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Application Process

Featured Image Above by Megan Asche

Web Page:  Application Process | Department of Entomology | Washington State University (wsu.edu)

 

 

Applying for graduate school in the Washington State University Entomology Department is a different process than applying to an undergraduate institution. Graduate students are supported primarily with research assistantships, and we only accept students for whom we have funding or who come with their own funding (e.g., National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program).  Positions are limited and students are individually selected by faculty members with matching interests who have an opening for a graduate student. Therefore, identifying a potential advisor is an integral part of graduate school. It is most often useful to contact potential advisors to see if the faculty member is currently recruiting graduate students and has funding to support you. Faculty often have grants that pay for the tuition, a monthly stipend, and benefits (such as health insurance) of a student that works to complete the goals of the grant. In addition, there are other options to fund graduate school, such as teaching assistantships. The Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Fellowship program and the WSU Graduate Diversity Assistantship Pathways Program (GDAPP)  are additional merit-based, competitive fellowships that can supplement the standard assistantship salary provided by the program.

 

Regardless of how your graduate program is funded, we recommend that you identify an advisor whose interests align with yours. Although identifying an advisor is not a pre-requisite for applying, it can be beneficial. Additional advice on how to contact potential graduate advisors can be found here.

Our Graduate Program requires the following in order to process and consider your application:

  • The WSU Graduate School application: https://gradschool.wsu.edu/apply/. There is a $90.00 application fee.Please note that application fee waivers are not offered by the WSU Graduate School. Please contact the Entomology Dept if the application fee would prevent you from applying.
    • The application is case-sensitive; enter names exactly as you would like the Graduate School to receive them. (example: McDonald, rather than mcdonald)
    • Only abbreviate when absolutely necessary. Do not abbreviate school names.
    • Enter your full legal name as it would appear on your passport.
  • A brief (1-2 pages) statement of purpose that states your career goals and outlines how you came to be interested in Entomology. The more specific you are, the better we will be able to match your interests with available openings and funding. Feel free to list more than one interest area but indicate the priority of your interests and the faculty member you would like to work with. It is highly recommended that you contact individual faculty members you would like to work with prior to submitting your application.
  • The WSU Graduate School requires that applicants must have least a B (3.00 on a 4.00 scale) grade point average, or the equivalent in the last 60 hours of their graded undergraduate work, from a recognized college or university; and at least a B (3.00 on a 4.00 scale) grade point average in any graduate work from a recognized graduate school are eligible for admission. Applicants will not be considered for a research or teaching assistantship without a 3.0 GPA. Students with a baccalaureate degree from a non-accredited institution will be considered for admission only upon special petition to the Dean of the Graduate School and supported by the respective department.
  • Resume or Curriculum Vita.
  • Submit unofficial transcripts (along with copies of degree certificates for international students) from all colleges and universities attended.
  • If the transcripts are not in English, an unofficial copy of the transcript in the applicant’s native language, along with its English translation, is acceptable.
    • These transcripts should be uploaded through the online application.
    • Foreign Credential and Transcript Evaluation is not required.
    • If the prospective student is admitted, official transcripts and degree certificates will be required by the WSU Graduate School.
  • Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores are optional. Original scores must be sent directly from ETS to WSU Graduate School. WSU Institution code: 4705. For more information on this examination, go to The GRE Tests (ets.org).
  • Language Requirements for international students.  Please refer to the detailed information here. Applicants who are required to submit exam scores will be held incomplete until those are received.
  • Provide three letters of recommendation. The recommendations are submitted by the recommenders themselves. Recommenders are usually people that you have worked with in a professional or academic capacity. We recommend getting their preferred email address and asking that they monitor that inbox for your recommendation request (which will come from gradcasinfo@liaisoncas.com), including any junk or spam folders.

Once your file is complete, both the faculty and the Entomology Department Graduate Admissions Committee review and make recommendations on applicants.

 

Applications for admission are valid only for the semester specified on the application form. If a student is not admitted and enrolled for the specified semester, they may request to defer their application to a later term but must be done within 30 days of the start of the semester to which they initially applied. Acceptance can be deferred for up to 1 year with no additional cost.

 

Admission Considerations

On the basis of the above data, the Graduate School and the department evaluate the prospective student’s qualifications.  Recommendations for admission are made provided that:

 

  • The student meets theWSU Graduate School’s admission criteria;
  • The student meets the Entomology department criteria;
  • A member of the departmental faculty agrees to serve as that student’s major advisor; and
  • There is a committed source of funding to support the student (an assistantship or a commitment that the student will be self-supporting.)

 

Departmental criteria generally include a G.P.A. of 3.0 or better, as stipulated by the Graduate School, supportive letters of recommendation and a clear “statement of purpose” by the prospective student.

 

Within the department, the decision for admission and recommendation to the Graduate School is made by the Entomology Department Graduate Admissions Committee and approved by the department chair. Although the department sends unofficial notice of acceptance, formal notice of acceptance into the graduate program will come from the WSU Graduate School.

 

We look forward to receiving your application materials!

 

 

Correspondence and Information:
CAHNRS Graduate Center (liaison with the department and Graduate School)
E-mail: ask.jhgc@wsu.edu