University of San Francisco

country rank	171
world rank	439

University Overview

Founded in 1855, University of San Francisco is a non-profit private higher-education institution located in the urban setting of the large city of San Francisco (population range of 500,000-1,000,000 inhabitants), California. Officially accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission, University of San Francisco (USF) is a large (uniRank enrollment range: 10,000-14,999 students) coeducational US higher education institution formally affiliated with the Christian-Catholic religion. University of San Francisco (USF) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. This 164 years old US higher-education institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations and students’ past academic record and grades. The admission rate range is 60-70% making this US higher education organization a somewhat selective institution. International students are welcome to apply for enrollment. USF also provides several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, housing, sports facilities, financial aids and/or scholarships, study abroad and exchange programs, online courses and distance learning opportunities, as well as administrative services.

University Identity

Name	University of San Francisco
Acronym	USF
Founded	1855
Motto	Pro Urbe et Universitate For City and University
Colours	Green and gold
Screenshot

University Location

Address	2130 Fulton Street San Francisco 94117-1080 California United States
Tel	+1 (415) 422 5555
Fax	+1 (415) 422 6315

Bioengineering

The UCSF-UC Berkeley Joint PhD Program in Bioengineering combines the outstanding resources and faculty in biomedical sciences at UCSF with the excellence in engineering, physical, and life sciences at UC Berkeley. Students in this highly interdisciplinary program learn to bring the methods of cutting-edge engineering to bear on some of the most pressing problems in biology and medicine.

Bioengineering is a young, but rapidly evolving discipline. The UCSF-UCB Bioengineering program offers students unparalleled opportunities to do basic and applied bioengineering research in a wide variety of related fields, reflecting the strengths and breadth of program faculty across the two campuses and in multiple departments.

faculty

There are 121 core faculty members and 67 additional affiliate faculty members in the joint program. The Bioengineering program combines the research activities of faculty from more than twenty departments from all four professional schools at UCSF together with six departments from the College of Engineering at Berkeley, as well as several non-engineering departments there.

The Bioengineering program is a member of the Quantitative Biosciences Consortium (QBC) at UCSF.

sub-disciplines

biomaterials
biomechanics
biomedical imaging and instrumentation
BioMEMS and nanotechnology
computational biology, bioinformatics, and genomics

drug delivery systems and pharmacogenomics
neural systems engineering and vision science
systems and synthetic biology
tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

The Bioengineering program’s UCSF office is located at the Mission Bay campus. Visit the program website for more information.

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The Bioengineering program is offered by the UCSF Graduate Division, administered by the UCSF schools of pharmacy and medicine and the UC Berkeley College of Engineering, and delivered by faculty members in the UCSF schools of pharmacy and medicine, and the UC Berkeley College of Engineering.

Applying to BMS

The Biomedical Sciences (BMS) Graduate Program trains students studying for the Ph.D. degree. A master’s degree program is not offered. Ph.D. students are admitted once each year for fall quarter matriculation.

The online application for Fall 2022 can be found here: https://gradapplication.ucsf.edu/.  Application opens September 1st!

• Important Dates and Deadlines
• Starting Your Application to BMS
• Evaluation of Applications
• GRE & TOEFL Exams
• Funding and Fellowships
• UCSF Admissions Requirements
• Information for International Applicants

Important Dates and Deadlines

Applications are accepted for admission in the Fall quarter only.

All application materials including the online application, GRE general test (if electing to submit scores), TOEFL or IELTS for international students only, transcripts and letters of recommendation must be received by the application deadline of December 1, 11:59 p.m., PST.

For Fall 2022: We recommend that the required GRE general test should be taken no later than October 2021 to ensure timely delivery of test scores by the deadline (though GRE scores are NOT required for admission).

Review of applications starts on December 2nd.  We expect to notify applicants where they have been invited to interview by no later than late December 2022.

BMS hold two interview weekends – January 27-29, and February 10-12, 2022.  

