College of Agriculture & Natural ResourcesDepartment of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences

We are very pleased that you are interested in graduate study in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences at Michigan State University. Our department is committed to providing excellent graduate education and MSU provides an outstanding environment for research in the plant sciences.

Admission Requirements:

Submission of application material on time is an important requirement for full consideration. Please send your completed application form and supplementary information listed below, by December 15, directly to:

Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Science
Michigan State University
578 Wilson Road, 107 CIPS
East Lansing, MI 48824

To submit a complete file for review by the Department Graduate Committee, you will need to send or have sent the following items to the department:

1. Plant Pathology Program application In printable pdf format.
2. Three (3) letters of recommendation We require three letters of recommendation from individuals qualified to assess your promise of success in a graduate program (e.g. college or university faculty, individuals at research or other scholarly institutions, teaching assistants, etc). No special forms are required. Simply ask your referees to send their letters directly to the Department at the address listed above.
3. The university application, including 'Statement of Purpose' (do not send the application fee)
4. Official copies of all transcripts from institutions of higher education
5. GRE Scores Application for the Graduate Record Examination should be made to the Educational Testing Service, PO Box 6000, Princeton, NJ, 08541-6000. Information concerning the examination and the dates on which it is to be given are available in the Dean's Offices of most campuses. It is important to take the examination early enough so that your application folder will be complete by the January 15 deadline.
6. TOEFL Scores International students are required to take the TOEFL. A minimum TOEFL score of 600 (250 for computer-based exam).

Please send the completed application form and supplementary information directly to the Department of Plant Pathology, contrary to the instructions on the MSU application form. Do not send the application fee. If you are accepted by the Department we will pay this for you.

When deciding whether to apply to our department, keep in mind that the most successful applications have minimum verbal and analytical scores of 550 and minimum quantitative score of 600 on the GRE. Grade point averages should be 3.0 or better on a four point scale. Students with previous experience in the area of study may be given special consideration.

You will be notified as soon as possible by our department whether or not you are qualified for admission for our graduate program. Availability of assistantships and/or fellowships is acted on separately from the admissions procedure. Financial support for graduate students is arranged through a variety of sources, including teaching assistantships, individual faculty member grants, and special university fellowships. You will be kept informed by our department on these developments.

In making your plans for graduate school, should you have any questions about our program, please feel free to contact us. We also invite you to browse our web site.   If you have any questions regarding processing of your application, please feel free to contact the graduate admissions secretary, Linda Colon, 517-353-8645 or colon@msu.edu. We wish you luck as you plan your educational program.