Contact

Please contact Peggy Lowenstein if you have any questions about the AEC graduate program or the admissions process.

Requirements

Minimum requirements for admission to this program include the following:

• A recognized baccalaureate, graduate, or professional degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or a comparable degree from an international institution
• 3.0 upper-division undergraduate grade point average

Exceptions to these requirements are subject to recommendation by the department and approval by the associate dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the dean of the Graduate School.

Please also see the UF Graduate School’s admissions requirements in the Graduate Catalog, as applicants must meet the requirements of both the academic unit and the Graduate School to be admitted for graduate study.

Non-US and Puerto Rican applicants: Please refer to the UF international student admission requirements on the International Admissions website. 

Application Details

The following items must be completed to be considered for admission:

• Application Form
• $30 non-refundable Application Fee payment (credit card payments require an additional $7 processing fee)
• Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions previously attended sent to the UF Office of Admissions, PO Box 114000 (201 Criser Hall), Gainesville, FL 32611-4000
• Three letters of recommendation: This part of the application is automated in the online application and will require contact information for your references. If they are not able to submit the forms electronically through the online application, please have your recommenders send their letters through email to Peggy Lowenstein or by mail to Paula Johns, PO Box 112060, Gainesville, FL 32611-2060.
• Statement of Purpose/Letter of Intent: The statement of purpose gives you the opportunity to explain who you are and what you would like to achieve by obtaining a graduate degree from UF AEC. Please respond to all of the following prompts. Your statement of purpose should be no longer than 3 single-spaced pages.
  1. Background. Introduce yourself and explain what led you to apply to the UF/AEC graduate program. What are your career or life goals? How does a graduate degree help you in achieving your career or life goals?
  2. Academic Potential. How have your past academic experiences prepared you for graduate school? How would you describe your approach to learning? What prior experiences do you have with research and writing? What initial ideas do you have for your research (or project for non-thesis MS)?
  3. Experience. How has your professional work experience prepared you to pursue a graduate degree? If you have no professional work experience, what other experiences have prepared you to pursue a graduate degree? How do you approach adversity and stay committed to your goals?
  4. Fit. Which of our specializations do you think will allow you to develop the competencies you will need for your anticipated career? Why? Why is UF/AEC the right program for you? Which of our faculty have the expertise which aligns with your interests? Have you met with them?
• Résumé or curriculum vitae: The online application provides the option to upload additional files as needed. Please upload a current résumé or curriculum vitae in this section of the online application.
  • Pursuant to Florida Statute, your application requires inclusion of all post-high school education and employment, as well as information about ongoing international affiliations and research funding. Please ensure this information is included on your curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé.
• Assistantship/fellowship application: Any applicant interested in a departmental assistantship/fellowship must have their complete application packet–assistantship/fellowship application and essay–sent to Peggy Lowenstein. The application can be found here. With regard to the essay, applicants should include information about work-related experience and skills which would be relevant to performing teaching, research, or extension assistantship responsibilities and how these experiences and skills can contribute to the AEC department's programs and mission. Please note this essay is separate from the Statement of Purpose. More funding resources can be found here. 

Application Deadlines

Summer or Fall admission: February 1* (priority review)

Spring admission: September 1* (priority review)

*If you are interested in departmental assistantship/fellowship funding, your application materials should be submitted by the first application review date to be most competitive for available funds.

Prospective Student Campus Visits

We expect prospective students to contact potential AEC faculty advisors prior to and during the admissions process. Campus visits provide applicants an opportunity to meet with department faculty and current graduate students face to face, as well as give applicants a chance to explore the University of Florida campus. If you are unable to visit our department in person, please note that a virtual visit (using video conferencing software like Zoom) can be arranged and is encouraged. We offer visits for prospective graduate students by appointment only, so if you are interested in setting up an in-person visit or a virtual visit, please send an email to: AEC-Inquiry@ifas.ufl.edu with the following information included:

• Name
• Degree sought (M.S. or Ph.D.)
• Intended specialization
• 3 possible dates to meet

If you cannot visit in person or virtually, we ask that you reach out to our faculty members through email or by phone. Contact information can be found in our online directory.