Master's in Urban Food Systems Admissions Guide

Admission Requirements

• Background courses, at least one course in each of the following:
  • Biology or basic plant science
  • Soil science
• Completion of a bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale.

Admission Checklist

1. Graduate School Application and Application Fee
$65 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents; $75 for international

Complete the Graduate School application.

2. Official Transcripts
Submit one official transcript from each college of university you have attended. Students whose transcripts are not in English must furnish an English translation by an appropriate authority.

Please note: Unofficial transcripts can be used when submitting the online application. Official transcripts will be required after official acceptance.

3. Statement of Purpose
The Statement of Purpose is an important component of your application. Take the time to write a one to two page well-written statement, and include your name at top of the page.

Describe your interest in:

• Urban food systems
• Conducting applied research
• Working under real-world circumstances

4. Letters of Recommendation
Request three letters of recommendation from former/current professors, employers or other professionals in a position to evaluate your potential for graduate study.

International Students must submit the following:

• TOEFL Scores are required only if English is not your first language. An acceptable TOEFL score is 600 (paper-based test), 250 (computer-based), or 100 (IBT-internetbased test).
• Affidavit of Financial Support form

Application Deadlines

The urban food systems graduate programs (M.S. in Horticulture with an emphasis in urban food systems and Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Urban Food Systems) are competitive interdisciplinary graduate programs in urban food systems. Starting with Fall 2025, this program has adopted the following Graduate School application deadlines:

Fall semester (August start)

Domestic students

• Dec. 1 — Priority deadline
• Feb. 1 — General deadline

International students

• Feb. 1

Spring semester (January start)

Domestic students

• July 1 — Priority deadline
• Sept. 1 — General deadline

International students

• Aug. 1

Summer semester (June start)

Domestic students

• Dec. 1 — Early deadline
• Feb. 1 — General deadline

International students

• Dec. 1