Starting Your Application to BMS

The BMS program is diverse in its faculty, the nature of their scientific interests and the experimental approaches they apply in their research. In light of this diversity, we expect and encourage applications from students with varied undergraduate training and research experiences. Interest in experimental biology and the themes represented in the program are obvious overarching requirements for admission. Successful applicants are also typically distinguished by their strong academic records and by prior exposure to scientific research. Such research experience might include undergraduate thesis projects, laboratory internships, technician positions or summer research programs in university or corporate laboratories (e.g., the UCSF Summer Research Training Program). An account of such exposure is one of the key components of a successful application to the program.

The minimum requirement for application to the BMS program is a baccalaureate degree; a master’s degree is not a prerequisite for admission. There are no specific course requirements for admission, but courses in biology, molecular biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, computation, or related fields represent typical and highly appropriate preparation.

To apply to the program, complete the online application and arrange for at least three letters of recommendation to be submitted on your behalf. Scores from the GRE general test are OPTIONAL (TOEFL scores for foreign applicants are required) and an official transcript from all institutes of higher learning attended are also required.

You may apply to only one UCSF graduate program in an academic year. It is therefore important to consider which program suits your interests and apply to only that program. Listed below are other graduate programs at UCSF with whom we share faculty, along with a link to their respective websites. Each graduate program maintains its own admissions procedure.

Biological & Medical Informatics (BMI)
Biophysics Program
Chemistry & Chemical Biology Program (CCB)
Developmental & Stem Cell Biology (DSCB)
Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)
Neuroscience Program
Pharmaceutical Sciences & Pharmacogenomics (PSPG)
Tetrad Graduate Program(includes PhD programs in Cell Biology, Genetics and Biochemistry)
UCSF/UCB Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering

There is sometimes confusion between BMS and other UCSF programs due to overlapping research areas. However, BMS is a distinct program that maintains a separate curriculum and separate admission process. If you are unsure which program may be right for you, we encourage you to review the curriculum pages on each program’s respective website (linked above) to help you in your decision-making. Also see our Frequently Asked Questions for additional information.

UCSF is committed to ensuring access to graduate education for all students. If you are an applicant with a disability, please visit our Resources page for more information on how we can accommodate you to have the best possible experience at UCSF.

Evaluation of Applications

Academics:  We look carefully and holistically at the academic history and experience of each applicant, including anhy challenges you faced, which can be discussed in the person statement.  “Academic history” means much more than GPA and the name of the undergraduate institution you attended.  We consider GPA, the institution and its philosophy on grading, the courses you took, your major(s), extracurriculars, work history, and other components of your academic experience across undergraduate or postgraduate education that you provide in your statements.

Personal Statement:  This is your chance to tell us about you!  We are curious about your motivations, how you ended up where you are apply from, why you want to go to graduate school, why you’re interested in biomedical science, what faculty you are excited about working with, and related.  Use this statement to explain ‘gaps’ in time in your application when there are not clear activities.  For example, if you took a gap year what did you do in that time?  Also use this statement to explain career transitions.  If you are moving from industry to a PhD, why?  If you are switching fields, why?  Try to think about any ‘unknowns’ in your application and shore them up so that the admissions committee doesn’t have to guess (we don’t know!).  For example, we understand that sometimes it is not possible to request a supportive letter of reference from a prior supervisor.  The personal statement is a good place to make candid statements about recommenders and prior experiences to help us understand your application.

Also use the personal statement to discuss challenges you may have experienced that affected your academics or research experience or other components of your application.  We recognize that it can be challenging when applying for graduate school to have to relieve prior traumatic experiences.  We are not seeking detailed descriptions of trauma and do not try to ‘quantify’ this, which is impossible.  However, stating the challenges that may have affected your path to UCSF, at a level of detail you are comfortable with, will help us understand your experiences.  Please note, this is sometimes also referred to as a Statement of Purpose.

