Horticulture Program Admissions

Application Deadlinesexpand_more

Spring: September 1 
Summer: December 1
Fall: December 1

Please note that late applications are not guaranteed consideration.

General Application Requirementsexpand_more

In general, the Horticulture 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.

Supplementary Application

To assist the admissions committee in reviewing files, we require applicants to submit a supplementary application. The supplementary application will appear as a part of the Graduate School’s electronic application once the applicant selects Horticulture.

Statement of Purpose

Your essay should be a concise description of your reasons for choosing to study horticulture at the University of Wisconsin. Please include your research interests and career goals as well as a description of your preparation for graduate study including relevant coursework, related employment, research experience, publications, presentations, awards, and honors. The statement may be submitted electronically through the online application.

The statement of purpose should be around two pages in length.

Letters of Recommendation

We require three letters of recommendation. These letters are preferably from people acquainted with the applicant’s academic, research and/or professional qualifications.

Transcripts

We require all applicants to submit an unofficial transcript in PDF format to their online application. If an applicant is recommended for admission, then they will be required to submit their official transcript to the Graduate School.  International academic records must be submitted in the original language and accompanied by an official English translation. Documents must be issued by the institution with an official seal/stamp and an official signature.

GRE

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

Fundingexpand_more

All applicants to the graduate program in Horticulture are automatically considered for financial support. There is no need to submit a separate application. Most of our students are supported through research assistantships, but additional sources of internal financial support include teaching assistantships, project assistantships, scholarships, and fellowships. 

Contacting Facultyexpand_more

The Horticulture MS and PhD programs do not support lab rotations. All students are admitted directly into a faculty member’s lab. Thus, we strongly encourage applicants to contact faculty members who work in their areas of interest before and during the admissions process.

Program Information

UW Guide

Contact Information

For more information on the Horticulture graduate programs, please contact: Kathryn Jones, Academic Advising Manager at kjones26@wisc.edu

Connect with Plant Sciences Graduate Student Council (PSGSC)

We encourage prospective students to connect with their Horticulture program representative from the Plant Sciences Graduate Student Council if they are considering an RA offer or visiting campus to interview with faculty.