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Admission Requirements

Admission to the Biology MS Program requires that applicants satisfy the minimum requirements for admission to the College of Graduate Studies and Research. In addition, qualified applicants should satisfy the following three requirements for acceptance in the Biology MS Program. It is highly recommended that applicants identify and contact a potential research mentor prior to applying.

Demonstrate proof of meeting the academic requirements for the program by satisfying ONE of the following criteria:

Submit an official transcript signifying that you received a bachelor's degree in Biology with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 and minimum biology GPA of 3.0; OR
Submit official transcripts showing that you possess a bachelor's degree in a discipline other than Biology but have completed at least 20 credits in the biological sciences (General Biology, Genetics, Ecology, Cell Biology, Microbiology, or Physiology). The average GPA for these course must 3.00 or higher; OR
The graduate committee may consider and admit with deficiencies, applicants, who meet most of the criteria in a or b, on an individual basis with the support of a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences that will mentor the applicant.

2. Submit a letter describing your interest in our Biology MS program. This letter should succinctly identify your career goals, your research interests, and identify the faculty member(s) with whom you are most interested in pursuing a thesis research project.

3. International students from a country where English is not the primary language of instruction must submit an official IELTS score with a minimum score of 7 in speaking and in two of the other three ability categories. An internet based TOEFL (iBT) is acceptable with minimum scores of 26 in speaking, 24 in writing, and 22 in the other two categories.

Admission Deficiencies:

Students who do not meet the admission requirements, or that do not have an equivalency (a grade of "C" or better) in the core courses required for admission, have a scholastic deficiency (listed on your acceptance letter). Deficiencies can be corrected by:

Formal coursework, OR
Approved examination (with a grade of "C" or better) given by the instructor responsible for the course related to the deficiency.

Undergraduate courses taken to correct a deficiency will not count toward the graduate degree.

Any graduate course designated as a deficiency may be applied toward the graduate degree, provided it is first approved by the student's advisor, the Biology Graduate Committee, and the Biology Department Chairperson.

How To Apply

The following materials must be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies:

completed online applicationfor graduate study.
official transcript(s) from your degree-granting institution(s)
a completed immunization form
to satisfy the admission requirements for our department, interested students must include a letter describing your interest in the graduate program that you are applying for Biology MS. This letter should explicitly identify your career goals, your research interests, and identify the faculty member(s) with whom you are most interested in pursuing a thesis research project.
International students from a country where English is not the primary language must submit an official internet-based TOEFL (iBT) score which satisfies our departments' minimum score requirements.
a $40 fee is required of applicants applying to a degree program.

If an Assistantshipis desired, go to the Graduate Student Assistantships page for information.

Questions regarding Graduate School and/or Assistantship Requirements can be referenced at the College of Graduate Studies

Questions regarding your application or qualifications can be discussed with the department's Graduate Coordinator