Biology

Program-Specific Requirements

• The applicant\xc2\x92s GPA in undergraduate biology courses will be determined and must be 3.0 or above (on a 4.0 scale)
• An applicant must normally present 24 semester hours of credit in the biological sciences, including genetics (sophomore level or above), ecology (junior level or above) and molecular/cell biology (junior level or above). Preparation in the supporting sciences must include a course in inorganic or introductory chemistry, a course in organic chemistry or biochemistry, a course in introductory physics and a course in mathematics (college algebra, trigonometry or calculus) or statistics. Students with inadequate backgrounds in biology or the supporting sciences may be admitted provisionally and will be required to complete courses in the named areas.
• If applying for financial support as a Graduate Assistant, applicants for whom English is not the language of nurture should take the internet-based TOEFL, the IELTS, or the PTE.
• Entrance Exam
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test with a combined score (verbal + quantitative) of 1000 (if test was taken before August 1, 2011) or 297 (if test was taken after August 1, 2011) and a minimum writing score of 3.5.
• Three (3) Letters of Recommendation
• Statement of Purpose
• The Biology Department strongly encourages applicants to contact a professor whose research interests overlap with their own goals for graduate research. Because of the individualized nature of the Biology Graduate Program, otherwise qualified applicants may not be admitted if appropriate faculty are not available to serve as advisors. Please indicate in your Statement of Purpose who you have contacted or plan to contact.
• Applicants not meeting the criteria in terms of GPA or standardized test scores may provide written evidence of experience or potential to perform outstanding graduate work and petition the department for provisional admission as long as their Biology GPA is above the 2.7 minimum set by the Graduate College. Students seeking provisional admission should contact two or more biology faculty to discuss admission. Provisional admission will not be removed until the student has earned at least the grade of \xc2\x93B\xc2\x94 (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) in each course involved in the first 12 hours of graduate study. Questions about requirements for admission should be directed to the Department of Biology.