Online Application
All materials will be collected via our online application system. Applications for Fall 2026 for the MS, SMS, and PhD programs will become available by mid-August. Below is a list of required materials for applying to GSBS. All materials, including letters of recommendation, are due by the deadline.
At the GSBS we utilize a holistic review process for all applicants. This enables us to give careful consideration to all the credentials presented by the applicant. Applicants should ensure to submit your application with the strongest materials and information reflected.
Please read the instructions below carefully before starting your application.
Have additional Questions? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
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APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS (ALL APPLICANTS)
- Online Application
- $50 Application Fee
- Bachelor’s Degree or higher
- Unofficial transcripts from ALL US colleges or Universities attended
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- This includes transcripts from every school attended, regardless of whether the class was taken for dual credit or transferred and listed on another transcript.
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- Grade Point Average (GPA): no minimum GPA requirement. Recommended cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Three Letters of Recommendation
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- Recommenders should be well qualified to evaluate your scholastic performance, scientific ability, research interests, and motivation, as well as personal attributes, such as character and personality. Preferably, at least one of these recommendations should be from your academic advisor or mentor. Each letter must be on an institutional letterhead and signed by the recommender.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)/Resume
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- For assistance with preparing an academic CV, see this guide from the GSBS Office of Career Development.
- Personal Statement
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- One (1) page personal statement should discuss your interest in science, professional career goals, motivation, and interest in obtaining your graduate degree at MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
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- Genetic Counseling Applicants (ONLY) - please review specified criteria in the Genetic Counseling section.
- Research Statement
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- One (1) page research statement should include a detailed description of your previous research experience, including at least one independent research project, what you did, what you learned, and the significance of this work.
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- If you do not have previous research experience, please explain what other experiences you have that make you a suitable candidate for graduate school.
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- Genetic Counseling Applicants (ONLY) - It is not required, nor do we accept research statements.
- Resilience Essay (OPTIONAL)
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- One (1) page essay on your personal story of resilience: the ability to recover quickly during difficulty.
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- Since this essay is optional, the information shared will only be used to learn more about the applicant and provide the committee with more insight to the applicant’s personal journey towards graduate school.
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- Genetic Counseling Applicants (ONLY) - please review specified criteria in the Genetic Counseling section.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR MEDICAL PHYSICS APPLICANTS
In addition to all the requirement materials listed in the “Application Requirement” section, below is additional information to keep in mind when applying to the PhD or SMS Medical Physics program.
- Most applicants to medical physics come from backgrounds in undergraduate physics. Other fields of study from which some of our recent students have come are nuclear engineering and biomedical engineering.
- What is essential is that the students have had the equivalent of a minor in physics. That means three or more courses at the junior, senior or graduate level that a physics major would take.
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- Some such topics might be intermediate or advanced classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, intermediate or advanced electricity and magnetism, atomic physics, nuclear physics, modern physics, solid state physics, thermodynamics, optics, and statistical physics. The equivalent in a related scientific or engineering discipline (e.g., a thermodynamics course or an E&M course in an engineering curriculum) would also meet this prerequisite.
- An applicant's education in mathematics should include multivariate calculus and ordinary differential equations; additional study in linear algebra and in probability and statistics is desirable. Computer programming and computer science courses are viewed favorably as are biology and chemistry courses.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR GENETIC COUNSELING APPLICANTS
NMS: Applicants must register for the electronic genetic counseling match with National Matching Service (NMS) prior to applying to any genetic counseling program. For more details, questions, or to watch a video on how the matching algorithm works, please visit the GC Admissions Match website: https://natmatch.com/gcadmissions/
In addition to all the requirement materials listed in the “Application Requirements” section, below is additional information to keep in mind when applying to the SMS in Genetic Counseling program.
- Listed Prerequisite Coursework: Undergraduate or graduate coursework in the following is recommended*
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- Genetics
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- Psychology
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- Biology
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- Chemistry
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- Biochemistry
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- Calculus
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- Statistics
- Genetic counseling exposure is required via an internship, shadowing, or interviews
- Client advocacy experience, crisis work, and volunteer work are all strongly recommended to have a competitive application
- Essays: All essays must each be a maximum of two pages in length, 1.5 or double-spaced with 12-point font, and no smaller than 0.5 inch margins. Please use your best discretion with all other parameters.
- Personal Statement – Please answer the requested prompt reflected on the application.
- Research Statement - It is not required, nor do we accept a research statement.
- Resilience Statement– Please answer the requested prompt reflected on the application.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS
Courses or degrees completed outside of the US must have a WES or ECE Course-by-Course transcript evaluation with GPA calculation at the time of submitting an application.
All international applicants must show proof of English language proficiency through:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) – ETS TOEFL Minimum score of 98. Scores must be valid (within 2 years). The unofficial score report must be uploaded to the online application form. If admitted, an official score report will need to be provided to the Registrar's Office.
Applicants for whom the English proficiency exam is required and who do not meet the minimum requirement will not be forwarded for admissions committee review.
In some circumstances, your requirement to submit TOEFL scores may be waived if any of the criteria below are met.
- If you are a Permanent Resident or Citizen of the United States
- If you earned an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a United States college or university.
- If the degree reviewed by World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) Transcript Evaluation indicates the mode of instruction was in English (3 or more years).
- If you are a foreign national whose native language is English and has citizenship in a select country listed below, where English is the official language.
- If you earned a degree from an English-speaking country – Graduation with a diploma or degree (attended for at least 3 years or a standard period of attendance as required by the country; Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral degree) from an accredited school from a recognized English-speaking country as listed below:
Antigua Australia Bahamas Barbados Bermuda British Virgin Islands Canada (English-speaking provinces & territories) Cayman Islands Falklands Islands Gambia Ghana Grenada Guyana Ireland Jamaica Kenya Liberia New Zealand Nigeria Sierra Leone St. Helene St. Kitts & Nevis St. Vincent Trinidad & Tobago Turk & Caico Islands Uganda US Virgin Islands United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales) Zambia Zimbabwe If you meet the above reference criteria or have questions regarding waivers, please email [email protected] with a formal waiver. Please include supplemental documentation for consideration.