Graduate Admission Requirements
First, you'll need to submit the paperwork:
For Full Admission to the Biology M.S. or Ph.D. Degree Programs at the University of Dayton, applicants should submit the following information:
1. The graduate application form which may be submitted electronically at no charge at: (please visit: http://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. An official academic record of all previously attended colleges or universities must be submitted directly from those colleges or universities to the Office of Graduate Admission Processing. Please note that hand-carried transcripts, official copies marked Issued to Student and unofficial copies are not acceptable.
4. Three (3) letters of recommendation from professors or employers.
5. Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test score featuring current scores (exam taken within last five years), including:
- 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)
Second, you'll need to have studied the Academic Requirements:
Applicants to the M.S. or Ph.D programs at the University of Dayton 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
Additionally
We recommended that the applicant have already completed undergraduate coursework in:
- Introductory biology
- Ecology, evolution
- Cell biology
- Microbiology and
- Molecular biology
If the student is interested in the biomedical sciences, we recommend that further previous coursework include:
- Physiology
- Advanced cell biology
- Developmental biology
- Immunology
- Infectious disease and
- Neurobiology
If the student's interest is in the ecology/environmental area, we recommend that further previous coursework include:
- 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).
Special Requirements for International Students:
There are additional requirements for applicants for whom English is a second language. These are detailed in the University of Dayton's TOEFL policy:
University of Dayton 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.
Important Information about Deadlines, Contacting Faculty and Other 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.