Prospective Students​Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

• Submission of a properly completed application for admission.
• A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States or proof of equivalent degree and training from an acceptable foreign institution of higher education. An applicant who holds a graduate degree or first professional degree (e.g., MD, DDS, JD) from a regionally and programmatically accredited college or university in the United States or proof of equivalent degree and training from an acceptable foreign institution of higher education may be considered on an individual basis even though he or she does not hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent as defined above.
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
• International applicants: credential verification and course by course evaluation of transcripts by World Education Services, Inc. (WES). This is the only credentialing service that may be used. World Education Services, Inc. P.O. Box 745, Old Chelsea Station, New York, NY 10113-0745;1 (800) 937–3895 ext. 316; Email: info@wes.org International applicants: Official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores for applicants whose native language is not English. Minimum acceptable scores for TOEFL are 550 for the paper test, 213 for the computer-based test, and 79 on the internet-based test; the minimum acceptable score on IELTS is an overall band of 7.0. If a college degree was obtained from an accredited English speaking institution of higher education in which the primary language of instruction was English, the applicant may be exempt from the English proficiency exam requirement (contact the Associate Dean for Recruitment for confirmation, if applicable). International admissions are currently limited and based on exceptional circumstances.
• Three letters of recommendation from individuals that are knowledgeable about the quality of the applicant’s academic performance, scholarly activities and/or research or other relevant experiences.
• The GRE is not required.
• Admitted students are required to provide an attestation that they can meet the essential functions of their respective program with or without accommodations, when accepting their offer of admission. Students requiring accommodations should refer to the institutional ADA office.

A final recommendation by the graduate program faculty will be based on competitive evaluation of the qualifications of the applicant plus consideration of the availability of space and resources. Each graduate program has specific requirements, but common factors considered by program admissions committees include:

• Academic performance and appropriateness of the curriculum as preparation for graduate study. A cumulative GPA above 3.0 on a 4 point scale is preferred.
• Research or other relevant experience.
• Letters of recommendation.
• Background for and commitment to a career of scholarly endeavor in the field of study.
• Availability of opportunity for training in the desired field of scholarship.
• Unique educational, career, or life experiences.
• Personal statement.

Application priority review date: November 3, 2025

Applications open September 15, 2025. Applications will be accepted after the priority review date, until positions are filled (typically in early spring). We have a rolling admissions process so it is advantageous to apply early while positions are available.

• The Basic Biomedical and Translational Science PhD application is for admission in the fall.
  • Application opens in the Fall term. Accepted students may begin in the Fall term in the following calendar year.
• The Pharmacology and Toxicology MS application is for admission in spring, summer or fall.
  • Application opens in the Fall term. Accepted students may begin in the Spring, Summer, or Fall terms in the following calendar year.

No applications that are incomplete as of July 15 for Fall applications, November 15 for Spring applications, or March 15 for Summer applications will be considered for admission.

IMPORTANT DATE: Review of applications begins November 4th.

The application must be submitted online. The application portal opens mid-September. Graduate assistantships are available to those who qualify.

Detailed instructions are provided within the Program Materials section of the BioMedCAS application. UTMB does not accept any application materials (except for MMS applications). All documentation must be submitted directly to BioMedCAS.

• Transcripts should be requested through the BioMedCAS application portal for delivery to BioMedCAS. There is an option to request a transcript, or order a WES evaluation, in the Academic History section of the application, where degree information is entered in the Colleges Attended section.
• International applicants: For TOEFL, follow Instructions for submitting TOEFL scores to BioMedCAS.  For IELTS, follow Instructions for submitting IELTS scores to BioMedCAS. You may also upload a copy of your test in the Documents Section for preliminary review but official scores are required for a complete evaluation.