Admissions Criteria

Contact with faculty members; GPA; GRE general scores; letters of recommendation; degree of preparedness for graduate school; and your statement of purpose are all important factors in our review of your application.

Bachelor's Degree

Students admitted to the program usually have a bachelor's degree in one of the life sciences or physical sciences. However, promising students with other academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply if they have a strong undergraduate grounding in biology.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

  • Upper division or graduate GPA of 3.4 or higher is preferred.
  • A minimum GPA of 3.0 (courses taken after the first two years) is required by the Graduate Division.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and TOEFL

  • All applicants must take the GRE general test; GRE subject test in Biology or subject tests in other relevant disciplines highly recommended, but not required.
  • No "minimum GRE scores" required for consideration. Scores are taken as indicators of ability in various skills needed for graduate school.
  • Only the most recent GRE scores will be considered for review purposes.
  • For international students from countries in which the official language is not English; results of the TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language) are required.

Letters of Recommendation

  • Three letters of recommendation from faculty or other persons who have known you in an academic or research capacity.

Contact IB Faculty

  • It is required that you list on your application at least one (three is preferred) faculty member(s) in our department whose research is of particular interest to you. It is highly recommended that you contact them to discuss your interest in working with them. This contact is the first step in broadly defining areas of potential research focus and should be elaborated on in your statement of purpose.

Statement of Purpose

  • The statement should reflect serious intent, focus, maturity, motivation, and the ability to organize and articulate your thoughts on complex subjects.

Research Experience

  • Research experience is preferred. It helps to define interest and focus, and proven success with research is a positive indicator for success in the program.

 

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