Program in Ecology and Evolution

Graduate Admission Policy

Only students seeking a doctoral degree will be admitted into the program. Minimum criteria for admission to the Program in Ecology & Evolution are:

Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0
Agreement by a member of the PiEE faculty to sponsor the student or to co-sponsor the student together with a PiEE affiliate
Approval by a home department at the University of Wyoming

All applications to the program will be reviewed by the Graduate Affairs Committee, which has authority on admissions. Students applying to the program who lack a Master's degree must show exceptional promise and commitment (e.g., through undergraduate or post-graduate research experiences, peer-reviewed publications and/or success in competing for research fellowships).

Students already admitted to doctoral programs in individual departments at the University of Wyoming may apply to transfer to the program. Transfer applications are subject to the same criteria as for entering students, and admission to the program for transfer students must be approved by the Graduate Affairs Committee.

How to Apply to PiEE

Step 1: Identify a Faculty Advisor

You will first need to identify a faculty member to work with and begin communication with that person. This contact is typically made in the fall, though many successful contacts have been made in January and February. This step is critical. You MUST have a faculty member's support in order to apply to the program.

Step 2: Apply to the University of Wyoming through the Office of Admissions

Suggested deadline for fall entry: December 1 (this is not a firm deadline, but will allow students opportunities for early consideration benefits such as signing bonuses, start-up funds, campus visits, etc.). We continue to accept applications on a rolling basis.

The formal application process is done entirely online. Applicants must complete an online application. You are also required to identify the faculty advisor you are applying to work with.

Upload the following required documents and pay the application fee:

Curriculum vita
Letter of interest (must specify explicitly why you would like to be considered for PiEE)
Transcripts (unofficial) of all previous post-secondary schools
Three letters of recommendation
Letter of support from potential advisor
Pay a $50 application fee

Step 3: Completed Application Workflow Process

Once the application is complete and submitted through the Office of Admissions, the following steps will take place in the approval process:

The application will be sent to the Home Department for review and approval.
Once the home department approves, PiEE’s Graduate Affairs Committee (GAC) will review for approval.
The Program Coordinator for PiEE will provide program approval.
Admissions will review for final approval and send notification to the student if additional required materials are needed.
Student will get an email from Admission's being accepted into PiEE.
After admission, you will receive a PiEE welcome letter from the director.
Any communication outlining support and conditions of support will come from the home department and/or advisor.

Note: if an application is denied admission to the Program in Ecology & Evolution, the student will get notification and the application process will end at that point.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Program in Ecology & Evolution is a rigorous interdisciplinary program that combines an exposure to the breadth of the field through coursework, collaborative work and regular interaction with other students and faculty, with the depth of expertise in your area of specialization.
The Program in Ecology & Evolution welcomes diversity in thought and research areas, which extends from the sciences to include less-traditional foci of ecology such as philosophy and anthropology. PiEE admits students to the program based on their academic strength, in-field experiences and progressiveness of ideas, not based on their department.
The University of Wyoming's relatively small campus and the Program in Ecology & Evolution's relatively small enrollment allows for high levels of interaction between students and faculty in many departments and colleges. PiEE students, faculty and affiliates are not isolated in their own department, but rather think across boundaries, where meaningful scientific discovery occurs.
The Program in Ecology & Evolution is for the students. The student body is exceptionally engaged in all matters related to the program, ranging from voting in programmatic matters, providing feedback on ways to improve or modify the curriculum, self-initiating student-led study groups and more. Faculty and administrators recognize that students are the most important asset to the program.

There are no firm deadlines for applying to PiEE; however, prospective students must first apply to a home department, so be sure to check the departmental application deadlines. Typically, students are admitted in the spring for a fall semester start, but students can also be admitted on a rolling basis.

Recommended minimum GPA: 3.0
Recommended TOEFL scores (for international students): 525

Students should first discuss with their potential advisor whether grant- or department-funded graduate assistantships are available. There are typically one-year Teaching Assistantships available through PiEE, which involve serving as a teaching assistant both semesters of the academic year. As these TAships are very limited, we recommend you work with your home department and advisor first to secure funding and only apply for a PiEE TAship if funding cannot be secured. PiEE students are also encouraged to apply for NSF-GRFP in the fall prior to admission.

No, the Program in Ecology & Evolution is an on-campus only doctorate program.

No, the Program in Ecology & Evolution is currently a Ph.D.-only program.

Program Admission