Ph.D. Admissions

Any person who has completed all requirements for a baccalaureate degree from a recognized college or university, or with equivalent education, may apply for admission to the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences. The student may be required to make up any deficiencies in academic background by completion of specified courses without credit.

All applicants for admission to one of the basic science departments are required to submit the results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. Other tests may be substituted for the GRE with special permission from the specific program.

The candidate must have met the requirements for a baccalaureate degree with a strong background in the biological and physical sciences (a minimum of 28 credits or the equivalent). A 4-credit course is defined as 4 lecture hours per week for one semester. The candidate must also have completed the special prerequisites of the department or program in which the student is matriculating. Prerequisite courses not completed before registration may be completed while the candidate is in residence as a graduate student, but may not be presented for graduate credit. The candidate is subject to examination on any of these prerequisite courses at the option of the major department/program.

Please refer to individual departments/programs websites (below) or Program Coordinators for specific PhD admissions requirements.

• Anatomy & Neurobiology
• Anatomy and Neurobiology/Biomedical Neuroscience
• Behavioral Neuroscience
• Biochemistry
• Biophysics
• Cell and Molecular Biology
• Genetics & Genomics
• Medical Nutrition Sciences
• Microbiology
• Microbiology/Immunology Training Program
• Molecular Medicine
• Neuroscience
• Oral Biology
• Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
• Pathology/Immunology Training Program
• Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics
• Pharmacology/Biomedical Neuroscience
• Physiology

Additional programs  of study:

• Combined  Doctor of Optometry (OD) and PhD degree is also available in conjunction with The New England College of Optometry (NECO).
• * A Vesalius “Certificate” is also available to PhD students in the Anatomy and Neurobiology department.

If you have any question after exploring our website, please contact Michelle Hall, Associate Director for Admissions. The Office of Admissions can be reached by phone at (617) 638-5121, by fax at (617) 638-5740, or by email at natashah@bu.edu.

Boston University School of Medicine
Division Of Graduate Medical Sciences
Office of Admissions
72 East Concord Street, L315
Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA