Before Applying

EE students are admitted to work with an individual faculty advisor or co-advisors (vs. a rotation system). Identify and contact potential advisors (see EE Focal Areas and EE Faculty) to learn whether they are admitting new students and to establish a relationship. Some EE faculty also advise students though other UM graduate programs; your potential advisor can direct you to the most suitable program, or you may apply to multiple graduate programs.

Admission to EE is competitive. In addition to sponsorship by a potential advisor, admission decisions are based primarily on research experience and publications, letters of reference, the statement of purpose, and, to a lesser extent, GPA.  At minimum, EE requires a GPA of 3.0 in undergraduate coursework in biology and (if applicable) a score >90 on the iBT TOEFL.

What We Offer

EE guarantees incoming PhD students five years of stipend support and incoming Masters students 2 years of support, given satisfactory progress through the program. Support can take the form of teaching assistantships (TAs), research assistantships (RAs), fellowships obtained by directly the student of advisor, or (often) a mix. Both RA and TA support includes a waiver of tuition. The specifics of stipends, tuition waiver, and fees vary from year to year, as detailed in the offer letter. Over the past two decades, EE has made a concerted effort to allocate available program-level resources to student stipends, supplementing the University-level allocation.

How to Apply (Target date: December 1)

Please submit all materials through the UM Graduate School's EE application page. 

REQUIRED

• UM Graduate School application form -- includes a $60 fee

• Curriculum vitae/resumé

• Personal statement -- up to 2 pages describing your preparation and vision for graduate research

• Three letters of recommendation -- letters should be requested, as pdfs, through the online application form

• Official transcripts -- official paper copies of your transcripts should be sent directly from each institution. Note: Transcripts may be requested electronically through the application page but should be sent by mail to:  EE Graduate Admissions, Division of Biological Sciences, HS104, 32 Campus Dr., The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812-4824.  Official transcripts may also be emailed by the institution to: grad.school@umontana.edu

CIRCUMSTANTIAL/OPTIONAL

• TOEFL scores -- If applicable, please submit TOEFL scores (minimum scores: iBT= 90; PBT = 580; CBT = 237) 
• Writing sample -- If you have a first-authored publication, upload as a "writing sample". If not, leave this field blank.
• GRE scores -- General Exams (Verbal, Quantitative, Analytical/Writing) & Biology Exam are both optional