Application and Admission Procedures

1. Application materials and information about our faculty and programs may be obtained by contacting the graduate advising secretary or coordinator of graduate programs in biology, biochemistry and molecular biology at 940-565-3627, the environmental science program at 940-565-2694, or from our website (biology.unt.edu). Prospective applicants meeting our admission criteria are encouraged to become familiar with the research and degree programs within the department and to seek opportunities by contacting individual faculty members or the coordinator of graduate programs in biology, biochemistry, molecular biology and environmental science.

2. Applicants must first apply and be admitted to the Toulouse Graduate School to be considered for admission to a degree program in biology, biochemistry, molecular biology or environmental science. Applicants must also submit the following directly to the department:
   
   1. departmental application form;
   2. letter of intent, including the specific program and degree sought (MA, MS or PhD); faculty member(s) contacted as prospective major professor/advisor; professional goals and objectives; the reason for choosing UNT, the Department of Biological Sciences and the specific area of interest (biology, biochemistry, molecular biology or environmental science); and
   3. three form letters of recommendation from former professors if a recent graduate. One letter may be from an employer if employed for more than one year since graduation.

3. Completed applications for programs in biology, biochemistry and molecular biology meeting departmental acceptance criteria are reviewed by the faculty. Applications to the environmental science program are reviewed for acceptance by the environmental science graduate admissions committee. Only applicants selected by a faculty member who agrees to act as the student's major professor (i.e., advisor) are eligible for admission to a graduate program in biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, or environmental science. Students in the Professional Science Master's program may select a major professor (i.e. advisor) after admission.

4. Application deadlines: applications are reviewed on a rolling admissions format; however, for financial support purposes completed applications must be received in the department on or before the following dates.

1. Departmental acceptance criteria.
   
   1. Master's Degree (MA/MS):
      
      • Unconditional admission to the Toulouse Graduate School.
      • Complete application.
      • A letter of intent to the department, including the specific program and degree sought (MA, MS, PSM or PhD); faculty members contacted as prospective professor/advisor; professional goals and objectives; the reason for choosing UNT, the Department of Biological Sciences and the specific area of interest (biology, biochemistry, molecular biology or environmental science).
      • Three form letters of recommendation to the department, from former professors if a recent graduate. One letter may be from an employer if employed for more than one year since graduation.
      • Undergraduate GPA greater than or equal to 3.0 overall or greater than or equal to 3.2 in the last 60 hours.
      • Submission of GRE scores (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing sections) is required. The program views high GRE scores as positive indicators of potential success; however, low GRE scores need not exclude a candidate who demonstrates positive indicators in other areas.
      • Completion of the Graduate Preparation Course (GPC) offered by the Intensive English Language Institute may be substituted for the verbal section only of the GRE. Applicants using the GPC in lieu of the verbal section of the GRE are required to take the GRE in order to meet requirements for other sections of the examination.
      • The appropriate GRE subject test is also required for diagnostic purposes, not admission. In addition, the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) may also be considered at the discretion of the department.
      • Bachelor's degree with 24 hours, 12 of which are advanced, in a life science or appropriate related science is required for programs in biology, biochemistry and molecular biology.
      • For the environmental science program, the bachelor's degree must include at least 6 credit hours of a life science (3 of which must be ecology), 8 credit hours of chemistry (must be courses with laboratories) and mathematics through calculus.
      • A score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) that meets or exceeds the International Admissions Office requirements for international students whose native language is not English.
      • International applicants needing confirmation of teaching assistantship eligibility must provide passing scores on either the Test of Spoken English (TSE) administered by the Educational Testing Service (minimum score of 50) or the Internet Based TOEFL (iBT) Speaking Section (minimum score of 26).
      • Agreement by a faculty member to serve as the applicant's major professor (i.e. advisor) is required for programs in biology, biochemistry, molecular biology and environmental science.

        Provisional admission of applicants not meeting all of the criteria, except for the requirement for a major professor, may be considered at the discretion of the department. However, such students are advised to explore the Graduate School's non-degree (GNDE) program until satisfying departmental criteria. Provisionally accepted students must satisfy all admission provisions, including deficiency courses, within the time designated by the department at the time of admission or they will be dismissed from the program.

   2. Doctoral Degree (PhD):
      
      • Undergraduate GPA greater than or equal to 3.0 overall and greater than or equal to 3.2 in the last 60 hours.
      • GPA greater than or equal to 3.4 overall for any prior graduate work.
      • Complete application.
      • A letter of intent to the department, including the specific program; faculty member contacts as prospective professor/advisor; professional goals and objectives; the reason for choosing UNT, the Department of Biological Sciences and the specific area of interest (biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, or environmental science).
      • Three form letters of recommendation to the department, from former professors if a recent graduate. One letter may be from an employer if employed for more than one year since graduation.
      • Submission of GRE scores (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing sections) is required. The program views high GRE scores as positive indicators of potential success; however, low GRE scores need not exclude a candidate who demonstrates positive indicators in other areas.
      • Completion of the Graduate Preparation Course (GPC) offered by the Intensive English Language Institute may be substituted for the verbal section only of the GRE. Applicants using the GPC in lieu of the verbal section of the GRE may be required to take the GRE in order to meet requirements for other sections of the examination.
      • The appropriate GRE subject test is also required for diagnostic purposes, not admission. In addition, the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) may also be considered at the discretion of the department.
      • A score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) that meets or exceeds the International Admissions Office requirements for international students whose native language is not English.
      • International applicants needing confirmation of teaching assistantship eligibility must provide passing scores on either the Test of Spoken English (TSE) administered by the Educational Testing Service (minimum score of 50) or the Internet Based TOEFL (iBT) Speaking Section (minimum score of 26).
      • Bachelor's degree with 24 hours in a life science or appropriate related science, 12 of which are advanced; a master's degree in a life science with a research-based thesis is desirable for programs in biology, biochemistry and molecular biology.
      • For the environmental science program the bachelor's degree must be in an appropriate field related to environmental science, with course work in a life science, chemistry and mathematics. Master's program must include a thesis appropriate to environmental science.
      • Agreement by a faculty member to serve as the applicant's major professor (i.e. advisor) is required for programs in biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, and environmental science.

There is no provisional admission to the PhD program.

Complete applications for programs in biology, biochemistry and molecular biology meeting departmental acceptance criteria are made available for review by the faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences. Applications to the environmental science program are reviewed by the Environmental Science Graduate Admissions Committee. Only applicants selected by a faculty member who agrees to act as the student's major professor (i.e. advisor) are eligible for admission to a graduate program in biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, and environmental science.