Undergraduate Preparation for Admissions

Applicants should have completed an undergraduate degree in one of the physical or biological sciences and must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. As a general guideline, combined GRE quantitative and verbal scores of 1100 or better are considered necessary for admission. Courses required for admission include one year each of general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics and calculus and at least two years of biological sciences. Other preferred courses include biochemistry, physical chemistry and computer sciences. Preferred upper division courses in biology include vertebrate or human anatomy and physiology, embryology, genetics, cell and molecular biology, microbiology, immunology and neurosciences.

Application Information

Interested students are invited to write, telephone or visit the Division of Biomedical Sciences. Inquiries and requests for application forms should be addressed to:

Kathy Redd (kathy.redd@ucr.edu)

online applications can be downloaded from:

Application Timetable

The application process consists of submitting the application forms, GRE scores (and TOEFL scores if required), a $60 filing fee, official transcripts and three letters of recommendation. The Program reviews all formal applications as soon as they are completed. Early applications are welcomed and may result in early admittance decisions. The Program will consider applications received after April 1, but these applicants run a risk that the limited number of openings and fellowships may have been filled.

Applications for financial support are reviewed by January 5 of each year. In order to apply for Graduate Division fellowships only a complete application (including letters of recommendation and official transcripts and scores) for the Ph.D. program is required, but it should be received as early as possible and no later than January 5th.

International Applicants

International applicants whose native language is not English must score a minimum of 550 on the written Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and 215 on the computer-based version of the same exam. Applicants should arrange to take the examination in their home country by contacting the Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6161, Princeton, NJ 08540-6151. The date of this test may be no more than two years from the intended quarter of admission.