Graduate Program in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
All EEB graduate students are admitted to work with an individual faculty advisor or (more rarely) co-advisors. Thus, prior to applying to the EEB graduate program, prospective students should identify and contact potential advisors (see EEB Research Faculty) to determine if they are accepting new students and to discuss research interest compatibility.
Application Deadline
Application for Fall 2025 Admission is open September 1st through December 31st.
- Applications submitted by December 31 will receive full consideration
- Late applications may be considered when possible
Admission Requirements
Applicants for graduate study in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology must have: a BA or BS degree or equivalent that provides a strong background in biology, as well as strong ability and motivation, as indicated by academic record and recommendation letters. Submission of GRE scores is optional for applicants to the EEB program. Scores submitted by an applicant will be reviewed along with other application components as part of the wholistic admission review process. Applicants who do not submit scores will not be at a disadvantage. Scores from the GRE Biology subject exam are optional but can be helpful, particularly for students with nontraditional backgrounds in biology. These requirements do not preclude admission of qualified applicants who have majored in areas other than biology. Students should have completed coursework in ecology, evolution (or equivalent), mathematics (including calculus), and statistics prior to admission. Deficiencies in these subject areas or in specific areas of biology should be made up during the first year of residence; some may be waived at the discretion of the student's advisory committee, the graduate program director, and the department chair.
Rice Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program Application
Please note that applicants applying to more than one graduate program must submit separate applications for each program.
Application Materials: (All below items are required for a complete application)
Official Transcripts
All offers of admission are contingent upon receipt of the official transcript or transcripts of all previous college or university work (including previous graduate study). Official transcripts should be sent directly to the BioSciences Department (address below) by the institution(s) attended. An unofficial transcript may be uploaded to the online application for preliminary evaluation, but once a student is selected for an interview, the official transcript must be submitted. A final transcript, covering work in progress at the time of application or any later work, must be furnished to the department as soon as possible (if not submitted as part of the original application).
Recommendation Letters
Recommendations should be requested from four persons (preferably professors in the applicant's major field) who know the applicant's personal and scholastic qualities. Letters should be submitted online through the application software. Applicants can send requests to recommendation writers directly through the application. If the online option is not possible, hard-copy forms for recommendation letters can be requested at eebgradapps.rice.edu. Hard-copy letters should be mailed directly to the BioSciences Department. Applications will not be reviewed until at least three recommendations are received.
Personal Statement
A personal statement is required for all applications. Personal statements can be uploaded directly to the online application in PDF format. The personal statement should include a brief description of the applicant's intended plan of study or the particular sub-division of the major field in which the applicant would like to specialize. Applicants should include in the statement any other information that may be helpful in evaluating the application. If applicable, applicants should briefly describe any additional factors that they would like the admissions committee to consider (e.g. personal background, work experience, leadership roles).
GRE
Submission of GRE scores is optional. Scores submitted by an applicant will be reviewed along with other application components as part of the wholistic admission review process. Applicants who do not submit scores will not be at a disadvantage. Applicants who wish to submit scores should have them sent directly to the BioSciences Department by Educational Testing Service using the below codes. Tests should be scheduled at least six weeks before the application deadline. The ETS institutional code is 6609; the department code is 0207.
TOEFL
Applicants whose native language is not English should also have TOEFL scores reported using the below codes. The minimum score for the internet-based TOEFL is 90. For those students who choose to take the IELTS in lieu of TOEFL, the minimum score is 7. The TOEFL institutional code is 6609; the department code is 35.
Application Fee
An application fee waiver is available for United States citizens and permanent residents, and students who have received their most recent degree from a United States college or university. If you are in this category, please request a fee waiver before submitting your application by sending an email to eebgradapps@rice.edu. Fees cannot be refunded after they are paid. In addition, fee waivers are granted to students participating in certain programs (e.g., McNair Scholars, Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium (GCURS), Mellon Mays Fellows, Project 1000, Nankai University Hundred Young Teachers Program, Vietnam Education Foundation). Please indicate participation in such programs in the University Programs and Fellowships field in the application to receive one of those waivers. The application fee is $85.
Please have your transcripts and test scores sent directly to the BioSciences Department at the address below:
Graduate Program Administrator
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program
Rice University, MS-140
P.O. Box 1892
Houston, TX 77251-1892
FedEx, UPS, DHL and other couriers:
Graduate Program Administrator
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program
Rice University, MS-140
6100 Main Street
Houston, TX 77005