Application Deadlines
- Applications will not be considered if application materials (i.e., transcripts, three letters of recommendation, statement of purpose) are not complete by the deadline.
- GRE scores are not required for admission into ECCB.
International
| Fall Deadline | Spring Deadline |
|---|---|
| February 1 | August 1 |
Domestic
| Summer Deadline | Fall Deadline | Spring Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| February 1 | June 1 | September 1 |
For Future Fellowship Candidates
| Deadline |
|---|
| December 1* |
* Fellowship nomination deadline is in mid-January
Application Information
We encourage you to reach out to us, even if you haven’t gathered all your application materials yet. Early communication can be incredibly helpful in ensuring a smooth process. You can rely on our team to guide you through the process and alert the Graduate Program Committee of applications in progress. For questions please contact the graduate advisors listed below for any inquiries or assistance you may need. Your success in this process is of utmost importance to us.
Before You Apply
Step 1: Admissions Requirements
- A minimum 3.0 GPA.
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of at least 550 (paper-based test) or 80 (internet-based test). (Required only for international students; see “Required Documents” on the international graduate how to apply page for details.)
- Admission decisions may also be influenced by consideration of research experiences (for M.S. and Ph.D. applicants) or professional training (for non-thesis applicants) and achievements beyond undergraduate study that demonstrate potential for success in a graduate program.
Step 2: Find a Faculty Advisor
- Find an ECCB faculty member who is willing to serve as your major professor (i.e., faculty advisor or “chair”).
- Check several professors’ research interests and read a couple of their papers.
- Then contact them with your information—research/professional interests, educational and work or research experience, goals CV, plus your GPA, and unofficial transcripts, if you have these already.
NOTE: Your admission application will not be reviewed until a faculty member has agreed to serve as your advisor, and if you are applying for the M.S. thesis or Ph.D. programs, until you and your future advisor have some arrangements or plans for funding your graduate studies and research.
Step 3: Financial Support
- Check out the ECCB Financial Support page for more information on graduate student funding.
- Discuss funding options with the advisor.
- To learn more about the cost of study at Texas A&M, explore the Student Business Services website.
Application
Step 1: Fill out the Texas A&M University Application
- Apply for admission using the Texas A&M University Graduate CAS Centralized Application Service (CAStm).
- Applicants are limited to one application per entry term. For information regarding specific programs and scholarships, visit Texas A&M Graduate and Professional Studies.
- U.S. applicants: For details on these steps, see the Office of Admissions application process.
- International applicants: For details on these steps, see the Office of Admissions international application process.
- For more information on Graduate Studies at Texas A&M, visit the Graduate Studies website.
Step 2: Statement of Purpose and Curriculum Vitae
- Applicants are required to submit a Statement of Purpose and a Curriculum Vitae (CV) through GradCAS.
Step 3: Letters of Recommendation
- Three (3) letters of recommendation must be submitted in Grad CAS. These should preferably be from professors or those who are familiar with your academic background and potential.
Step 4: Official Transcripts
- Official transcripts are required from each senior-level, post-secondary institution attended. Electronic versions of your transcript sent from your previous institution(s) are preferred.
- If the institution cannot use this format and you have attended an American or Canadian college or university, one official transcript is required. Please ask each registrar to enclose one copy of your transcript in a sealed, signed envelope addressed to you. Place the signed, sealed envelope with the seal unbroken and the registrar’s signature intact inside a second envelope and send it to the following address: (U.S. Postal Service)
Graduate Admissions Processing
Office of Admissions
Texas A&M University
P.O. Box 40001
College Station, TX 77842-4001
[email protected]
- If the transcripts or mark-sheets are from a university outside the United States, they are to be signed by the registrar, controller of examinations, or president of the university issuing the document. Official records are to be in the language of instruction, accompanied by official translations in English, if necessary. Translations sent directly from the institution attended or from a recognized translator are considered official.
Admission Decisions
- You will learn whether you have been admitted via letters to you from the Texas A&M University Office of Admissions and the Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology.
Writing an Effective Statement of Purpose
The statement of purpose is a critical component of your graduate school application used to evaluate your potential to succeed in graduate school. Generally, it should include the following three components.
Components
Describe your Interests and Motivations
- Be brief! This section gives you an opportunity to articulate the reasons why this program fits your interests and goals.
Summarize Previous Academic Milestones
- Describe any relevant research-related activities or other projects you have worked on that demonstrates your skills and preparedness for graduate school. Please include any details, such as project title, program, leaders, partners, etc. to help the readers evaluate the impact of your participation and specify your role in those activities.
- If you have produced any scholarly products in the course of your academic work, such as journal articles, research reports, or theses, these should be highlighted as evidence of scholarly work.
- Describe any relevant work experience, especially if similar to what you wish to study in graduate school. You can also indicate how your previous experiences helped you focus your graduate studies.
Elaborate on your Academic Interests
- In as specific of terms as possible, describe what you would like to study in graduate school. This conveys your understanding of current research themes in your discipline. This can be done in many ways to showcase your knowledge of critical problems or significant questions that are relevant to ecology and conservation biology.
- If you have already identified a professor to serve as your primary advisor (or co-advisors), please mention them explicitly. Any information about particular projects that you will be part of in the course of your studies and associated faculty mentors will inform the readers of your intended scope of work.
For Your Consideration
- Professors are the people who read these statements. Your writing style should be for a professional audience that is well-versed in the technical terminology appropriate to faculty across all programs in ecology and conservation biology. Demonstrate, through direct evidence, your potential for success as a graduate student.
- ECCB encourages applications from individuals who identify with historically under-represented groups in academia; students who have experienced, and worked to overcome, educational or economic disadvantage and/or have personal or family circumstances that may complicate their continued progress in research careers; and first-generation college students. If there is something important that happened to you that affected you academically, state it. Write it affirmatively, showing your perseverance despite obstacles.
- Organize your statement well, but be precise, ideally within 1-2 single-spaced pages. End your statement in a positive manner, indicating your excitement and readiness for the challenges ahead of you.
