University of Wisconsin-Madison: Botany

Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
GRE subject: Highly recommended, especially for financial aid
Min. GPA: 3.0; 3.8 for fellowships
GRE scores: above 70th percentile; above 90th percentile for fellowships
No MS required before going for PhD by department, but specific professors might require it.
TAships: $11,263-14,100
RAships: $17,700
Those with fellowships or assistantships get health insurance at little to no cost. It doesn't sound like they will totally cover their grad students, especially out-of-state ones. Consider establishing residency before attending.
Total Cost of Attendance: $38, 815 for out-of-state; $23, 892 for in-state; $25,206 for Minnesota residents
Areas of Emphasis: Plant anatomy/morphology, physiology, taxonomy, cellular and molecular biology, taxonomy, mycology, phycology, ecology, lichenology (though on an obscure, hard to find page).

Courses: Algae; Fungi; Transmission Electron Microscopy Techniques for Plant and Microbial Sciences; Bryophytes; Grassland Ecology; Dendrology; Field Collections and Identification; Plant Geography; Tropical Plant Diversity; Ecological Techniques for Field Monitoring; Plant-Microbe Interactions: Molecular and Ecological Aspects; Fungal Genetics and Development; Plant Pathogenic Fungi; Mineral Nutrition of Plants; Biology and Genetics of Filamentous Fungi; Conservation Biology; Adaptive Restoration Lab; Advanced Mycology; Physiological Plant Ecology; Taxonomy and Evolution of Wild and Domesticated Grasses; Ecological Methods; Community Analysis; and other advanced courses in ecology/mycology/phycology

Potential advisors: Sara C. Hotchkiss, Linda E. Graham, Thomas J. Givnish, Joy Zedler, Paul Zedler
None are specifically looking at lichens or fungi; all seem to have something to do with ecology, however. Graham is looking at algae and bryophytes.

Pre-requisites: These are only "recommended preparation", implying that they either don't have to be made up or can easily be made up.

• Mathematics (up to and including one semester of calculus):
• Statistics (one semester at the college level):
• Chemistry (General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry):
• Physics (College level course including electricity and light):
• Foreign Language (two years at High School or two semesters at college):
• Biology (Strong background in the biological sciences typically including cell biology, ecology, evolution, genetics, and molecular biology).
  

Mental Health Care:  Limit of 10 individual sessions per student per academic year or 20 individual sessions for entire academic career.  All sessions are free.  

http://www.uhs.wisc.edu/services/counseling/

Groups:  Dissertation Support Group, Graduate Women's Group, Social Anxiety, Social Skills and Navigating the Dating World, Mindfulness, Meditation, and many others

Frostburg State University-Maryland (Applied Ecology & Conservation Biology; Wildlife/Fisheries Biology)

While the program sounds pretty good, there are some major problems with going to this school. The worst is the lack of financial aid. They will pay for tuition if you have an assistantship, but there are no other stipends to cover all expenses. They also don't provide an estimate of total fees on their website nor do they provide a estimate of total tuition costs. The biology website has hardly any information on it; most of the information is in the graduate school catalog. All of this makes me think it is probably not a very good school and lacks resources to help graduate students. This also suggests that the proper facilities may be lacking, though they do offer a course in electron microscopy. There is no FAQ, and information on TA'ing and the subject GRE is nowhere to be found. I cannot recommend this school because of these important details being left out.

Areas of Emphasis: Conservation Biology, Landscape and Watershed Ecology, Wildlife/Fisheries Biology
Min. GPA: 3.0
GRE: May be waived if you have a min. GPA of 3.5 and a graduate degree. If GPA is less than 3.0, a min. score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative sections combined is required.
Subject GRE: Not required
Degrees Offered: MS only
In-state Tuition & Fees: $528 per semester per credit hour
Out-of-state Tuition & Fees: $575 per semester per credit hour
Financial Aid: Assistantships provide tuition waivers, provided the student takes 9-12 credits per semester that are relevant to the the degree. (I don't know if this includes the pre-requisites.) A few scholarships are available. Student loans are another option.
TA'ing Required: I can't find any information on whether or not it is required, so I'm assuming no.
Appealing Courses: Environmental Toxicology, Electron Microscopy, Watershed Hydrology, Plant Disease, General Parasitology

