Graduate Admissions for Evolution, Ecology and Behavior (EEB)

Our program offers training in a diverse array of subjects and a key component of the application process is to identify an EVS faculty member with whom you wish to work. We strongly encourage students to correspond with potential advisers before applying to the program to determine whether the adviser is accepting new students into their lab or group. Applications are reviewed by and must be accepted by both the Graduate Affairs Committee and the potential adviser. Admission is based on the strength of the student’s academic record, letters of recommendation, as well as language proficiency (for international applicants).

Accepted students will subsequently be required to submit official copies of these documents (transcripts and language proficiency scores, if appropriate) before enrolling.

Funding for students in the form of fellowships, research assistantships and teaching assistantships may be offered to students when available from faculty research grants, the faculty member’s home department or other University and College of Arts and Sciences sources. In order to receive full consideration for Teaching Assistantships (TAs), you should complete your application and make sure all supporting materials (transcripts, letters of reference) are in our office by January 1st (for fall admissions). In general, TA’s are preferentially awarded to PhD applicants. Additional information about financial aid is available from the College of Arts and Sciences Graduate Admissions.

The graduate application fee is $75 U.S. (payable online or by check or money order made payable to the University at Buffalo). Applicants to master's-level tracks who reside in New York State are eligible to apply for an application fee waiver courtesy of the College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Office, provided they have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 and meet the admissions deadlines. 

Application Checklist:

• Designate potential adviser(s) on application 
  • Prospective MS in EEB Ecology Track students are expected to have contacted potential advisors and should list these faculty in their application. Prospective MS in EEB Sustainability Track students will be assigned an advisor in their first semester, but are encouraged to identify and suggest an advisor in their application.
    
• Upload transcripts, personal statement and resume into the application
  • The personal statement for MS applicants should include an explanation of what skills, theories and actions they hope to learn and accomplish through their MS research. The personal statement for PhD applicants should detail the theory they hope to test and the skills they hope and should cite relevant research. They should also state how their reading of their potential advisor’s record indicates that advisor should be able to help them with this.
    
• 3 recommendation letter writers and their email addresses into the application
  • For applicants to the MS program at least one letter writer should be a professor. For applicants to the PhD program at least two letter writers should be a professor.
    
• Pay $75 non-refundable application fee
• Upload language proficiency test scores into the application (International Applicant only)
• Upload copy of passport biographical page  (International Applicant only)
• All materials should be submitted by January 1st (for full consideration for TA’s) and May 1st for all applications
  

Applicants should have a CGPA* of 3.0 or higher (*cumulative undergraduate grade point average). The EEB program is competitive, and average GPA admission scores are generally 3.5 for MS, and 3.8 for PhD applicants. For international applicants with different grading systems (e.g., 0-100), submitted scores will be considered in relation to the top scores of the grading system in that country. Applicants will also be asked to list the names and email addresses of three individuals who are willing to write online letters of recommendation. They will be contacted after you have submitted your application for review.  We no longer accept GRE scores for the Masters or PhD programs in EEB.

International applicants who do not speak English as their native language must take a language proficiency exam and upload their scores upon application. In line with the general UB grad school requirements, the EEB Program accepts TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, CAE, and CPE scores. In order to be considered for funding through a Teaching Assistantship (TA), international applicants should have a TOEFL iBT score of at least 79, or higher, an IELTS score of 6.5 or higher, a minimum PTE Academic score of 55 with no individual section sub-score below 50, or a score above 185 on the Cambridge English Scale (=Grade A for CAE, Grade C for CPE).

International Teaching Assistant (TA) English Speaking Proficiency Requirement. In addition to the English language proficiency requirement (demonstrated with a valid score from one of UB’s approved English language proficiency tests), any international student who has been awarded a teaching assistantship must also demonstrate English language speaking proficiency by achieving and submitting one of the following minimum Speaking test sub-scores: TOEFL IBT Speaking sub-score of at least 25, IELTS Speaking sub-score of 7.5 or higher, and DET (Duolingo English Test) Speaking minimum sub-score of 145.

Any international student awarded a Teaching Assistantship (TA), whose speaking sub-scores are below these thresholds but not lower than 22 on TOEFL iBT Speaking, 6.5 on IELTS Speaking, or 120 on DET Speaking is considered a candidate for TA responsibilities and must be approved for teaching assignment through a successful in-person teaching demonstration conducted by UBs English Language Institute (ELI) and the EVS Department faculty representative. A student awarded a TA appointment, who upon arrival to campus fails an in person speaking or teaching demonstration, or whose speaking scores are lower than candidate minimums, must enroll in and successfully complete ELI 512, Oral Communication for International Assistantships prior to being assigned assistantship duties at UB.

Important dates:

Fall admissions:

EEB MS (Ecology and Sustainability track): May 1^st

EEB PhD (Ecology and Sustainability track): January 1^st for funding consideration, May 1^st final application deadline (please see note about TA funding in the 'Funding' section above)

Spring admissions:

EEB MS (Ecology and Sustainability track): December 1^st

EEB PhD (Ecology and Sustainability track): December 1^st (no funding considerations for Spring admissions)

If you have any questions or concerns about the application process, contact us at evs-admin@buffalo.edu.