Research Statement:  We consider prior research experience to an important part of applying to our graduate program for two main reasons: 1) it helps us evaluate your potential as a researcher, and 2) it shows us that you have an understanding of who the intensive experience of graduate school aligns with your future career goals.  Use the research statement to tell us about your prior research experience, whether it be in academic labs, industry, or elsewhere. Some students have worked in multiple labs, whereas others have worked solely in one or concentrated primarily on independent study – there is no single ‘best’ way to have prior research experience.  In the statement, we would like to know what questions you attempted to answer (even if you didn’t answer them), the goals of your research, your specific contributions to projects, information about any publications or future authorship expectations, and anything else you think may be important about your experience.  It is important to indicate what your independent contributions to a project where, both in terms of experiments and intellectual contributions.  Tell us about what your lab experience was like.  Did you go to conferences?  Did you present at lab meetings?  Write a thesis?  We want to know as much as possible.

Reference Letters:  We request that you submit at least three, up to five, letters of reference on your behalf.  These letters should ideally come from prior supervisors who can speak to your potential, independence, research experiences, and character.  Coworkers or teaching faculty can also be strong letters, but the most valuable are often from research supervisors.  Encourage letter writers from industry to discuss their thoughts on your transitioning to an academic setting.  

When considering who to ask for reference letters, it is useful to ask if they can write a ‘strong’ letter on your behalf.  If there are specific things you would like them to write about, ask them to include these in the letter – this doesn’t mean writing the letter for them, rather asking them to discuss something that would strengthen your application.  Reference letters are evaluated in coordination with other application materials both as an assessment of you as a future scientist and to help us understand you better.

GRE & TOEFL Exams

BMS does not require GRE General test scores for admission into the program.  Submission of GRE scores are OPTIONAL.  

If you plan to submit GRE scores for Fall 2022 admission, we recommend that the GRE General test should be taken no later than October 2021 to ensure delivery by the December 1st deadline.

GRE Codes: For purposes of requesting that your scores be sent to us, the institutional code for UCSF is 4840. Department code 0299 may be used, but is not required since we match your scores to your application using your registration number and name.

TOEFL: International applicants are required to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). Please use code 4840, department code 45. The TOEFL will be waived for applicants who have earned a baccalaureate degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English.

We will accept an IELTS score in lieu of the TOEFL. Test results may be sent to:

UCSF Graduate Division
University of California, San Francisco
1675 Owens St., Suite 310
Campus Box 0523
San Francisco, CA 94143-0523

Funding and Fellowships

All students, including international students, admitted to the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program are guaranteed a stipend to cover living expenses, plus payment of tuition, fees, and health insurance.

To make the available funds go as far as possible, all students who are admitted will be considered for fellowships administered by the Graduate Division on this campus, a major source of support for incoming students.

In addition, students are encouraged to apply for support from other sources, such as the National Science Foundation and Ford Foundation predoctoral fellowships. Information about extramural support can be found on the Graduate Division website. If outside fellowship support is not obtained, or if partial awards are made, other money available to the program will be used to supplement the awards up to the guaranteed level of support.

Tuition and Fees for Graduate Programs

Graduate Tuition and Fees rates effective Fall 2021

TUITION	PER UNIT	SEMESTER	ESTIMATED FIRST-YEAR TUITION*
ASIA PACIFIC STUDIES	$1,510		$24,160
BIOLOGY	$1,510
BIOTECHNOLOGY	$1,510		$25,670
CHEMISTRY	$1,510
COMPUTER SCIENCE	$1,510		$24,160
COMPUTER SCIENCE BRIDGE	$1,510		$33,220
DATA SCIENCE	$1,510		$48,320
APPLIED ECONOMICS	$1,510		$27,180
ENERGY SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT	$1,510		$24,160
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT	$1,510		$24,160
INTERNATIONAL AND DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS	$1,510		$27,180
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES	$1,510		$30,200
MIGRATION STUDIES	$1,510		$25,670
MUSEUM STUDIES	$1,510		$36,240
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION	$1,510		$24,160
PUBLIC LEADERSHIP	$1,510		$24,160
SPORT MANAGEMENT	$1,510		$22,650
URBAN AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS	$1,510		$27,180
WRITING (MFA)	$1,510		$22,160

 * Tuition costs per year are estimates only; costs may vary based on actual enrollment in classes.
** To see the anticipated number of units for each year, visit College of Arts & Science – Tuition & Fees.

