Office of Graduate Affairs Biological Sciences Division

If I will not receive my degree until May or June of the application year, am I still eligible to apply?

Applicants to the University of Chicago's graduate and professional programs are expected to be enrolled in or to have completed a Bachelor's Degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university before entering the graduate program.

Do you accept three year degrees?

What types of degrees do you offer?

Our programs are all PhD, with the exception of Health Studies which offers a Masters degree for clinical professionals.

Do you offer a Masters Degree program?

Health Studies offers a Masters degree for clinical professionals only.

Are international students welcome in your program?

International applicants are welcome. The financial package is available to all students.

Can you evaluate my credentials and tell me if you think I’m eligible to apply?

Because of the volume of applications and requests for status updates we receive, we are not able to evaluate any credentials or resumes sent to us via email. You are welcome to apply and your application will be reviewed during our review process along with all the applicants.

What is the average GPA of accepted applicants?

It is not the policy of the Office of Graduate Affairs to release information regarding the number of applicants, number of students accepted, number of international applicants or any other statistic pertaining to our applicants; however, some programs may share statistics for their individual programs.

What is the average time to degree?

The average time to degree is 5.5 years, however that it is an average and depending on the student’s project it may be more or less.

Due to circumstances, I’ve had a bad semester at school during my academic enrollment. Will that affect my overall chances?

Applications are reviewed as a whole. The admissions committee takes into consideration not only the GPA and GRE scores, but the entire application package including letters of recommendation, statement of purpose and academic background. Minimum and average GPA and GRE scores for each program may vary.

What types of degrees do you offer?

Our programs are all PhD, with the exception of Health Studies which offers a Masters degree for clinical professionals.

What programs do you offer?

The Biological Sciences Division is organized into four program clusters:

Molecular Biosciences: Biochemistry, Genetics, Human Genetics, Cell and Developmental Biology
Darwinian Sciences: Ecological, Integrative and Evolutionary Biology
Biomedical Sciences: Cancer Biology, Molecular Metabolism & Nutrition, Immunology, Pathology, and Microbiology
Neurosciences: Neurobiology, Computational Neuroscience, and Integrative Neuroscience.

In addition, six degree-granting units have not entered into a cluster arrangement and provide separate admission: Biophysical Sciences, Cellular & Molecular Physiology, Health Studies, Interdisciplinary Scientist Training Program, Medical Physics, and Ophthalmology and Visual Science.

Program Link

May I apply to more than one department?

Yes, but select no more than four departments or committees in no more than two Clusters or Programs. Please narrow your choice to the department(s) that most closely align with your research interests.
Please submit only one application to the Division of Biological Sciences.

Do I send multiple sets of supplemental materials for each department?

Please send only one set of transcripts and letters for your application even if you apply to more than one program within the Biological Sciences.

What are the basic requirements for applying to the Graduate Programs in the Biological Sciences Division of the University of Chicago?

All applicants for graduate study in the Division of the Biological Sciences must have a bachelor's degree, or the equivalent, from a college or university of recognized standing.
Evidence of a sound background in the candidate's intended field of study is important, as well as academic credentials suggesting that the applicant has the ability to pursue advanced study and research successfully.
Previous research experience, while not required, is considered an asset.
Statement of purpose
Applicants to all programs are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) **The results of the GRE are valid for 5 years.
GRE Subject scores are optional except it is required for Medical Physics. If you will be applying for an NSF grant, the subject score is required.
The Health Studies Masters Program requires an MD degree and the GRE is waived.
Test of English Proficiency

What supplemental materials are required?

An application is considered complete with 3 letters of recommendation, official transcripts from every educational institution attended, statement of purpose, official GRE scores and if required, official TOEFL scores.
Photocopies and facsimiles of the documents are not acceptable.

What are the requirements for the statement of purpose?

Please discuss your academic and career objectives. Be as specific as you can about the field in which you plan to study and your particular research interests. Beyond what is apparent from your transcripts, describe preparation for proposed program of study, including research projects in which you have participated, and mathematics, computer, and language training where appropriate. Your statement is an important part of your application. It should be clear, concise, and well-crafted.

Is the GRE Test Required?

The GRE test is required. Please send results to institution 1832, department 0299.
GRE test results are considered valid for 5 years previous to the due date of the application.
Subject tests are required for some departments only. Please check the individual programs.

Is the GRE Subject test required?

It is required for some departments only. Please check the individual programs.

What is the minimum or average score of the GRE that is required?

What is the average GRE score of accepted applicants?

I’ve taken the MCAT. Do I have to take the GRE test?

