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Applicants must fulfill the general admission criteria for the Graduate School at the University of Tennessee.
Apply by November 15, 2023 to get an early offer. Final Application Deadline is January 15, 2024.
All applicants for these programs are also considered for fellowships awarded by the Bredesen Center through a Graduate Research Assistantship
Application Process
- Complete the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, graduate school application.
- Please make sure that on the “Program Selection” page you mark “Bredesen Center” under College and “Doctoral” under Degree. Then you may select Energy Science & Engineering, Data Science & Engineering, or Life Sciences PhD: Genome Science and Technology in the drop-down box. Otherwise, your application will go to a traditional disciplinary department and program.
- Submit all required material, including: a statement of intent, resume, three letters of recommendation, and your official transcripts.
Please review the drop-down menus below for more detailed information on our requirements.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Minimum Graduate School Requirements:
- Bachelor’s Degree from accredited institution
- US degree holders: 2.7 out of possible 4.0 GPA; graduate coursework must have earned 3.0 GPA or higher.
- Non-US degree holders: 3.0 out of 4.0 GPA or higher; graduate coursework must have earned 3.3 GPA or higher.
- Applicants may be required to submit English language certification test scores
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a field of science or engineering.
- Applicants with other undergraduate degrees may also be admitted on a case-by-case basis, determined by the Bredesen Center Admissions Committee. Dependent on the student’s background, additional coursework may be required to satisfy co-requisites and pre-requisites.
Additional Required Materials
- A two-page (maximum) statement of intent.
- 1-2 paragraphs of meaningful research and/or employment experience
- 1-2 paragraphs describing your research interest and career goals. Please let us know if you’ve been in touch with potential advisors (not required).
- 1-2 paragraphs of any previous teaching experience (for GST candidates)
- A copy of your resume or CV
- In addition to providing education and employment history, please include all relevant activities, honors, and publications.
- Three letters of recommendation
- Official Academic Transcripts (undergraduate and graduate)
All supplementary materials must be received by January 15. Please instruct those writing recommendations on your behalf to attach their letter in PDF or Word format on letterhead.
Application Fee Waivers
To be eligible for an application fee waiver review, you must have a submitted application along with all required material (resume, statement of intent, recommendation letters, etc.). When everything is submitted, please send an email to bredesencenter@utk.edu to let us know your application is ready for consideration.
GRE Test Scores
The GRE is optional. If you feel that your scores will add value to your application, we welcome you to submit them.
General Admissions Timeline
November 15: Early admission deadline for accepting applications.
December 1: Accepted Early Applicants receive offers and invitations to the recruit visit
January 15: Final Deadline to receive applications
Late January to Mid February: Select Applicants receive offers and invitations to the recruit visit
Early – Mid March: Explore UT and ORNL, network with faculty, and learn more at our recruit visit!
*Specific dates are subject to change, while the process remains uniform.