TUITION	PER UNIT	SEMESTER	ESTIMATED FIRST-YEAR TUITION*
MASTERS	$1,225
GRADUATE ONLINE PROGRAM	$1,225
CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP – MASTERS (SCHOLARSHIP MAY BE AVAILABLE)	$1,225
EARCOS	$625
CREDENTIAL PROGRAMS	$1,045
SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT	$625
DOCTORAL	$1,380
CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP – DOCTORAL (SCHOLARSHIP MAY BE AVAILABLE)	$1,380

TUITION	PER UNIT	SEMESTER	ESTIMATED ANNUAL TUITION*
FULL-TIME JD		$26,055	$52,110
PART-TIME JD (ADMISSION TERM FALL 2014-17; 84-UNIT CURRICULUM)	$1,865
PART-TIME JD (ADMISSION TERM FALL 2018-21; 87-UNIT CURRICULUM)	$1,805
FULL-TIME LLM IN ICL, LLM IN IPTL		$25,220	$50,440
PART-TIME LLM IN ICL	$2,015
PART-TIME LLM IN IPTL	$2,015
LLM IN TAXATION	$2,070
MASTER OF LEGAL STUDIES IN TAXATION	$1,665

TUITION	PER UNIT	SEMESTER	ESTIMATED ANNUAL TUITION*
FULL-TIME MBA	$1,605		$77,040
PART-TIME MBA	$1,605		$64,200
MSEI	$1,390		$50,040
MSFA	$1,510		$52,850
MSMI	$1,510		$45,300
EMBA (TUITION ONLY STARTING FY22)		$24,375
INFORMATION SYSTEMS	$1,220		$43,920
NONPROFIT ADMINISTRATION	$1,180		$42,480
ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT	$1,555		$48,800
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION	$1,220		$46,360

TUITION	PER UNIT	SEMESTER	ESTIMATED ANNUAL TUITION*
MASTERS (MSN, MPH, MSBH, MSHI, RN-TO-MSN)	$1,510
DOCTORAL (DNP, PSYD)	$1,510
EXECUTIVE DNP (DOCTORAL; TUITION ONLY STARTING FY22)		$16,930

FEES (MANDATORY)	FEES AS DIRECTED	SEMESTER	ANNUAL FALL/SPRING
AGSUSF (ALL GRADUATE STUDENTS EXCLUSIVE OF LAW, MGEM, EARCOS)		$40	$80
USF-SPONSORED STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN (AETNA)**		$1,459/Fall $2,021/Spring	$3,480

*This fee is subject to negotiations with the City of San Francisco and is charged only to undergraduate students on the San Francisco campus in the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Management and the School of Nursing & Health Professions.

**For the 2021-2022 academic year (FY2022), the USF-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan premiums will be published on the USF website.

FEES (MANDATORY)	FEES AS DIRECTED	SEMESTER	ANNUAL FALL/SPRING
BEFORE JUNE 1	$250
JUNE	$500
JULY	$750
AUGUST AND AFTER	$1000

FEES (MANDATORY)	FEES AS DIRECTED	SEMESTER	ANNUAL FALL/SPRING
LAB (PER RELATED COURSE)	$25

FEES (MANDATORY)	FEES AS DIRECTED	SEMESTER	ANNUAL FALL/SPRING
SBA (FULL-TIME LAW STUDENTS ONLY, LLM TAX IS EXCLUDED)		$35	$70
SBA (PART-TIME LAW STUDENTS ONLY, PER UNIT, LLM TAX IS EXCLUDED)	$2
LRAP (JD STUDENTS ONLY)		$5	$10
LAW VISITING STUDENT FEE		$250
LAW INTENSIVE ADVOCACY PROGRAM (MATERIALS COST, PER COURSE)	$100
LAW RE-EXAMINATION FEE	$500

