Dear International Applicants to the Graduate Program in Biology:

The UCSD Division of Biological Sciences is very pleased that you are considering our graduate program. The Division, in association with the Salk Institute, offers a program of graduate studies leading to the Ph.D. degree in Biology. Please note that we do not offer a master's degree program. Faculty research interests include:

  • Biochemistry and Biophysics
  • Bioinformatics
  • Cell and Developmental Biology
  • Computational Neurobiology
  • Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution
  • Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • Immunology, Virology, and Cancer Biology
  • Neurobiology
  • Plant Molecular Biology
  • Signal Transduction

In the links at the top of the page is the required pre-application for the Graduate Program in Biology. International applicants are required to submit this pre-application. Please complete all three pages of this form and return it to the address or fax number listed above. Supporting documents are NOT needed at this time. The pre-application is designed to provide you with a format by which you can communicate your abilities and interests to the Admissions Committee. The Committee will determine whether your candidacy is competitive for admission to our graduate program, and you will be notified of their decision a few weeks after receipt and processing. If your pre-application is judged to be competitive, we will send you a complete application package. It is very important that you provide accurate and complete contact information, especially your e-mail address, as much of our communication with you will take place via this medium. The deadline for the complete application and all supporting documents is December 14, 2007. Required supporting documents include an official GRE score report, three letters of reference, a statement of purpose, and official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended. International applicants must also provide an official TOEFL or IELTS score report.

Applicants are rated according to their academic performance. Two important factors in the evaluation of academic achievement are the nature of the applicant's undergraduate program and undergraduate research performance. It is also important to achieve high scores on the Graduate Record Exam. For Fall 2008 admission, the GRE must be taken by November 2007. The general GRE test is required; the subject test is recommended. To report your GRE test scores to us, please use institution code 4836 and department code 0203. The admissions process is the same for international applicants with the addition of the TOEFL or IELTS exams, which are required for applicants whose native language is not English. TOEFL test scores can be sent using institution code 4836 and department code 35.

Many applicants to the Biology program may also be interested in other graduate programs on the UCSD campus. Information about these graduate programs may be found at the following web site: http://www-ogsr.ucsd.edu/admissions/programs/index.asp.

If you have further questions, please contact our Admissions Coordinator at (858) 534-8983 during business hours. He will be glad to assist you in the admissions process.


Sincerely,

Thomas Tomp
Director of Student Services
Division of Biological Sciences