Prospective Students Test

A completed application, including all required documents, should be submitted no later than 90 days prior to the start of the semester you would like to be admitted.  

The way admission works in the Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences is: credentials of all applicants are reviewed by the Graduate Programs Committee first, then circulated to all professors in the department. The Graduate Programs Committee meets monthly throughout the academic year and will not meet from May through July. The Graduate Programs Committee does not admit any applicant until a major advisor agrees to be major advisor and provide research funding for the student. Of course, the student must also meet the departmental requirements for admission.  

It is recommended to reach out to faculty whose work interests you. This will increase your chances of acceptance as you will not be accepted unless a faculty member is willing to make the financial commitment.  

Here is a list of faculty who are active with graduate students: Recruiting Faculty and their Specialties - Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences (msu.edu)  

In the department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences department, we have 5 programs.   

  1. Crop and Soil Science – MS and PHD 
    1. https://www.canr.msu.edu/psm/degree_cerficate_programs/graduate_programs/  
    2. Faculty here: https://www.canr.msu.edu/psm/people/faculty   
  2. Crop and Soil Science – Environmental Toxicology – PHD only  
    1. https://iit.msu.edu/training/eits/how-does-eits-work.html   
  3. Crop and Soil Science – Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biotechnology (PBGB) – MS and PHD  
    1. PBGB is an interdepartmental program offered by home departments. CSS-PBGB is offered by the department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences. There are other programs offered by Horticulture and Plant Biology. Please find more information on PBGB programs and faculty here: https://www.canr.msu.edu/pbgb/   
  4. Plant Pathology – MS and PHD  
    1. https://www.canr.msu.edu/psm/degree_cerficate_programs/graduate_programs/  
    2. Faculty here: https://www.canr.msu.edu/psm/people/faculty  
  5. Global Plant Breeding – MS (online only) 
    1. Global Plant Breeding, Master of Science | Michigan State University (msu.edu)  

 To submit an application for graduate study at MSU, please visit: https://admissions.msu.edu/apply/graduate-students.   

 A completed application would require the following:   

  • Official transcripts of grades from all schools after high school should be sent to Grad Admission, 426 Auditorium Road, East Lansing, MI 48824. (The minimum academic requirement of admission into a graduate program is a grade point average of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0.) International transcripts should be translated to English, including GPA, and both original and translated hard copies are required.  
  • Three letters of recommendation submitted by recommender, using the Recommendation for Admission form provided in the application.   
  • Two statements - Personal and Academic - They do not have a minimum or maximum length.   
  • English Language test – required for all international applicants. See here for more details: MSU Grad School English language proficiency test information   
  • GRE is optional, and not required for our programs.   

 ** Once your file is complete, acceptance into our graduate programs requires a commitment by a departmental faculty member to serve as your major advisor. Applications will be declined if no faculty member agrees to serve as major advisor or if there is no funding available.  

Financial Support - All graduate students have financial support in one or more forms: Assistantships (departmental or grant supported); fellowships (institutionally supported); government support (international students).  It is a university requirement that all international applicants formally establish proof of financial support, regardless of the source.  A limited number of graduate research assistantships are available on a competitive basis.  Opportunities for assistantships appear regularly throughout the year but are usually program specific, since most assistantships are associated with specific research grants.  A number of fellowships are periodically available on a competitive basis both at the college and university levels to students who wish to apply.  Some restrictions usually apply to each fellowship.  

Application payment waivers – Our department does not provide an application payment waiver.  

There are several waiver programs detailed here: https://grad.msu.edu/application-fee-waiver.   

* The eligibility for waivers extends to “students who possess qualities and experiences that enhance the diversity of the intellectual, cultural and social environments at Big Ten Academic Alliance universities” through the Big Ten Academic Alliance FreeApp program, McNair Scholars, and students that participated in targeted conferences and events (e.g., SACNAS, ABRCMS, AISES, ERN, SROP). Notably, the Big Ten Academic Alliance FreeApp program extends waivers to “those who have been traditionally underrepresented in graduate education, including racial and ethnic minorities, women in STEM, first-generation college students, and individuals who have faced adversity, such as societal, economic or academic disadvantages.  

New students may begin degree programs in the fall (August), spring (January), or summer (May) semesters.  Decisions on acceptance and assignment of assistantships or fellowships are often made well in advance of the student's starting date. Therefore, it is important that you complete your application at an early date (we recommend 90 days before the start of a semester) to ensure both a timely evaluation of your application and for consideration of available financial support.  If possible, we suggest that you make contact directly with faculty in your area of interest.   

For questions or additional information contact Lauren Colby e-mail at: colbylau@msu.edu.