Pre-requisites for Applied Ecology and Conservation Biology:

• 1 yr. General Biology
• 1 yr. General Chemistry
• 1 semester Organic Chemistry
• 1 semester Statistics
• 1 semester of Genetics for Conservation Biology Emphasis
• 1 semester of Physical Science for Landscape and Watershed Ecology Emphasis
• 1 course in 3 out of 8 of the following fields: Anatomy or Morphology, Ecology, Physiology, Cellular or Molecular Biology, Evolution or Systematics, Natural Resource Management, Developmental Biology, Environmental or Earth Science

Pre-requisites for Wildlife/Fisheries Biology:

• 1 semester Organic Chemistry
• 1 yr. General Biology
• 1 yr. General Chemistry
• 1 semester Calculus
• 1 semester Statistics
• 1 course in 4 out of 8 of the following fields: Anatomy or Morphology, Cellular or Molecular Biology, Developmental Biology, Ecology, Evolution or Systematics, Genetics, Physiology, Natural Resource Management
• Natural Resource Management
• Developmental Biology
• Environmental or Earth Science

Deficiencies in either major's pre-reqs may be made up.

University of California-Berkeley (Plant Biology)

Although Berkeley is a top school, their plant biology program doesn't sound that great. Coming from an ecological background, there isn't much offered here; it's all molecular and cellular biology. It may be better to go for Environmental Science, Policy, and Management if you want to go to Berkeley for plant ecology or a similar field of botany. Nevertheless, there are some really cool sounding courses. The GRE scores don't have to be too terribly high to get in, and they offer full funding, which is promising since it is so expensive for out-of-state students. TA'ing may be a hard requirement to get waived, and their pre-requisites may be difficult to meet if you don't have a background in botany. Overall, I can't recommend this school for this program, unless you are insterested in doing something with plants that involves the molecular and cellular side of them.

Areas of Emphasis: Basic Plant Research, Development of Biotechnologies, Molecular, Cellular, Genetic, Biochemical, Physiological, Developmental, Structural, Plant Microbe Interactions

Degrees offered: PhD only

Min. GPA: 3.0

GRE: No min. score required, but current enrolled students have an average of 620 on the verbal and 700 on the quantitative portions of the test.

Subject GRE: Not required, but recommended

Appealing Courses: Diversity of Plants and Fungi, Biology of Fungi, California Mushrooms, Biology of Algae, Environmental Plant Biology, Digital Imaging for Biologists, Plant Biochemistry, Plant Molecular Genetics, Plant Cell Biology, Grant Writing and Research

Total in-state Costs: $31,702
Total out-of-state Costs: $46,708

Financial Aid: Guaranteed support of approx. $25,500 stipend. (All students are completely funded, currently, with all students having health insurance.) Research Assistantships or TA positions support students during the second year and on. Out-of-state fees are covered as well for the first year, after which time students are expected to have gained California residency. Fellowships are also available.


TAing Requirements: Required for 2 semesters; no information on whether or not it can be waived.


Pre-requisites: They say that you should have an undergraduate curriculum that is, "Roughly equivalent to undergrad program in Genetics and Plant Biology." The requirements for this major are listed below. They do not indicate if you can make up deficiencies or not.

• Chemistry (General and Organic)


• Physics (1 semester)


• 1 yr. Calculus


• Computer Literacy Statistics


• Biology focusing on the molecular, cellular, and development side of things


• Biology focusing on ecology and evolution


• Plant Morphology


• Plant Developmental Genetics


• Cell and Developmental Plant Biology


• Physiology and Biochemsitry of Plants


• Several Upper Division Plant, Chemistry, or Biology Courses

US News & World Report Ranking: 2/152

University of California-Berkeley: Molecular and Cell Biology

This program sounds intimidating to me, perhaps because I have no background in molecular or cellular biology but also because of the entrance requirements. It is a top school, so it would stand to reason that it would have more rigorous admissions policies. For all science programs at Berkeley, it seems you can only earn a doctorate. While they encourage students from all science disciplines to apply, strong applicants are those who have not only 2 semesters of calculus and 2-3 of chemistry, but also have lots of advanced coursework in genetics, biochem, and other aspects of cell and molecular biology. Plus, to get admitted, the subject GRE is strongly recommended, and the lowest score they tend to accept for the general is the 80th percentile! The costs of attendance are also high, especially for out-of-state students, and although they claim to fully-fund their students, I find it hard to believe that they would provide the full $46,000 for the first year. With such high standards, the program itself is probably highly demanding and terrifying as well, but if you have the background, go for it. I don't think I would unless I first had a master's in cellular and molecular biology, so if you're like me, you might want to find an easier program.

