Skip Section Navigation

Departmental Acceptance Criteria

DISCLAIMER:  It is the responsibility of the applicant to determine if all the required application materials have been submitted.  Incomplete applications are not reviewed for an admissions decision.  If an applicant is not accepted by a faculty member willing to be the major professor, or by an entrance committee, the admission application will be denied.  For more application details:  https://biology.unt.edu/graduate-programs/graduate-admissions.

 

 MASTER'S DEGREE (MA/MS)

  • Agreement by a department faculty member to serve as the applicant's major professor
  • A letter of intent, addressing the following questions:
    • Which faculty members contacted as prospective professor/advisor?
    • Which specific program and degree sought (MA, MS, or PSM)?
    • Explain the reason(s) for choosing UNT, the Department of Biological Sciences, and the specific area of interest with respect to program selected
    • What are the professional goals and objectives while obtaining the degree?
  • Three letters of recommendation (LORs)
    • NOTE: If recently graduated, former professors LORs are accepted. In addition, one letter from an employer maybe accepted if the applicant has been employed for more than one year since graduation.
  • Bachelor's degree with 24 hours, 12 of which are advanced, in life science-based courses or related scientific fields of study
    • For the Environmental Science program, chemistry and mathematics are needed (see full details on their website
    • Undergraduate GPA greater than or equal to 3.0 overall or greater than or equal to 3.2 in the last 60 hours.
  • If an applicant wants to pursue a teaching assistantship or research assistantship, GRE scores are required. The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) may also be considered in lieu of GRE scores at the discretion of the department.
  • For international students whose native language is not English, scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or equivalent, that meets or exceeds the International Admissions Office requirements. See this link for more details on accepted English Language: https://www.unt.edu/admissions/international/english-language-requirements.html

 DOCTORAL DEGREE (PhD)

  • Agreement by a faculty member to serve as the applicant's major professor (i.e. advisor) is required for PhD degree programs in Biology and Environmental Science.
  • Bachelor's degree with 24 hours in a life science or appropriate related scientific field with 12 hours of advanced related coursework
    • Undergraduate GPA greater than or equal to 3.0 overall and greater than or equal to 3.2 in the last 60 hours
  • Master's degree in a life science with a research-based thesis is desirable for programs in Biology or Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
    • GPA greater than or equal to 3.4 overall for any prior graduate work.
  • A letter of intent, addressing the following questions:
    • Which faculty members contacted as prospective professor/advisor?
    • Which specific program and degree sought (MA, MS, or PSM)?
    • Explain the reason(s) for choosing UNT, the Department of Biological Sciences, and the specific area of interest with respect to program selected
    • What are the professional goals and objectives while obtaining the degree?
  • Three letters of recommendation (LORs)
    • NOTE: If recently graduated, former professors LORs are accepted. In addition, one letter from an employer maybe accepted if the applicant has been employed for more than one year since graduation.
  • If an applicant wants to pursue a teaching assistantship or research assistantship, GRE scores are required. The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) may also be considered in lieu of GRE scores at the discretion of the department.
  • For international students whose native language is not English, scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or equivalent, that meets or exceeds the International Admissions Office requirements. See this link for more details on accepted English Language: https://www.unt.edu/admissions/international/english-language-requirements.html

NOTE: It is the responsibility of the applicant to determine if all the required application materials have been submitted. Incomplete applications are not reviewed for an admissions decision. If an applicant is not accepted by a faculty member willing to be the major professor, or by an entrance committee, the admission application will be denied. For more application details: https://biology.unt.edu/graduate-programs/graduate-admissions