Agronomy Graduate Programs

Spring: September 1 

Summer: December 1

Fall: December 1

Do not submit an application after the deadlines without checking in with the program directly. Please email the Graduate Program Manager with questions.

In general, the agronomy graduate program follows the University’s minimum requirements for admission.

Candidates for graduate work are required to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an approved institution. The minimum undergraduate GPA accepted for admission with full standing is 3.0 on a 4.0 basis.

Applicants are required to use the Graduate School’s online application and follow the application procedures. This includes submitting a statement of purpose.

Personal Statement

To write the most effective personal statement, we suggest addressing these questions:

• What is your personal motivation for choosing this field of study?
• What makes it clear that you will thrive in a research-intensive graduate program?
• What have you discovered and personally gained from your past research experience?
• Which areas of agronomy-related research interest you the most?
• Why is the UW agronomy graduate program the right fit for you?
• Are there specific agronomy trainers who you might like to work with? (See our Faculty page for specific research areas.)

Letters of Recommendation

All applicants are required to have three letters of recommendation from persons who are able to judge the candidate’s ability to satisfactorily undertake graduate studies. If at all possible, two of the three letters should be from academic sources.

Transcripts

All applicants are required to have unofficial transcripts of academic records from each institution attended at time of application. Upon admittance, official transcripts must be sent to the Graduate School (school code 1846) as soon as possible. International academic records must be in the original language accompanied by an official English translation. Documents must be issued by the school with the official seal/stamp and an official signature(s). Official transcripts are required and non-negotiable.

GRE Scores

GRE scores are not required and will not be considered for admission to the agronomy graduate program.

Domestic students who meet specific criteria may apply for fee waivers through the graduate school.

The agronomy program may also offer fee waivers for any self-identifying underrepresented domestic students that do not meet the graduate school waiver requirements. We also offer fee waivers for self-identifying underrepresented or low income international students. Fee waivers are not guaranteed and are based on available department funding. Please contact Caitlin Collies at caitlin.collies@wisc.edu for more information.

External Funding information can be found on the UW-Madison Graduate School website.

It is recommended that you contact faculty you are interested in working with as soon as possible. Establishing an advisor/advisee relationship is a critical step in the application process as funding comes from the professor.

If you have further questions about this process please contact Caitlin Collies at caitlin.collies@wisc.edu.

Appointment as a research assistant (RA) is the most common type of appointment in the department. RAs are normally for a 12-month period with compensation established on a university-wide basis each year.  Research assistantships generally involve half-time appointments. RAs are required to carry a full graduate load of at least eight credits per semester and two credits during the summer session.

Some teaching assistantships (TA) may be available in exchange for credit . The TA assists in classroom instruction under the direction of a faculty member with duties including the preparation of instructional materials, directing labs, grading lab exercises and exams, etc. This can be valuable experience for those looking to go into Extension or academia.

A graduate student may be employed to assist with research, training or other programs and projects undertaken by the funding professor, not directly associated with his/her thesis project. Payments made to program and project assistants are fully taxable and taxes will be withheld from monthly paychecks.

The University of Wisconsin offers programs that support diversity in graduate education; interested applicants should visit the Science and Medicine Graduate Research Scholars Program website for more information.

We offer limited internal fellowships; current students will be notified by email when fellowship competitions are announced.

The Graduate School provides information about additional fellowship opportunities on their website.

Additional opportunities for funding exist beyond the support offered by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For example, candidates may also bring with them external funding from a variety of sources including: foreign government sponsorship, industry sponsorship, and independent fellowships (e.g., Fulbright Scholars).

The majority of this research is of an applied nature generally conducted under field conditions.  Presently, research in this area emphasizes:

• Forage crop nutritive value,
• Chemical composition and preservation,
• Cultural practices for maximizing crop returns including fertilizer practices and mineral nutrition of crop plants,
• The use of chemical growth regulators for crop yield enhancement,
• Crop sequence,
• Tillage interactions,
• Weed control practices,
• Sustainable agriculture.

Botany, soils and agronomy courses are recommended frequently for students specializing in crop production and management. Ph.D. students in this area frequently minor in botany or plant pathology, but other options, including soils or plant breeding and plant genetics, exist.

The majority of this research is of an applied nature generally conducted under field conditions.  Presently, research in this area emphasizes:

• Cropping systems,
• Organismal interactions,
• Soil ecology,
• Atmospheric science,
• Plant ecology,
• Simulation modeling.

Botany, soils and agronomy courses are recommended frequently for students specializing in agroecosystems. Ph.D. students in this area frequently minor in botany or soils, but other options, including entomology, plant pathology, and plant breeding and plant genetics, exist.

The techniques of molecular biology are being used to analyze various traits affecting crop productivity or quality. Some of the specific areas of interest in our program include:

• The identification and use of DNA restriction fragments as genetic markers in crop plants and the analysis of molecular events associated with the generation of new genetic variation,
• The molecular analysis of the expression of genes affecting crop quality,
• The genetic construction of Rhizobium strains that are competitive for nodulation and provide increased legume productivity.

Courses in molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry and botany are recommended to students with interests in molecular biology. These students may choose from a wide variety of minors including genetics, plant pathology, bacteriology and biochemistry. The University also offers a graduate program in Cell and Molecular Biology, which has separate admissions requirements. Students admitted to this program can be advised by agronomy professors who are members of the program.

Plant Physiology and Biochemistry research involves the study of fundamental processes of growth, development and metabolism in crop species. Current research being conducted in our program emphasizes:

• Nitrogen and carbon metabolism,
• Enzyme functions, seed development and germination,
• Interfacing plant biochemistry, molecular biology and physiology with breeding and genetics.

Plant physiology and biochemistry students usually obtain a strong background in chemistry, biochemistry and botany. Biochemistry and/or botany are frequently chosen by these Ph.D. candidates for a minor field of study.

Plant breeding and genetics research focuses on the major Wisconsin crops:

• Corn,
• Forage legumes and grasses,
• Small grains,
• Soybeans and peas.

Both basic and applied research is conducted utilizing whole plant, biochemical, molecular and cytogenetic techniques. Most research involves concentrated field work in the summer, supplemented by greenhouse and laboratory research during the fall and spring semesters.

Many students interested in plant breeding and genetics elect to obtain their degree under the Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics program. Those electing this option must fulfill the requirements of that program.

Research in the area of weed science is of both an applied and basic nature. Applied research is primarily directed towards control of annual and perennial weed species in row crops and forages.

Applied (field) research includes:

• Experiments studying crop rotation,
• Minimum-tillage practices,
• Control of problem weeds,
• Herbicide evaluation,
• Modifications of cultural practices.

Basic research (weed physiology and biochemistry) currently emphasizes:

• Absorption and translocation of herbicides by plants,
• Enzymology of herbicide metabolism,
• Mechanisms of herbicide action and selectivity,
• Herbicide properties and persistence in soil.

Botany, soils, entomology and plant pathology course work is stressed for students working on an applied project in weed science, whereas biochemistry and/or botany courses are stressed for students working on a basic project in weed science. Opportunities also exist for cooperative study with scientists in closely related fields.