Department of Biology
Admissions Requirements
Programs & Information

Application Requirements for Domestic (US National) Students

In addition to satisfying the general admission requirements listed elsewhere in this bulletin, applicants to the Masters program in Biology must meet the following criteria:

1. Undergraduate GPA and GRE requirements according to the following table:

Overall GPA / GRE Score
> 3.0 / GRE not required
2.8-3.0 / > 800
2.6-2.8 / > 1000
2.3-2.6 / > 1200

2. Successful completion (with a C or better) of at least 15-18 hours of biology credit above the freshman level, including a course in genetics. Courses in heredity do not apply towards the genetics requirement.

3. A written letter of intent specifying if the applicant is seeking a thesis or non-thesis degree (thesis work is highly recommended); the applicant’s intended course of study and academic interests; any relevant past academic, field, or research experience; and discussing the applicant’s personal academic and career goals and how a Masters in Biology from SFA will help further those goals. The letter is used by the Graduate Adviser to better advise the applicant. Applications will be considered incomplete without the letter of intent, and will be held by the University Graduate Office until a letter is received.

Application Requirements for International Students

In addition to satisfying the general admissions requirements listed elsewhere in this bulletin, graduate biology majors must meet the following criteria:

1. Applicants from Universities following the standard US GPA format will be assessed following the table provided above under Domestic Students. Students from universities not following the standard US GPA format require a GRE score of 1100.

2. The curriculum criteria as outlined above for Domestic Students, including some indication of grade interpretation for Universities not following the standard US GPA and grading system.

3. A letter of intent as outlined under the Domestic Student section above.

4. In addition to the requirements listed above, students for whom English is a second language require:

a. A minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper) or 213 (computer)

b. A minimum of 450 on the English portion of the GRE examination

c. A 10-15 minute English language video of the applicant discussing some aspect of Biology. The video will be used to gauge the applicant’s spoken proficiency of the English language, not to assess teaching ability or scientific content of the video.

 

The SFA Graduate Degree Program

Before you can begin graduate studies in the Department of Biology, you must first gain acceptance into the university's graduate program. Check out the following links for general information on the Graduate School's requirements and application procedures.

SFA Graduate School homepage.

Admissions information and Application forms

Admission requirements
Application & Forms
Program options
Faculty
Courses
Research
Financial Aid
Departmental resources
Contact Information