Joint B.S./M.S. in Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Admission Policies

There are no variances from the general University requirements for the undergraduate portion of the program. For most students, undergraduate entry into the program will be when the student declares a major in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Some students will transfer from other institutions to enter the B.S./M.S. degree program; their admission to the University prior to earning the B.S. will follow the same procedures as other undergraduate transfers.

Graduate School regulations and policies govern admission to the M.S. portion of the program. These regulations require:

  1. Admission to the M.S. portion of the program will be considered for students at the University of Connecticut in their senior year. A Bachelors degree is required for applicants from other institutions to the M.S. portion of the program .
  2. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in all courses of record. Alternatively, a student may present a grade point average greater than 3.0 for the last two years of undergraduate study coupled with other evidence of competence and accomplishment. Under exceptional circumstances, a student may present an exceptionally strong grade point average for the most recent year’s study, along with compelling evidence of potential for success.
  3. A personal statement from the applicant addressing his or her reasons for applying and his or her plans for the future.
  4. Three letters of reference from faculty or others who can address the candidate’s potential for success in the graduate program.
  5. For undergraduates enrolled at the University of Connecticut who are also non-native speakers of English, TOEFL and Test of Spoken English (TSE) exams will be waived.

In addition to Graduate School requirements, the following additional criteria will be used to evaluate students:

  1. The requirement for Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical GRE Scores will be waived for students already enrolled at the University of Connecticut.
  2. Evidence of demonstrated competence in the discipline, including but not limited to undergraduate research experience or field experience. This is an integral part of the joint B.S./M.S. degree.
  3. Personal interviews by the program coordinator or the program committee will be done as part of the admissions procedure to the joint degree program.