Admission Criteria Graduate Studies

Students applying to our graduate program are advised to plan ahead of time to make sure that all the material that accompanies the application arrives by the established deadline so that it is considered in the review process. As part of the planning process we encourage prospective students to contact faculty members with whom they share interests to explore possibilities of working together, and suggestions of funding sources. Planning ahead of time is particularly important for foreign students to avoid delays in the arrival of the official GRE scores and application materials. Students accepted into our graduate program are required to participate in a 4-week summer orientation course which includes teaching methodologies, ethics, safety, among other issues.

Admission Criteria

Students applying to our graduate program should:

  • Hold a bachelor’s degree in Biology or equivalent.
  • Have an overall GPA ≥3.00 as well as a mean GPA in Science and Language (Spanish and English) courses ≥3.00.
  • Have taken the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) recently.
  • Have taken two semesters of General Biology, General Physics, General Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry with their respective labs, and one semester of Calculus.
  • Have taken one course in each of two of the following areas: (1) Genetics, (2) Developmental Biology, Cellular/Molecular Biology, and (3) Organismal Biology (e.g. Zoology, Botany, Microbiology), Evolution, and Ecology.
  • Have had (and show evidence) of experience in a research project in Biology.