Application Information

We expect students entering the program to be familiar with the fundamental principles of biological science. Usually students have majored in biology or one of its subdisciplines. Majors in chemistry, mathematics, computer science, or physics are acceptable, with a strong minor or concentration in biology.

Students also should have completed the following courses by the time they enter the program:

• chemistry through organic or biochemistry
• one year of physics
• one year of mathematics through calculus

It is possible to waive some of these requirements, but students from a nontraditional background should contact the Graduate Admissions Secretary or the Director of Graduate Admissions for guidance.

Get answers to frequently asked questions about the admissions process.

• Official College Transcript
• Completed online university application form which includes a statement of your Previous Research Experience (if applicable), a statement of your Personal Goals, AND the names of Potential Faculty Mentors.
• Official scores from the TOEFL test if English is not your native language (a minimum score of 100 is required by our department). English proficiency can also be documented with an approximate 7.5 overall ban score on the the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
• Two letters of Recommendation (submitted on-line)*
  
• *Please note that your letters or recommendations will be requested automatically within approximately 48 hours of completion of your application. To assure that your recommenders have sufficient time to write and submit their letters, you will need to complete your online application early and/or make arrangements that letters will be send promptly after receipt of the online request. 
• NOTE: The GRE General Test is no longer required. The Biology Subject Test is also not required.

Our program is a research graduate program, and we can only accept a student into the program if a faculty mentor has agreed to accept them into their laboratory. Therefore, faculty evaluations of potential graduate students are important to decisions about admissions. We highly recommend contacting tenure track faculty members with whom you would be interested in working. Our web site includes email addresses, phone numbers, and links to the research web pages of faculty. Our site also has a comprehensive list of faculty publications. If there is anyone of interest to you, please contact the person directly. We cannot stress enough the importance of this step. 

Most graduate students in our department receive a University Graduate Scholarship, which pays tuition and fees. In addition, students can receive additional support as a Graduate Assistant. GA's, under the guidance of faculty members, assist in undergraduate classes and laboratories. The base  GA stipends are $28,626 for Ph.D. students and $23,010/year for M.S. students, respectively (updated 12/11/24).  Students also receive finanical support in other ways, such as assistance with research and travel on an individual basis.

We only accept applications via the Graduate School web site.