If you want to look for a Biology PhD program, here are some useful tips! First of all, keep in mind that grad schools usually do not consider your GPA from the bachelor’s or master’s degree. That is why it is important to have an idea of GPA requirements at different schools you’re applying to. When considering an admission offer, grad schools will not only look at your science technical skills but also on classroom performance, departmental and university service commitments., so GPA alone might not be the deciding factor.

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Average GPA For Biology PhD Programs

Graduate school GPA expectations also depends on whether you’re applying to a master’s or doctoral program. Typically, master’s programs accept lower GPAs than doctoral programs.

For example, at Illinois State University, the minimum GPA required for admission is 2.8 for master’s students and 3.0 for Ph.D. students. In commenting on this trend, USC’s Department of Psychology has stated, “Many master’s programs [in psychology] require a 3.0 GPA just to apply; many doctoral programs a 3.5 GPA.”

Clearly, it’s not atypical for grad programs to hold prospective doctoral students to higher standards than they do prospective master’s students.

What Is a Good GPA for Grad School Overall?

Aside from a 4.0 (which all grad schools love), what else is considered a good GPA for grad school? Unfortunately, there isn’t a precise answer because the exact GPA needed for grad school depends on the program you’re applying to. While some programs are OK with 2.5 or 3.0 GPAs, others balk at anything lower than a 3.5! As you can see, grad school GPA expectations can vary widely among programs, just like those for GRE scores.

This doesn’t mean there aren’t any major trends, though. Unlike undergrad admissions, it’s very common for grad schools to have specific GPA cutoffs. A GPA cutoff is the lowest GPA you can have in order to be considered for admission. And based on our research, one of the most common grad school GPA minimums is a 3.0, or a B average.

For example, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UCLA both require a minimum 3.0 GPA (for the junior and senior years) for admission into any grad program at their respective schools. While individual programs can vary in their GPA expectations, many grad schools possess school-wide GPA minimums.

On the other hand, some schools are a little more lenient with what GPAs they’ll accept — provided applicants can make up for their deficiencies in other ways. One example is North Carolina State University, which states, “Provisional admission may be granted to students with related bachelor’s degrees from accredited institutions whose scholastic records are below the standards for admission.” In this case, applicants who don’t meet GPA requirements can still apply but will consequently face higher scrutiny as grad students if accepted.

biology grad school requirements

Step 1. Assess your qualifications for admission.

There are two categories of admission to the Biology Graduate Program: Unconditional Admission and Provisional Admission.

Unconditional Admission

This status may be granted to students considered fully qualified to undertake a program toward a graduate certificate/degree for which they were admitted. A student must have a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution and must satisfy a set of minimum requirements.

The minimum requirements for unconditional admission into the Biology Graduate Program are:

• College-level Biology coursework, 24 credit hours
• GPA in College level Biology coursework, 3.0
• GRE General Test scores, Combined Score of 297
• GRE General Test scores, Analytical Writing Score 3.5
• Foundation course, sophomore-level Genetics
• Foundation course, junior-level Molecular Biology (or Cell Biology)
• Foundation course, junior-level Ecology
• Foundation course, introductory course in Inorganic Chemistry with a laboratory
• Foundation course, introductory course in Organic Chemistry with a laboratory or Biochemistry with a laboratory
• Foundation course, introductory course in Physics with a laboratory
• Foundation course in College Algebra or higher math; or a course in Statistics
• International students–minimum of 95 on the TOEFL IBT or 7.5 on the IELTS or 65 on the Pearson Test of English

Provisional Admission

If a student does not meet the admission requirements, provisional admission status may be granted to students who have not met all of the conditions for unconditional admission but who are deemed capable of high quality graduate study. Departments or schools and/or the Dean for Graduate Studies may impose certain requirements which must be fulfilled by the student in order to maintain this status.

Provisional admission may be granted to an applicant:

• Who has less than a “B” (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) average in the undergraduate work in the proposed graduate major and minor (but in no case less than a 2.7 GPA)
• GRE scores that are lower than the admission requirement. This admission may be granted for reasons of maturity, experience or other circumstances.
• If a student has not successfully completed the coursework required for admission, and the student will be required to complete the coursework after admission.

For example, if you did not take Molecular Biology of the Cell or Ecology as an undergraduate, you may be accepted under the condition that you pass a course in that subject with a grade of “B” or higher at some point during your degree program. Provisional admission is rarely granted when the applicant has not completed three or more of the required courses.

If your GPA in biology coursework is less than 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, you are not eligible for admission into the Biology Graduate Program. However, you may apply for non-degree status from the Graduate Office. Non-degree status will allow you to take graduate coursework to improve your GPA and to demonstrate your potential for success in graduate coursework.

Provisional admission is more likely when there is only single unmet condition and becomes less likely as the number of unmet conditions increases.

Step 2. Develop a strong application.

What are your research goals and interests for your degree program? Contact faculty in the Department of Biology whose research interests overlap with your own.