Areas of Emphasis: Neurobiology; Genetics, Genomics, & Development; Cell & Developmental Biology; Immunology & Pathogenesis; Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Degrees offered: PhD only
min. GPA: 3.0
min. GRE: 80th percentile overall or in all subjects (they don't specify)
Subject GRE: Not required, but strongly recommended
Appealing Courses: Microbial Diversity Workshop, Advanced Stem Cell and Developmental Biology, other stem cell courses, Cancer and Immunobiology, Principles of Neuroscience, Molecular Biology of Animal Viruses Workshop, Dietary Determinants of Cancer, Heart Disease, and Ageing
Total In-state Costs: $31,702
Total Out-of-state Costs: $46,708
Financial Aid: All students receive full funding for 5.5 yrs, after which time you can apply for another semester of funding. This includes health insurance and out-of-state tuition and fees, and averages at around $27,000 a year. However, funding is competitive. NIH Training Grants are available as are fellowships. They expect students to gain residency as quickly as possible.
TAing Requirement: Yes. I can't find any information on getting the requirement waived.
US News & World Report Ranking: 2/152

Pre-requisites:

• 1 yr. Calculus
• 1 yr. Physics
• 1 yr. General Biology
• 2-3 semesters of chemistry, including general, organic, and physical
• Advanced coursework in such areas as: Biochemistry, Biophysics, Cell Biology, Genetics, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Immunology, Neurobiology.

They don't call these pre-requisites. However, they say that a strong application will contain these components.

University of Alberta-Biology

The University of Alberta doesn't sound like it's a bad place to attend school. There are many options of where to go in biology, and it also sounds like if you want, you can take a more interdisciplinary approach without specializing in one aspect of biology. TA'ing, while not required, is a common source of funding, so it may be necessary. International students pay significantly more than Canadian students, so this is a major drawback for non-Canadians.

They have a higher GPA requirement than other schools, suggesting a more rigorous program. One thing that is really nice is that the GRE isn't required, though it is preferred. The number and variety of courses is amazing. This is my favourite thing about this school. Most courses are for undergrads, but I don't see why graduate students couldn't take them, especially if you need to make up deficiencies. I don't like that they don't list pre-reqs anywhere. They also seem to have lots of research areas nearby, such as a mycology herbarium at the Botanic Gardens. Overall, I recommend this school for those interested in any aspect of biology.

Areas of Emphasis: Ecology, Microbiology & Biotechnology, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Physiology and Cell Biology, Plant Biology, Systematics & Evolution

Degrees Offered: MSc, PhD Students typically must have a master's before going for the doctorate. However, exceptional students can get admitted, and after beginning the master's one can get admitted for the doctorate.

Appealing Courses: Advanced Mycology; Advanced Comparative Immunology; Environmental Microbiology, Advanced Parasitology; Advanced Molecular Plant Physiology; Wetland Ecology & Management; Global Biogeochemistry; Conservation Biology; People, Pollution, and the Environment; The Ecology of Below-Ground Communities; Experimental Parasitology, Wildlife Disease; Microbial Physiology; Marine Phycology; Basic Virology; Plant Genetics; Medical and Veterinary Entomology; Lake and Peatland Development; Plant Biochemistry; Biology of Bryophytes; and many, many more.

NOTE: All costs are in Canadian Dollars.

Canadian Students Total Costs: $14, 037
International Students Total Costs: $26, 170

Financial Aid: Students going for their MSc get $22,686/yr. with a TAship; PhD students get $23,332/yr. with a TAship. (First year students only get about $15,000/yr for TA'ing.) International students also receive $3590/yr. to help pay for the international student fee. There is also a $500 TA scholarship available that covers one year. About half of students get funding via a TAship. Other awards and scholarships require TA'ing. There are also Research Assistantships available. Support is provided for 2.6 yrs for MSc students, and 5 yrs for PhD students.

