Application to the Department of Entomology is now handled on-line through the Graduate College at the University of Illinois. Below you will find information regarding application, followed by a link to the Graduate College online application site. We suggest that you print this page out in order to have a list of all the necessary application materials.
General Advice
It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all application information reaches the Entomology Department by December 1 for full consideration for admission to the following Fall semester. Competition for positions in the department is intense, and the more we know about each applicant the better we can select the students best qualified for our programs. Therefore, we advise several further steps. If at all possible, try to arrange for a personal interview at the Department of Entomology. On this occasion you will have the opportunity to meet the Head of the Department, some potential research advisors, members of the Graduate Student Administration Committee and students.
Also, when writing your personal statement, we strongly recommend that you give careful thought to clearly describing your general area of interest, and, if formulated, your intended area of specialization, your past experience in related areas, and your plans for the future. Reflect upon your own aspirations and goals in detail. A clear, analytical discussion of these topics will be most useful to us and the 300 word suggested limit on this item can be disregarded.
Finally, the letters of reference are an important part of your application. You should select carefully, and use only those faculty who are willing to evaluate you fully and accurately. You should suggest to each letter writer that we seek a careful appraisal of your past achievement in academic life and an analysis of your ability as a potential teacher and researcher.
Undergraduate Preparation
Students who enter the department are expected to have basic training in biology and related disciplines. In addition to a good background in the biological sciences, applicants should also have completed the following:
- Mathematics: analytic geometry and calculus
- Chemistry: general and organic with laboratory (3 semesters)
- Physics: general (2 semesters)
Students without this background may be admitted, but in that case you can plan remedying these deficiencies.
To ascertain proficiency in the biological sciences, all new graduate students in this department take, in their first week, a proficiency examination in the biological sciences which covers the areas of cellular and molecular biology, plant and animal physiology, genetics, ecology, taxonomy, and evolution. The standard required is that of a general biology text used in major biology courses. If serious deficiencies in these subjects exist course work lasting one or two semesters may be prescribed before advanced studies are initiated.
While no formal course work in entomology is required, there also is an entomology prescription exam. If serious deficiencies are found, students may be required to take an introductory entomology course to provide a basic entomological basis of knowledge.
Application Requirements
A complete application consists of an application form, a $70 application fee (domestic applicant), a personal statement, scanned copies of transcripts of your academic record, three letters of recommendation, and if necessary, TOEFL scores. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test is not required, but GRE scores can be submitted if they will support your application. Some items will need to be provided by you, others by referees and officials. It is your responsibility to see that these items all get to us. (Please note that you do NOT have to have an official transcript sent by your institution at this time. Uploading a scanned copy is sufficient for now. We only require your institution to send us an official, sealed transcript or a secure electronic version if you are accepted into the program.) Please visit the Graduate College website for formal application procedures.