University of Minnesota online application. Letters of Recommendation have the same due date as the overall application. We understand that applicants have limited influence on whether their recommenders submit letters on time. If letters are late, we will provide them to the admissions committee at the time they arrive. However, due to our admissions schedule, our committee begins reviewing applications soon after our deadline, and there is no guarantee that a late-arriving letter will be considered. For this reason, if you anticipate that a recommender will not be able to meet the application deadline, we recommend that you chose a different recommender.