Applications are reviewed holistically and the GSBS Admissions Committee considers all application materials submitted along with the following factors in evaluating applicants for admission:

• previous research experience and accomplishments including, enrollment in laboratory and research-based courses, and involvement in research projects and publications
• expressed commitment to a career involving biomedical research
• success in undergraduate courses in the biological and physical sciences and mathematics or prerequisite courses as evidenced in your grade point average (GPA)
• honors and awards for academic achievement

While there is no minimum GPA to apply or be admitted, applicants are expected to have a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 on all undergraduate and graduate level work taken previously. Applicants offered admission for Fall 2024 PhD program had an average GPA of 3.54, and those offered admission for the MS program had an average GPA of 3.54.

The GRE is neither required nor recommended as part of the application.  GRE scores are not taken into consideration by the Admissions Committee when reviewing an application.

Though we do not require specific courses, your undergraduate coursework should provide you with a strong background in the area related to your research interests. Recommended undergraduate coursework to prepare an applicant for graduate studies includes basic courses in biology, physics, calculus, and biochemistry. Additional courses may include linear algebra and statistics.

No, the TOEFL iBT is the only test accepted for English proficiency requirements.

A minimum score of 98 is required for admissions consideration. Scores must be valid (within 2 years from the date the test was taken).

For the purposes of application review and processing, only unofficial scores uploaded online with the application are required. No official scores are required to be sent until after an offer of admission has been made.

A TOEFL waiver may be granted if specific criteria are met. Please review the Admissions Requirements page for more information.

Interviews are required for all applicants who are offered admission to the PhD program. Invitations to the visitation/interview weekends will be sent by email between mid-December and January. Visitation/interview weekends will be held in person with a virtual option for international applicants.

Specialized MS (SMS) applicants to the Genetic Counseling program or the Medical Physics program may be invited to interview (virtual and/or in person)

Applicants for the MS in the Biomedical Sciences program do not need to complete interviews as part of the admissions process.

The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences only admits and enrolls degree-seeking applicants once a year for Fall admissions.

Non-Degree applications are accepted for Spring and Fall terms.

Applicants are not required to select a faculty advisor at the time of application. Contacting faculty during the application period does not impact the possibility of admission. 

If you have obtained an MS degree from the MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School, the courses you have taken for your MS program may be applied to your PhD degree. However, the research you performed as an MS student cannot be used in your PhD dissertation. It is possible to use your MS work as the basis for your PhD work.

Students who have obtained an MS degree from another school, if admitted to the GSBS, can discuss degree plan questions with the Office of Academic Affairs.

No, we do not accept transfer students.

Full-time enrollment is required for the PhD and SMS programs.

The MS in Biomedical Sciences program can be completed on a part-time or full-time basis.

Please note: if you are funded by faculty, financial aid, or are an international student, then you MUST be registered as a full-time student. However, if you are a domestic, self-funded student, then you may register as a part-time student.

Please review the Admissions Overview page with program/degree-specific application deadlines. The final deadline for all application materials to be submitted is 11:59 p.m. central time. Early submission is encouraged. All materials, including letters of recommendation, must be submitted by the deadline. No late materials will be accepted.

All materials, including completed letters of recommendation, are required to be submitted by the admissions deadline date. Incomplete applications will not be processed for review. For this reason, we strongly encourage you to reach out to your recommenders early so that their letters are sent before the deadline.

Each letter must be on an institutional letterhead and signed by the recommender. Failure to provide this may result in the letter of recommendation not being accepted for processing.

International applicants (not a US citizen or permanent resident) should adhere to the deadlines for international applicants regardless of where the applicant is currently attending school or received their degree(s).

If you earned your degree or any credit hours from an institution in the US, we will accept the unofficial transcript from that institution. For degrees earned outside of the US, we require an official course-by-course evaluation from either WES or ECE.Please be aware that we require transcripts from every institution attended, even if you did not earn a degree from the school.

If admitted and planning to enroll, official transcripts from all institutions attended will be required prior to the start of the first enrollment term.

You can pay by credit or with debit card through our online application system.

Please review the Admissions Overview page for guidance on application fee waivers.

You will receive an email from Embark confirming that your application was received. The Admissions Office checks each application for all required materials and will contact you if any required information is missing. Your application will not be considered complete until all required materials, including three letters of recommendation, are received. You may log into the Embark system to track receipt of your letters of recommendation. Once all materials have been received, you will receive an email from the Embark application system indicating your application is complete and ready for review. If you are not receiving emails from Embark, please check your spam folder first and then contact the Office of of Admissions.

Each recommender should receive an email from Embark Team asking them to complete an online recommendation for the applicant. If the recommender has not received the email, then please log in to your Embark account, select "Recommenders" from the left-hand menu, and click the button marked "Resend Invitation." If the letter writer still does not receive the email, then you can try deleting the recommender and re-registering them in the system.

Further support is provided by the online application vendor, Embark, by contacting them directly via email at [email protected].

You will receive an email to your registered account each time a recommender submits a letter. You may also track the status in your Embark account. Log in and select "Recommenders" from the left-hand menu. Under the recommender email address will be listed one of three statuses:

• Invitation Sent: An email has been sent to the email address of your recommender requesting a letter on your behalf with a link to submit the recommendation.
• Opened: Your recommender has clicked the link to open the recommendation form.
• Submitted: A letter of recommendation has been submitted on your behalf.

If you are experiencing technical issues with the online application, then please contact Embark Support directly, via email [email protected].

PhD students receive a graduate research assistantship (GRA) at the time of enrollment.

MS students are eligible for assistantships. Financial support is not offered to MS candidates by the graduate school. Students enrolling in the MS program in Biomedical Sciences will be supported by a GRA by their faculty advisor once they join a lab unless they choose to waive the GRA.

Students admitted to our MS programs in Genetic Counseling and Medical Physics are not guaranteed an assistantship and should prepare to be self-funded throughout their education.

More information may be found by visiting the Financial Assistance page.

Based on nationwide comparisons, the stipend offered by the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is very competitive. The cost of living in Houston is one of the lowest in the US. Thus, it is certainly possible to live on this stipend. Most of our current students find that they are able to pay for an apartment, groceries, and car insurance without needing to take out loans.

We offer financial support to all PhD students who are admitted to the graduate school. This award includes a yearly stipend of $36,000. In addition, tuition, fees, and health benefits are covered.

MS students do not receive financial support from the graduate school; however, all MS students are supported by a Graduate Research Assistantship through their faculty advisor once they join a lab.