The purpose of contacting faculty is to determine whether the department can meet your goals and whether there are faculty available to serve as your primary advisor given your interests and goals.

The selection of an adviser and the commitment by a faculty member to serve as a primary adviser is a two-way decision process. Faculty members make decisions about whether to serve as a primary adviser based on many factors, including how many other students they advise, grant resources, current research projects, and lab space.

Letters of recommendation: Who should I ask?

Request letters of recommendation from professors or other professionals who can discuss your academic skills, knowledge, ability, and appropriateness for the Graduate Program in Biology.

Personal Statement of Goals: What should I write?

Tip: Spend time developing and writing your statement of goals

These are generally one to two pages in length.

A personal statement of goals should reflect who you are and what you are interested in accomplishing while in graduate school. Tell us about yourself, your personal experiences and your future goals. We are particularly interested in knowing what is motivating you to go to graduate school, particularly as it specifically pertains to UNO and to the UNO biology faculty.

A Master’s degree is a collaboration between a student and a professor; therefore you need to do your homework before you write your personal statement of goals. Learn about faculty in our department and determine the faculty member or members with whom you would be most interested in working. Contact those faculty members directly (by phone or via email) and talk with them. Decide upon specific faculty member(s), and make sure that they are aware of that decision. When writing your statement of interest, be sure to mention the faculty member(s) you are interested in working with by name. Explain why you want to work specifically with that person and lab group. Feel free to discuss how working with this individual is going to support your future plans as well as your career decision.

Step 3. Make sure your application is complete before the application deadline.

All materials should be received by Graduate Office by the Application Deadline (February 15 for summer/fall admissions and October 15 for spring admissions). Track the receipt of your application materials once you submit your online application. Applications without transcripts, letters of recommendation or GRE scores are incomplete. The departmental review process begins the week of the application deadline and we are not able to consider applications with missing information.

When arranging your GRE test date, allow sufficient time for your GRE scores to arrive at UNO. Check the GRE website to determine how long it takes for scores to arrive.

Request transcripts from all universities and colleges in advance so that these are received by the Graduate Office by the application deadline for the Biology Graduate Program

Arrange for three letters of recommendation. When you fill out your online application, you will submit the names and e-mail addresses of your recommenders who are familiar with your academic potential. Each recommender will receive instructions on how to submit the letter to support your application. Remember to allow enough time so that your recommender has enough time to submit a letter before the deadline. Ask your recommenders how much lead time they need in order to write a strong letter.

Submit your Statement of Goals in your online application.

phd biology programs

Coursework in any PhD in Biology program sets up the formal basis upon which an effective dissertation project and thesis defense is built. To accomplish this, some universities divide their curriculum into different parts. This is a feature that could help students gain knowledge and skills tailored to specific interests, while still providing key information in a technical area. Most PhD Biology programs consist of the following.

• Biology program core courses
• Track-specific courses
• Electives that could be chosen in consultation with your advisor
• Research laboratory rotations

In biology core courses, students could study how to effectively teach at the college level or think critically in the life sciences. Because research is a big feature of a biology doctorate degree, you could also expect to see a course in quantitative analysis.

Electives are often chosen to reflect a students interests and may support a dissertation. Often, a biology department will include courses from other graduate programs to foster cross disciplinary inquiry. For instance, you might get to choose courses in applied mathematics, biomedical engineering, computer science, or integrative neuroscience. Electives vary by school so make sure to check out your options.

What are Types of PhD Biology Programs?

The type of PhD in Biology program you choose to undertake should reflect your goals and interests. In a general program, students might explore some of the broad sub-fields within biology. For instance, your program could cover cell and molecular biology, neurobiology, ecology, behavior, evolution, and marine biology. You may also seek programs with a narrow focus that might provide more courses in one topic. Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, and Genetics are several categories to consider.

• Biochemistry is the branch of science that studies the chemical and physicochemical processes that occur within living organisms.
• Cell and Molecular Biology is the study of biology at the molecular level and often overlaps with biochemistry and genetics.
• Genetics is the study of single genes and their role in how traits and conditions are transmitted between generations.
• Genomics is the study of all parts of an organism’s genes.

We have listed a few Phd in Biology programs you might explore below. Remember, each program may have unique courses, requirements and admission criteria. So, reach out to a program advisor to learn more.

PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

The PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology program could provide you with an in-depth grasp of the life sciences at the molecular level. Future students could need one (undergraduate) year each of inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics courses.

Research programs in this area tend to weave the application of DNA technology into the study of gene regulation and protein structure – function relationships. As a result, you may get underway with laboratory research early on in your PhD program.

Opportunities for research usually depend on what the faculty projects are. You might figure out just what type of phenomena you want to explore, then match your goals with a great program and faculty. As a general example, research projects could touch on the topics listed below.

• Molecular biology of the cancer process
• Molecular neurobiology
• Genetics and biochemistry of bacterial and viral pathogens