Graduate Admission Requirements for Full Admission
to Biology M.S. or Ph.D. Degree Program

Applicants to the biology programs should submit the following information:

1. The graduate application form is available online at:
         https://gradadmission.udayton.edu
2. A personal statement addressing specific areas of interest; professional goals and   objectives after earning a graduate degree; and any prior research experience.
3. Official academic record of all previously attended colleges or universities must be submitted directly from the colleges or universities to the Office of Graduate Admission Processing.  Hand-carried transcripts, official copies marked Issued to Student and unofficial copies are not acceptable.
4. Three letters of recommendation from professors or employers.
5. Graduate Record Examination (GRE):  current scores, i.e., exam taken within last five years.

• GRE general test:  Candidates are encouraged to obtain a 600 or more on the verbal and quantitative sections.
• GRE subject test in Biology:  (not required for admission, but is used by student’s Biology Graduate Advisory Committee as a guide in the review process.

Academic Requirements:

Applicants must have an undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree (or equivalent) from an accredited university.  Incoming students must satisfy the equivalent science and mathematics course requirements as required for the University of Dayton Bachelor of Science degree in Biology which include:

• 1 year calculus
• 1 year physics
• 1 year organic chemistry
• 1 semester course in genetics
• Background in biology: 
• Recommended undergraduate coursework in introductory biology, ecology, evolution, cell biology, microbiology and molecular biology. 
• If the student is interested in the biomedical sciences, further recommended coursework includes physiology, advanced cell biology, developmental biology, immunology, infectious disease and neurobiology. 
• If the student’s interest is in the ecology/environmental area, further recommended coursework includes plant biology, entomology, conservation biology, comparative animal physiology, comparative anatomy, microbial ecology, and invertebrate and vertebrate zoology.

Competitive applicants will have a science and overall GPA of 3.0 or better (based on a 4.0 scale).

International Students:

Additional requirements for applicants in which English is a second language:

The University of Dayton’s TOEFL policy:

We require an official TOEFL score issued by Educational Testing Service (ETS) to the University of Dayton (UD).  A minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test or 213 on the computer-based test is required for full admission.  An applicant who is academically qualified but who has submitted a score of 500-527 (paper) or 173-193 (computer) may be conditionally admitted to the University with the agreement that he or she will attend, full-time, UD's English Language and Multicultural Institute (ELMI) 15-week semester program until the requirement is met.  An applicant with a TOEFL score of between 530-547 (paper) or 197-210 (computer) may be admitted with the condition that he or she attend ELMI part time and register for a part-time academic course of study.  Upon successful completion of ELMI and achievement of an institutional TOEFL score of 550 or the equivalent, conditionally admitted students will be granted full admission. 

Verbal communication aptitude is critical for the award of a teaching assistantship to international students and will be assessed by the Director of the Graduate Program in Biology and/or Graduate Admissions Committee.

Additional Information:

The deadline for applications requesting teaching assistantship consideration is March 1st  for the fall term, and October 15th for the winter term.  A limited number of research assistantships are available through funded research grants to individual faculty.  Completed applications are reviewed on a continual basis as they are submitted, and students will be notified of admission status and availability of assistantship support by April 15th for entry in the fall term, and November 15th for entry in the winter term.  Applicants admitted to the biology program with a teaching assistantship or research assistantship must be full time students.  Applicants not requesting assistantship support are also encouraged to apply by the stated deadlines.  Both thesis and non-thesis options are available at the master’s level.

Prospective students are encouraged to contact faculty members with whom they are interested in working, prior to, and during the application process.  Additional information about the Department of Biology, the faculty, graduate students, and recent alumni of the graduate programs can be found at the biology department internal website:  biology.udayton.edu