Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Is the General or Subject GRE required?
Answer: No, neither are required.

Question: What is the minimum required score on the TOEFL?
Answer: Our department’s minimum TOEFL requirement is 100 iBT.

Question: Do you accept the IELTS as well as the TOEFL?
Answer: English proficiency can also be documented with an approximate 7.5 overall ban score on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Question: What are your Institution and Department Codes for reporting TOEFL scores?
Answer: Our Institution Code is 1833. You do not need to specify a Department Code.

Question: What is the average GPA of those students admitted last year?
Answer: We do not keep statistics on these averages.

Question: What is the number of international students your department will be admitting this year?
Answer: When reviewing applications, our department does not differentiate between domestic and international students. Applicants are chosen for admission based on their previous academic merit, test scores, area of research interest, faculty with whom they are interested in studying, and letters of recommendation.

Question: Can you tell me if I am qualified to submit an application to your program?
Answer: It is not the practice of our department to make a preliminary judgment about an applicant’s qualifications. Please reach out first to a potential faculty mentor.

Question: To what address do I send my supporting materials (transcript/s)
Answer: Please send them to: Graduate Admissions, Department of Biological Sciences, 318 College Drive, P.O. Box 210006, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006.

Question: How much is your application fee? Can it be waived?
Answer: The fee for applying to our graduate program, whether at the M.S. or Ph.D. level, is currently $65 for domestic and $70 for international applicants. Our department is unable to waive this fee.

Question: Do I need to choose an advisor? How do I select an advisor?
Answer: Yes, you need to select an advisor and contact them to express interest in entering their lab. Since we are a research institution, we only accept a student if a faculty mentor has agreed to accept them into their laboratory. 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 through email. We cannot stress enough the importance of this step.

Question: When should I contact a potential advisor?
Answer: Any time, but preferably before you submit your application. The input of your potential faculty advisor weighs heavily in the admissions process. On the application, you will be asked to list the faculty with whom you would like to study. You can list more than a single advisor.

Question: Which classes should I take to best prepare for admittance into the graduate program?
Answer: The answer to this question much depends on the area of specialization that you are planning to pursue. Therefore, the best person to give you good advice on this question will be your potential future advisor.