Application and Admission
Applicants must submit completed application and personal data forms, three letters of recommendation from faculty members at previously attended colleges or universities, or other people qualified to assess the applicants' capabilities for graduate study, and transcripts of all post-secondary academic work. In addition, applicants to the Ph.D. program must submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical). Although not required for admission to Master's programs, GRE scores are strongly recommended. Admission normally requires a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in biology and 3.0 (Ph.D.) or 2.75 (M.S.) overall, as well as an appropriate background for graduate work in biology, including courses in genetics, biochemistry, and evolution. Courses in organic chemistry, college physics, and calculus are expected, and statistics is recommended.
All foreign applicants, except those from countries where English is the primary language, must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) Examination. Ordinarily, a score of 550 or better is required. The University requires all incoming foreign students to take an English language exam during orientation week and may require additional courses in English during the first year of graduate study.
We urge students interested in the Ph.D. program and the Thesis Master's option to contact members of the faculty in their field of interest directly. Applications to graduate programs are evaluated by the Graduate Committee, which makes recommendations to the Dean of the Graduate School for admission. Applicants being considered for graduate assistantships and fellowships, and who have passed an initial screening, will be invited for interviews, at the department's expense when at all possible, during February and early March. Students are also encouraged to arrange their own visits to the department at other times.
Online ApplicationApplication forms are available online here. Additional materials describing the department and its graduate programs can be requested from Maryann Hempen (mhempen@jinx.umsl.edu).
Assistantships and FellowshipsStipends for teaching and research assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis to qualified graduate students in Master's or Ph.D. programs. Assistantships are currently funded at $8,000 per semester (Fall and Spring semesters only). Educational fees are waived for graduate assistants; students pay only the incidental fees. Six hours of course work is considered as full-time status for graduate teaching and research assistants. Master's students who are awarded full funding may receive two years of support. Ph.D. students may receive five years.
Applications for assistantships must be sent separately from graduate school applications to the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Biology. The appropriate form is included with application materials sent to prospective students. For an application for an assistantship contact Maryann Hempen (mhempen@jinx.umsl.edu)
Ph.D. applicants who wish to be considered for financial support must submit their application by December 15. International students should submit their applications well ahead of this deadline since their files must be reviewed by the International Student Office before they are reviewed by the biology department.