Application & Admissions
Application deadline for Fall entrance: January 1 annually
Recruiting weekend in Boston: late February or early March
Download paper application
On-line application
All prospective students must meet the requirements for admission into the graduate programs as delineated by the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences. These guidelines are described in the paper application above.
Students should have completed a B.A. or B.S. in a scientific discipline prior to beginning as a graduate student; M.A. or M.S. students will also be considered for admission. The degree requirements for students entering with advanced degrees will be modified, taking into account previously completed coursework. Students with training in scientific disciplines that are not directly related to the biological sciences, such as computer science, chemistry, and mathematics, are especially encouraged to apply. Applications from women and minorities are also actively solicited.
Applicant credentials should reflect academic excellence as judged by grades in previous degree programs, GRE scores, and letters of recommendation. For students whose native language is not English, we also require TOEFL scores. A subject test is not required, but it can be helpful to the admissions committee in evaluating academic records from institutions that we are not familiar with. Students should have demonstrated interest in genetics and genomics through previous research and education.
Application to the Graduate Program in Genetics and Genomics will consist of the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences’ written or on-line application form including a personal statement describing prior research experience and interest in genetics and genomics, letters of reference, and copies of transcripts and test scores (including the required GRE general test, the recommended biochemistry, cell and molecular biology subject test, and the required, for international students, TOEFL) directly from the awarding institutions. The admission materials through the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences can be earmarked for the Graduate Program in Genetics and Genomics.
To supplement the written application process, we arrange a recruiting weekend at Boston University to give the prospective students an opportunity to evaluate the program first hand. The recruiting weekend will include interviews, opportunities for candidates to interact socially with both faculty and students, and activities to introduce the students to the metropolitan Boston area. We will invite the talented applicants to visit the University in late February or early March to familiarize them with the University and the city for the purpose of recruiting them to join our Program. After the recruitment program, we will extend offers of admission to the deserving students. These credentials will be reviewed by an Admissions Committee consisting of members of the faculty in the Graduate Program in Genetics and Genomics, and offers of admission will be extended to the selected students after interviews are conducted.
We will remain in contact with students who receive offers of admission to help guide them through the process of choosing a graduate school. The Ph.D. students will be offered financial support covering tuition, a stipend, and health insurance through institutional support of the Graduate Program in Genetics and Genomics.