FEES (MANDATORY)	FEES AS DIRECTED	SEMESTER	ANNUAL FALL/SPRING
SOM GRADUATE STUDENT FEE (EXCLUDES MBA, EMBA, MGEM, AND ODP MPA STUDENTS)		$50	$100
MBA ENRICHMENT AND CO‐CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES (ONE-TIME FEE BILLED FIRST ENROLLED SEMESTER)	$2,500 (Full‐time MBA)/ $750 (Part‐time MBA)

 
Nursing Fees

FEES (MANDATORY)	FEES AS DIRECTED	SEMESTER	ANNUAL FALL/SPRING
UNDERGRADUATE (PER LAB)	$175
GRADUATE (PER LAB)	$175

FEES (MANDATORY)	FEES AS DIRECTED	SEMESTER	ANNUAL FALL/SPRING
UNDERGRADUATE (PER RELATED COURSE)	$100
GRADUATE (PER RELATED COURSE)	$100

FEES (MANDATORY)	FEES AS DIRECTED	SEMESTER	ANNUAL FALL/SPRING
UNDERGRADUATE (PER CLINICAL LAB)	$25
GRADUATE (PER CLINICAL LAB)	$25

 
Housing/Room and Board

Housing and Meal Plan rates vary by type.

VIEW ROOM AND BOARD RATES

Health Insurance Policy

As a condition of enrollment, the University of San Francisco requires regularly enrolled students to have health insurance, both to protect against unexpected high medical costs and to provide access to quality care. The following groups of students are required to have health insurance:

• All full-time undergraduate domestic students registered for 9 credit hours or more (excluding students in Certificate programs)
• All graduate domestic students registered for 6 credit hours or more (excluding students in Certificate programs and Online programs)
• All international students and scholars registered for at least 1 credit hour (this includes undergraduate, graduate, law students, and non-degree students)
• Students who reside in the University-operated housing (including undergraduate, graduate, law students, and non-degree students).*

HARD WAIVER HEALTH INSURANCE

Students will be automatically enrolled in and have their accounts billed for the University-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan. Students who are able to prove that they have coverage comparable (equal or better) to the University-sponsored plan under a United States-domiciled health insurance company may waive this requirement each academic year. Domestic students may waive this requirement through the online waiver form found at Health Promotion and Services.

International students must waive the University sponsored student health insurance plan in person at the Health Promotion and Services office (UC 5th Floor) to ensure that their health insurance policy meets the minimum insurance requirement established by United States federal government regulations.

Students are expected to maintain comparable health insurance coverage at all times during their waiver period. However if a student’s health coverage is dropped, it is the student’s responsibility to contact Health Promotion Services to discuss his or her options.

If the waiver is approved, the student’s account will be credited accordingly. If the online waiver is denied, students may file an online waiver appeal form with Health Promotion Services. Students can also call to discuss the appeal by phone at (415) 422-5797.

If a student waivers in Fall, the waiver is good for Fall and Spring semesters. However, students, who waive in the spring semester, must waive again for the following Fall semester. Students who have waived the plan in a given year or semester, are eligible to re-enroll in the USF-sponsored health plan for the following semester. These students must contact Health Promotion Services office to re-enroll in the USF-sponsored health plan.

* Students who reside in University operated housing and are registered for fewer than 6 credit hours (including graduate, law, and non-degree students) or students who commence their enrollment in the summer session are not automatically enrolled in and not billed for the University-sponsored health plan. These students must purchase the coverage online or apply for a waiver in order to comply with the USF health insurance policy