Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered for admission based on a number of factors including experience, research interests and goals, potential research project or internship, letters of recommendation, GPA, and test scores.

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS must meet Texas A&M University’s English Language Requirement by scoring 213 (computer) or 80 (Internet Based form iBT) on the TOEFL, 6.0 on the IELTS, or 146 on the verbal portion of the GRE to be accepted into the Distance Plant Breeding and Genetics Program.

Application Deadline

We accept applications on a continuous basis.  Students can be admitted for Spring, Summer, or Fall Semester start dates.  Typically, applications should be received approximately one month prior to the start of the semester for which you wish to apply.

Steps to Admission

Step 1 -Communicate with Beth Ann McClosky regarding interest in the program ((979) 321-5902 or  bamcclosky@tamu.edu)

Step 2 – Email the following pre-application materials to Beth Ann McClosky at bamcclosky@tamu.edu

• M.S. Non-Thesis Option
  1. A letter from the applicant providing sufficient background information to demonstrate the student’s commitment and ability to complete an on-line Master of Science (NTO) program and internship, including prospective internship location or activity.
• M.S. Thesis-Option and Ph.D.
  1. A letter of application from the applicant providing sufficient background information to demonstrate the student’s aptitude to conduct plant breeding research.
  2. Identification of the area of plant breeding research to be pursued and its importance to the agricultural industry.  This should include a description of the proposed thesis or dissertation research, with enough detail to determine its suitability for graduate level research.
  3. A letter of support from the prospective distance co-chair indicating commitment of facilities and time to conduct the proposed research.

Students choosing to mail these materials should send them to:

Department of Soil and Crop Sciences

Attn:  LeAnn Hague

2474 TAMU

College Station, Texas 77843

Step 3 – Applicant will be notified by either Beth McClosky or Dr. Wayne Smith of any modifications that need to be made to their pre-application materials.

Step 4 – Once pre-application materials are accepted, students can apply for admission to Texas A&M University. 

Applicants should follow all of the guidelines and procedures to apply for graduate studies in a department offering a plant breeding degree at Texas A&M University at College Station using the Texas A&M on-line admission process.  On-line application to graduate studies at Texas A&M University can be found at admissions.tamu.edu.  The Department of Soil & Crop Sciences and the Department of Horticultural Sciences confer graduate degrees in plant breeding.