department of biology

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titleboxGRADUATE PROGRAM ADMISSIONS INFO  titlebox

How to Apply….

Applications are made through the Graduate School but read on for important information for applicants. Don't hesitate to contact us with questions...see contact info at the bottom.

Choose a potential advisor or advisors:

The truth is that your thesis advisor is the person who will have, by far, the greatest influence on your professional development. It is critical that you choose wisely. Research success and your advisor’s close guidance will be the most important factors in launching your research career. Go through the web pages of our faculty. Read the recent papers of those you are interested in. Contact them and, if possible, go and visit them. Talk to their current and former students. Talk to them about their research goals and see how you would fit into these goals. Ask about financial support.

 

Note: You need not be accepted by an advisor to be accepted into the Program (although that’s desirable) but one or more faculty members need to be interested in you as a potential graduate student and be willing to advise you in your first year. Laboratory rotations are one of a number of optional methods of identifying a formal advisor.   


Your application will be judged based on:
  • Grades in courses taken, but mindful of the difficulty of the courses taken
  • GRE scores
  • Letters of reference. Make sure that you get letters from faculty who know you.
  • Your personal statement. With this statement you reveal your attitude toward science and research, research experience, and area of research interest. This is a good place to indicate the names of the faculty members whose research most interests you.
Basic Requirements
  • Bachelor’s Degree
  • GPA ≥ 3.0
  • GRE scores including a subject test…institution code: 5814; department code: 0203
  • 3 letters of reference from a professional or academic
Facts and Deadlines
  • Final acceptance requires one of the following:
    1. a faculty member agrees to be your thesis advisor
      2. OR
    2. a small group of faculty agree to advise you in your first year while you identify an advisor through a process such as lab rotations
  • Deadlines:
    • Preferred deadline: January 7 (for Fall admission) September 1 (for Spring)
    • Final Deadline: February 1 (for Fall) October 1 (for Spring)
    • For foreign students the Spring admission deadline is June 1.
    • .exceptions may be granted
  • Biology graduate student handbook (pdf)

 

Financial Support

As a rule, all students receive support:

  • From the advisor: Research Assistantship
  • From a funding agency (NIH, NSF,…): Research Fellowship
  • From the Department: Teaching Assistantship
  • From a training grant: Traineeship
  • From the University: Research Fellowship

This is not a job. It is a period of training. Thus the money is enough to live on so you can focus your efforts on your research.


Correspondence and Information

Graduate Office Telephone: 301-405-6905
Room 2231 Biology/Psychology Building
email: biol-grad@deans.umd.edu
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742


…..to contact the Graduate Director, Prof. Marco Colombini: colombini@umd.edu