Each candidate for admission is expected to have a bachelor’s degree in one of the physical or biological sciences. Senior undergraduates may be admitted pending successful completion of their baccalaureate programs. While no minimum grade point average is required, students applying for admission should have demonstrated strong performance in their undergraduate studies, particularly in their scientific coursework. Additionally, applicants are expected to have had one year of lab research experience.
Please note:
Applicants to the Program in Biomedical Engineering & Medical Physics must have an undergraduate degree or a strong background in mathematics, physics or engineering. Applicants are also expected to have had one year of organic chemistry and biology.
Applicants to the Program in Clinical & Population Health Research should review the specific admissions requirements and prerequisites needed for CPHR: http://www.umassmed.edu/cphr/admissions/requirements.aspx.
Frequently Asked Questions for International Students
Recommended Prerequisites
Mathematics – One year of calculus, including differential and integral calculus; Biology – One year of basic course(s) in general biology, zoology or botany; Chemistry – One year of general chemistry and one year of organic chemistry; Biochemistry – One course of general biochemistry; Physics – One year of general physics; and English – All applicants are expected to have proficiency in reading and writing in the English language. Applicants whose language of instruction has not been English must supply their TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) results. A score of 250 on the computer test or 600 on the paper test or 100 on the internet-based test is required.
Application Process
All admissions take place through an admission process in which successful applicants are admitted to a division of the GSBS, rather than a specific PhD program. Evaluation of applicants is done by the Graduate Admissions Committee of the division to which the applicant applies, comprised of GSBS faculty. Applicants accepted as regular graduate students will receive official notification from the dean. No other statements, verbal or in writing, will constitute acceptance into the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
Specific application materials include:
completed application for admission. Applicants should use the on-line application which can be accessed at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences web site, www.umassmed.edu/gsbs ; official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended; results of the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) in verbal, quantitative and analytical areas. (The UMMS code number is 3936. No department code is needed.) Details may be obtained from the Educational Testing Service, GRE, www.gre.org three letters of recommendation from individuals who are able to assess the applicant’s past academic performance and prospective success in graduate-level work. Recommenders are encouraged to use the on-line recommendation form contained within the on-line application. If they prefer, they may send a paper recommendation on official letterhead in a sealed envelope to the Graduate School’s office address listed below; and application fee, currently $25 for Massachusetts residents, $50 for non-residents.
Documents should be sent to:
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Room S1-880
University of Massachusetts Medical School
55 Lake Avenue North
Worcester, MA 01655-0116
Applications cannot be considered until all of these materials have been received. The application deadline for completed applications is December 15 for the Basic & Biomedical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering divisions; decisions will be made no later than April 15 for fall admission.
The priority application deadline for Fall enrollment in the Clinical & Population Health Research Program is December 15 with a final deadline of January 15. Online applications are accepted beginning September 1 for the following year's fall enrollment.
Assistantships
Entering full-time graduate students are eligible for graduate assistantships, which carry an annual stipend of $28,000 in 2008-2009. Students who apply for and receive stipend support from external funding agencies can increase their annual stipend above the amount provided by the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
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