TA'ing required: No
Pre-requisites: None specified
min. GPA: 3.3; may be higher, depending on what other applicants have
min. GRE: The General test is preferred, but not required.
Subject GRE required: No

University of Idaho-Environmental Science

Areas of Emphasis: Physical Science, Natural Resource Management, Ecology, Earth Science/Hydrology, Waste Management, Policy/Law, and Environmental Health/Toxicology.

I am not particulary impressed by this college. Their course selection is fairly limited, but not too bad. The online master's program is nice, but likely requires you to have a background in environmental science. It is hard to find information on the program; they don't seem to have much information at all. The program is interdisciplinary. They also don't give much information on financial aid. I cannot recommend this program based on the info. on their website, unless perhaps, you want to take the online option.

They offer an MS and PhD degree. Unlike many other schools, you must have a master's in order to apply for a PhD. They also offer an online MS degree for students who live in other states. They also offer a combined MS/Law degree.

Interesting-sounding courses include Microbial Ecology, Physiological Ecology, Fire Ecology, Soil Mineralogy, Environmental Water Quality, Principles of Environmental Toxicology, Plant Environmental Biophysics, Conservation Biology, and many others that are web-based.

In-state total costs are $21, 050. Out-of-state is about $10,000 more at $31,130. They claim to provide full-funding for all grad students. Fellowships and assistantships are available. TA'ing is required for PhD students.

Pre-requisites:

• Chemistry or Physics
• Physical Geography or Geology
• Biology (2 courses)
• Social Science (2 courses)
• Statistics
• Math
• English

They don't go into much detail about these specific requirements, but they can be made up once one is accepted into the program.

General GRE scores: No minimum score provided.
The subject test is not required.
minimum GPA: 2.8 (3.48 avg. for students entering program in 2001)
The school isn't listed on PhDs.org for environmental sciences/studies, and of course, US News & World Report does not rank environmental science programs.

University of Colorado-Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Areas of Emphasis: Molecular Biology of RNA and DNA, Molecular Genetics, Cell Motility and Cytoskeleton, Cell Membranes, Developmental Genetics, Astrobiology, Control of the Cell Cycle, Signal Transduction, and Control of Gene Expression

I went to CU for my undergrad. degree in Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology. I love Boulder, but there wouldn't be anything left to take if I went there for my grad in the same program. It sounds like MCDB (Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology) would be a good option for those wanting an advanced degree in those areas. There are quite a few cool-sounding classes in the catalog. However, CU is not known for actually updating their catalog, so some of these may no longer be available. The campus is beautiful, and if you have time to go anywhere and do anything, Boulder can be lots of fun. It should be relatively easy to get into the school, especially if you have all the pre-reqs. It sounds like it isn't too expensive either, especially with tuition remission. Plus, it has strong rankings at PhDs.org and in US News & World Report.

They only offer a PhD.

Possibly interesting courses: Plagues, People, and Microorganisms; Biological Electron Microscopy: Principles and Recent Advances; Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology; Microbial Diversity and the Biosphere; Molecular Neurobiology; Bacterial Disease Mechanisms; and Biology of Stem Cells

It is definitely worth it to get in-state status if you can because out-of-state total costs figure around $37,606 vs. $21,786 for in-state students. Fortunately, much of this should be taken care of by doing well because they claim that graduate students are fully-funded. First years get about $24,282, primarily from TA'ing. But they do provide remission of tuition & fees plus a stipend. Unfortunately, TA'ing is required for two semesters! It is possible to get the requirement waived. Fellowships, Research Assistantships, and departmental training grants provide the support for the rest of the student's program of study.

Pre-requisites:

• Ochem
• Biochem
• Calculus
• General Biology
• Cell Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Genetics

These can be made up.

Minimum GPA: 3.0
General GRE score: No min. required given. However, see below for an idea.
Subject test is optional.
For Fall 2008, the following average stastics for entering grad students are provided:

Verb: 598

Quant: 701

Anal Writ: 4.6

Undergrad GPA: 3.55

US News & World Report Ranking: 33/152

From PhDs.org:

Reputation of the Department: 3.4 (Reasonably Effective)

Percent that find jobs immediately after graduating: 70%

Reputation of Faculty: 3.9 (Strong)