Admissions

We are here to help guide your application process and answer any questions you may have.

In some instances, applications submitted after the listed deadline may be considered for funding, but the applicant must contact the prospective major professor and the Graduate Program Director before submitting the application.

Review Process

• In general, we review applications as a cohort after the application deadlines have passed.
• The Graduate Selection Committee first evaluates applications for basic requirements.
• If those are met, individual faculty members evaluate the applications for potential placement in their programs based on the prospective student's interests and training relative to current projects and funding opportunities.
• Applicants are accepted into the program only if they are accepted by a specific faculty member who will serve as the Major Professor.
• We encourage prospective students to browse our list of faculty and their research interests prior to applying.

Entry Requirements

• Applicants must have a bachelor's degree, or be on schedule to complete a bachelor's degree prior to enrolling at K-State
• Applicants should have coursework or training in most of the following areas:
  • Biological sciences (such as botany, biology, plant science, plant pathology, entomology, mycology, microbiology, genetics, agronomy, horticulture)
  • Chemistry (such as inorganic, organic, biochemistry)
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Statistics
• Some make-up coursework can be taken along with graduate courses, and some of this can be taken for graduate credit
• Relevant work experience or other professional training will also be considered
• Overall grade point average should be at least a B (3.0 on 4.0 point scale)
  • Grades in background courses in biology, math, chemistry, etc., should be A or B
• We do not require a GRE score

Please also review the details about university entrance requirements in the Graduate Handbook.

Financial Support

• Financial support may be available to qualified students in the form of graduate research assistantships, fellowships, or other scholarships. All applications are evaluated for available assistantships.
• Departmental graduate research assistantships (GRAs) for academic year 2023-2024 are $28,325 for both M.S. and Ph.D. students. The GRA for 2024-2025 will be $29,175.
• Highly competitive applications will be reviewed for the potential for a student to rotate in multiple faculty programs before being placed in a major professor's program.
• Students may also be eligible to apply for fellowships from private and federal sources. Applicants are encouraged to explore those opportunities.

International students

• International students who do not obtain financial support from K-State must submit a written statement showing the amount of financial support which they will provide for educational expenses, either personally or from family, their home institution, their government, a sponsoring agency, etc.
• Details and forms are available from the Graduate School page about international applicants.

Tuition & Fees

• GRAs are assessed tuition at the in-state rate.
• We usually support graduate students to cover full tuition and fees through scholarships or other mechanisms.
• Current tuition and fee information is available in the cost of attendance page of the Graduate School.
• Tuition and fees are subject to change without notice.

Application Materials

Special note: on the first step of the online application be sure to select MANHATTAN (our main K-State campus location).

The online application includes:

• Online application form
• Copies of transcripts
• At least 3 letters of recommendation
• Statement of background and interest (one to one-and-a-half pages)
  • Describe your academic interests, educational training, research experiences or other related training, and overall career goals.
  • Review our list of faculty and their current research. If you have interests in specific programs or research areas, describe them.
• Curriculum Vitae (one to two pages)
• Affidavit of Financial Support (only for international applicants with their own funding who are not seeking a graduate research assistantship)
• English Proficiency Scores (international applicants only - see below)
• GRE scores (optional)
• Application fee for the K-State Graduate School. We are not able to offer fee waivers.

English Proficiency Requirements

• International students whose native language is not English are required to furnish scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), IELTS, or Pearson Test of English (PTE). The test date should be no older than eighteen months from the application deadline.
• Minimum scores:
  • TOEFL (internet based) - 79. (As of 2020 we are accepting MyBest Scores)
  • TOEFL (paper based test) - 550
  • IELTS - 6.5
  • Pearson Test of English - 58
• Intensive English language training is available at K-State for those students admitted with lower scores.
• Applicants who received a degree in the last two years from a United States college or university are exempt.