Cancer Biology Graduate Program

General Admission Requirements

All applicants for admission to the Cancer Biology Program must meet the following requirements, whether or not admission to a specific degree program is sought:

• Applicant must hold a bachelor's degree or its equivalent with a major in biology, biochemistry, chemistry or equivalent field from an accredited institution.
• Specific grade point average (GPA) requirements for both non-degree and degree-seeking students follow. The GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of semester hours attempted. The applicant must have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale on the last 60 undergraduate semester hours of course work before receiving the bachelor's degree, or on all undergraduate work, in order to receive unconditional admission to the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Applicants who have already completed a master's degree must have at least a 3.0 GPA on the master's or meet the undergraduate GPA standards listed above in order to be admitted unconditionally. Non-degree seeking students will be allowed to take a maximum of 12 semester credit hours.
• All applicants seeking admission to the Cancer Biology program are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
• UNTHSC requires an applicant from a foreign country to demonstrate satisfactory proficiency in oral and written English before being granted admission in addition to supplying official documentation of minimum scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam. Upon acceptance, if it is determined that a student is not proficient in English language, he/she will be required to complete an approved English as a Second Language (ESL) course at his/her own expense.

To be considered for admission, the applicant must file the following official credentials with the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences:

• An application for admission to the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
• Complete official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended
• Official scores on the required entrance test or tests
• The $25 application fee and a $50 transcript evaluation fee (if applicable)
• Two letters of evaluation by individuals in positions to comment on the applicant's potential as a graduate student and future professional.
• A written statement of personal career goals.
• A personal essay describing one recent scientific discovery (on cancer-related field), explaining why or how it is of interest to the applicant.

Admission to the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences does not imply candidacy for a graduate degree. Applicants for admission are furnished written notification of their admission status by the dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Statements by other health science center personnel concerning the applicant's admissibility are not valid until confirmed by the dean in writing. Students who are admitted to a graduate degree program and do not enroll in the semester for which they have applied must contact the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences to have their file re-evaluated.