Admissions

The Program begins accepting applications in September. Prospective applicants will create an account with the Boston University Centralized Application System (BU-GMS CAS) completing all personal, academic and supporting document sections. Applicants will be able to select the graduate program(s) of choice within GMS, and will be prompted to complete corresponding program materials in order to submit.

The Admissions Committee will select competitive applicants to interview in late January or February. Decisions are made following the last interview day, and applicants will be alerted by email. Due to privacy regulations, we cannot give decisions over the phone.

The minimum requirements for the application are below.

• Submitted application through BU-CAS portal with all parts complete
• Completed all requirements for a baccalaureate degree
• Three letters of recommendation
• An unofficial, English transcript of each college or university attended OR international credential evaluation (such as WES)
• Structured personal statement (see below)
• Additional requirements for international students outlined in section below

Important notes:

• The Program in Biomedical Sciences does not require that applicants submit GRE scores.
• Letters must be uploaded by recommenders through the portal via email link. The software will not accept mailed paper letters or Interfolio.
• You may submit your application before letters of recommendation are sent, but all letters are due by the application deadline with the rest of your materials. There is no guarantee that letters received after this date will be included in your application.
• Sending transcripts via mail (as an applicant) is not recommended. Upload all available transcripts to the portal.
• U.S. citizens and permanent residents may be eligible for an application fee waiver.

English language requirement

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or Academic IELTS results must be submitted for applicants who received their degrees outside the United States.

The requirement above is waived only if you have received, or expect to receive, an undergraduate or graduate degree from a college or university in any of the following countries prior to enrollment in GMS: the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, or Ireland. This waiver does not include undergraduate or graduate degrees earned from an institution in a country listed above while enrolled in a “dual degree” program with an institution in another country. There are no exceptions to this rule. Studying in the medium of English in a country other than the ones previously listed or studying as an exchange student in an English-speaking country without completing a degree program is not sufficient to waive the English proficiency requirement.

The minimum score range requirement for TOEFL is 100 with a minimum of 20 in each section. The minimum score range requirement for IELTS is 7. Test scores submitted for the application should be unofficial. For those accepted to the program, official test scores will be required prior to matriculation as part of the ISSO process. These official scores must be dated no more than 2 years before the program start date (typically the first Tuesday in September).

Transcript requirements

Submitted transcripts and letters of recommendations must be in English. An international credential evaluation (such as WES) is not required but is helpful for the review process, especially if your institution does not use a 4.0 GPA scale.

Note: For those accepted to the program, if a transcript is not in English, or is from an institution in a foreign country where the registrar will not directly mail an official transcript to GMS, an international credential evaluation will be required prior to matriculation.

BU accepts all National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) member services, including WES and ECE. The list of members can be found here: www.naces.org/members

ISSO Process

See the ISSO Website for information about entering BU as an international student.

Please structure your personal statement to address the following points in separate paragraphs. (Word limit 1000 words, total).

1. Describe your motivation to pursue a PhD degree and how PiBS will help you to achieve your goals.
2. Describe your research experience(s) to date.
3. Describe an example of how you overcame an obstacle or conflict in your personal life and/or your research.
4. Describe how you feel your background, experiences, collaborations and teamwork have impacted you and your scientific inquiry as a whole.

Note: the structured personal statement above satisfies the GMS requirement of providing a personal statement of 200 words or more indicated on this page.

Students receive full tuition coverage, fees, health insurance options, and a $41,200 stipend per year as of September 2023.

What is the tuition to attend this program?

PiBS students receive full tuition and fee coverage. In addition to this, students receive health insurance options and a $41,200 annual stipend.

What is the average time to degree?

PiBS students typically take five and a half years to complete their degrees, on average.

Are there teaching assistantships or T.A. opportunities at PiBS?

Students have the opportunity to become student mentors which is an excellent way to gain experience in teaching and leadership.

Do I need to contact faculty to apply to this program?

Contacting faculty is not an application requirement though many applicants do so as a way to learn more about research at BU.

Are fee waivers available for international students?

Fee waivers are only available for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The full criteria for eligibility can be found on this webpage.

I’m having a technical problem with the application portal.

The Help Desk is available between 9am-5pm EST. Their phone number is 1-857-304-2005. You may also access a live Help Desk agent via the chat bubble, between those same hours. When logging on to your application, click on the chat bubble, once the chat box opens, type in “live help” and the wait for the “contact support” oval to appear click on that, and then another chat box will open, and that is where you can communicate with a live Help Desk agent. You must have your application ID ready.

For program admissions questions, please reach out to pibs@bu.edu.

Learn more about applying to GMS programs (including PiBS) on our web portal by viewing our step-by-step guide.