Welcome! Thank you for your interest in our graduate programs. Here you will find information regarding our plant science & technology M.S. and Ph.D. programs.
Contact information: please email the Graduate Program Manager with questions.
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Admissions & Prospective Students
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 the plant science & technology 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 research related to plant science & technology interest you the most?
- Why is the UW plant science & technology graduate program the right fit for you?
- Are there specific 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 plant science & technology graduate program.
Domestic students who meet specific criteria may apply for fee waivers through the graduate school.
The plant science & technology 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.
Funding & Financial Aid
External Funding information can be found on the UW Graduate School website.
For information on all current rates please contact the department.
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).
M.S. & Ph.D Degree
About the Degree
A master’s plan of study will be prepared early in the student’s program by the student and the major professor. The plan of study is then reviewed by a committee consisting of the major professor and two other faculty members. A Masters Certification form is intended to be completed before the end of the second semester.
To view requirements for the master’s degree, visit our Guide page: guide.wisc.edu/graduate/plant-agroecosystem-sciences/plant-science-technology-ms/
Public Exit Seminar
Students intending to terminate their graduate program at the UW with the M.S. degree are required to present an exit seminar, preferably prior to their M.S. oral exam.
M.S. Oral Exam
A comprehensive oral examination by a committee consisting of the major professor and two (or more) other faculty members must be satisfactorily completed before the M.S. degree is conferred.
About the Degree
For the Ph.D. degree, candidates develop a course work plan with their advisor and then meet with a faculty committee to have the plan certified. Students also develop a Ph.D. thesis research proposal with their advisor and meet with a faculty committee to discuss the proposal. For more information, visit our Guide page: guide.wisc.edu/graduate/plant-agroecosystem-sciences/plant-science-technology-phd/
Certification
Certification is the means by which a faculty committee, hereafter referred to as the Certification Committee, and the student jointly determine the courses that are necessary to ensure an adequate preparation in the graduate program. It involves review of the student’s previous course work and discussion of the proposed field of study within plant science and technology.
Each Ph.D. student and his/her major professor should select a four-member Certification Committee, which shall include the major and minor professor. The Certification Committee determines the courses required by that individual student based upon the student’s prior training, the student’s educational objectives, and the nature and scope of the student’s proposed thesis research.
Minors
Students completing a Ph.D. in plant science and technology must also complete requirements for a minor. The student may choose as his/her minor field either a single department or program (option A) or a distributed minor among two or more departments (option B). The course work for completion of the minor requirement will be decided at the time of certification with approval of the minor professor. Under option A, the student is required to have at least 9 credits from a single degree program outside his/her major. The requirements of the minor department must also be satisfied. To satisfy option B, the student is required to have at least 9 credits from two or more programs outside his/her major. You must declare the minor in your grad portal, before your prelim warrant is requested.
Joint Majors
Graduate students may major in both plant science & technology and another department by meeting the requirements of a major in each of the departments. The two departments will share in directing the student’s graduate program. No minor is required of a joint major.