The primary requirement for admission to this program is evidence of intellectual achievement and potential for successful graduate study. Admission to the program requires a bachelor's (or equivalent) degree (with a minimum GPA of 3.0), with prior coursework comparable to the following list:
- General Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- General Biology (should include cells, genes, evolution, ecology, and plant biology)
- Physics
- Statistics
- Genetics
- Plant Physiology
- Soils
A limited number of deficiencies in these areas can be made up after admission to the graduate program. However, these make-up courses do not count toward the graduate degree unit requirement.