HOW TO APPLY
Read the general instructions for applying to the graduate program and download the checklists available on the Office of Admissions webpage. International applicants have specific requirements, and a separate admissions checklist. Additionally, the Department requests that applicants complete a questionnaire.
A BS in Biology or related field is required for admission. Some course requirements may be waived for students who have earned an MS in Biology or related field. Students are accepted into our PhD program as either direct admit or rotation students.
Direct admit
To qualify as a direct admit, an applicant must secure the support of a faculty member before applying, mention their faculty support in their letter of intent, and ask that their faculty member reach out to the chair of the admissions committee (see the Department of Biology website for details and contact information). To secure the support of a faculty member before applying, begin by visiting our Biology faculty page: review the research focuses of the labs, and contact individual faculty members to discuss your research interests. Explain how your interests align with their lab and inquire if they would consider having you join their lab as a new PhD student.
Rotation Program
Applicants would choose this option if they are unsure which area of research interests them. Please indicate your interest in the rotation program in your letter of intent. Applicants admitted into the program will perform three rotations in three separate labs. At the end of the rotation period, applicants are placed in a home lab under the guidance of a Rotation Program Committee. Applicants will select their rotation labs only after being admitted into the PhD program. Please note that applications to the rotation program are only considered for the Fall semester. For more information about the rotation program, please contact the chair of the Rotation Program Committee (see the Department of Biology website for details and contact information).
Admission Criteria
Decisions are based on consideration of all the information listed below and are not based on any single criterion alone.
- A Bachelor's degree in Biology or a Bachelor's degree in some other discipline with at least 12 hours of advanced level coursework (junior or senior level courses) in Biology.
- A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, as calculated by the Graduate School. Applicants overall GPA in the Sciences and within Biology are also considered.
- Favorable letters of recommendation from at least three individuals able to assess the applicant's potential for success in graduate school.
- Letter of Intent (see below)
- Department Questionnaire (see below)
- International students whose home country's native language is not English must provide a score on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) of at least 45, a minimum score of 23 on the Speaking portion of the TOEFL iBT exam or a minimum score of 7 on the Speaking portion of the IELTS exam.
Denial of Admission
A candidate may be denied admission if they have less than satisfactory performance on a majority of the admission criteria listed above.
Fellowships and Scholarships
Award of scholarships or fellowships will be based on consideration of the same criteria utilized in admission decisions. To be eligible, candidates must be new students coming to UT Arlington in the Fall semester, must have a GPA of 3.0 in their last 60 undergraduate credit hours plus any graduate credit hours as calculated by the Graduate School, and must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 hours of coursework in both long semesters to retain their fellowships.