Official GRE scores are required except for applicants to the Health Studies Masters program, which is for those with an MD degree only.

If I am scheduled to take the GRE after the application deadline, can I still apply?

Since the GRE test scores can take up to 6 weeks to arrive, which is past the due date of supplemental materials, it is recommended that you wait to apply the following year.

How many years are the GRE scores valid?

GRE scores are valid for 5 years from the due date of the application.

May I waive the Test of English as a Foreign Language requirement?

The English Language Proficiency requirement may be waived if the applicant studied on full-time status for at least one academic year (within the last five years) in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and English medium universities in Canada and South Africa.

Students who studied in English, for example, in India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, African countries, etc. are not exempt from the English Language Proficiency requirement.

I received my degree from an English speaking country. May I waive the Test of English as a Foreign Language requirement?

Students who studied in English, for example, in India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, African countries, etc. are not exempt from the English Language Proficiency requirement.

I completed a course in English and/or I have a document to certify my English language proficiency. May I wave the Test of English as a Foreign Language requirement?

This does not waive the requirement. The only waivers granted are listed above.

How many years is the TOEFL valid?

TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the date of the application deadline.

How can I find out if my supplemental materials have been received?

You can login to the online application and see the status of the materials we have received when they have been checked in by our staff.

https://grad-application.uchicago.edu/

I sent my materials in a while ago but they have not been checked in yet.

Application materials are matched with the application after it is officially submitted. The application is then downloaded into our database within a week to ten days. Matching supplemental materials can take two to three weeks after that.

GRE scores are received as official paper documents and as an electronic file for those who did not specify a department. These are usually done last. TOEFL and IELTS scores come to our office from an electronic file and are recorded last. The application and supplemental materials deadline is December 1.

What is the status of my application?

Each application is very important to us, and our staff is working to process each applicant's submissions. We then forward the applications to our Admissions Committees. We cannot honor specific requests for application status. The individual departments deal directly with the applicants and you will be notified by phone or letter. See the schedule.

How will I be notified?

The individual departments communicate directly with the applicants and you will be notified by phone, email or letter.

Who reviews my application?

Applications are reviewed by the Admissions Committees of the department(s) to which you applied. See schedule.

I haven’t heard anything yet about an interview. Does that mean I probably will not be accepted?

Applications are reviewed by the Admissions Committees of the department(s) to which you applied. See schedule.

What does the financial aid package include?

The financial aid package provides you with a stipend of $26,500 per year. Your tuition costs (approximately $48,920 in 2008-2009) and health insurance fees (approximately $2,600) are also covered in the financial aid package. You will also be provided with a one time $500 supplement to aid you in relocating to attend the Division of Biological Sciences Graduate Program at the University of Chicago.

How long will financial aid be extended?

Currently, the Divisional commitment of support extends for the first four years and is reviewed on an annual basis for cost of living and other possible increases. Support for each year beyond the first year is contingent on your satisfactory degree progress, as determined by your degree-granting unit and the Divisional Office of Graduate Affairs. Every effort is made beyond the fourth year to provide financial assistance until the completion of the degree.

Can my application fee be waived?

Under the University rules, applications must be accompanied by the appropriate application fee. Failure to send the fee may result in serious delay in the review of your application. It is not a policy of the Division of the Biological Sciences to grant fee waivers, but documented cases of substantial financial hardship for domestic applicants will be examined on an individual basis.
Under University policy, fee waivers are not granted to international students.
Fee waivers are granted to participants in the following programs:
BSD Summer Research Program
PREP students
CIC applicants
Project 1000 applicants

Do not pay your fee and then send an email to biosci-bsd-grad-affairs@bsd.uchicago.edu

Do you accept Transfer students?

Transfer students are accepted and follow the same application procedures as new applicants.

To be considered for transfer, students must have a valid reason for the move and must provide a letter of recommendation from an appropriate faculty member from their current institution.

If the student is accepted for transfer, the degree-granting unit in which he or she matriculates will decide whether the student can matriculate with advanced standing.

May I resubmit my application from last year?

Students may reapply or have their application from the previous year reactivated by emailing biosci-grad-affairs@bsd.uchicago.edu.

Applications and materials are kept on file for one year only.

May I have my supplemental materials from last year’s application used for a new application?

Students who reapply may have their materials applied to the new application.

You may wish to write a new statement of purpose and have new letters of recommendation sent.

Please contact graduate affairs to have these materials applied biosci-grad-affairs@bsd.uchicago.edu

Applications and materials are kept on file for one year only.

Prospective Students Frequently Asked Questions