Admission Requirements

Applications to the Biology graduate program are reviewed by a departmental committee that evaluates both the potential of the applicant to complete graduate work and the availability of a suitable faculty member to supervise the applicant.

In addition, the committee ensures that each applicant meets the following admission requirements:

1. a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; the degree must be granted prior to entering the UNM graduate program, but does not have to be in the biological sciences;
2. an overall grade point average of at least 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale) in biology and other science courses (chemistry, physics and mathematics);
3. a minimum total score from the general GRE test of 1100 (= total of verbal plus quantitative or analytical) [the applicant must also submit a score from the GRE Biology subject test or from a subject test in another relevant major discipline];
4. two semesters of introductory biology, one semester of genetics, and at least 12 hours of upper division (300 and above) biology courses;
5. a clearly written letter of intent that demonstrates specific goals and an understanding of graduate education; and
6. three letters of recommendation, an official set of transcripts, and a departmental data base sheet (see details in section on Application Procedures).

Extremely well-qualified students who do not satisfy all of these requirements may petition the selection committee for an exception to be granted.

If an application is approved by the selection committee, it is then evaluated by the Biology graduate faculty. Applicants can be accepted only if a graduate faculty member agrees to serve as the student's major advisor. Thus, each applicant is also encouraged to correspond directly with faculty members in fields related to the applicant's interests in order to explore the possible availability of a faculty sponsorship. If an applicant is both approved by the selection committee and sponsored by a graduate faculty advisor, the student can gain entrance into the graduate program of the department, contingent upon acceptance by the UNM Office of Graduate Studies.