Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics

September: Application portal opens

December 1: Application deadline

By January 15: Applications reviewed, candidates invited to recruiting visits

Late January and early February: Recruiting visits

During February: International applicants contacted

By the end of February: Offers begin to be sent out

No, we do not accept applications after the December 1 deadline.

No, we admit new students only for the fall semester.

No, BMBB only offers a Ph.D. degree.

No, you do not need an M.S. degree to apply to the BMBB PhD program.

Research Experience! The most successful applicants have significant and productive research experience(s). Evidence of intellectual independence in their research is favorably viewed upon. For example, they are able to effectively describe the rationale and biological context for their research, as well as what was accomplished. Exceptional research experience (Master’s Degrees, many years of experience, publications, etc.) may offset minor deficiencies in GPA. Applicants who have not worked in a laboratory in the past year or two should consider refreshing their research skills by volunteering in a laboratory or finding a paid laboratory position before applying.

Competitive applications will have a GPA of 3.3 or better (on a 4.0 scale). If your GPA falls below 3.3, additional graduate level courses or degrees can be taken to demonstrate academic ability.

Yes, there is no limit to the number of programs that you apply to at the University of Minnesota. There will be an application fee for each application submitted, and each application will be evaluated independently.

Yes, many students who are in their final semester of their undergraduate degree are admitted into the program.

For the BMBB graduate program, we often receive more than 150 applications. We typically bring in 40-50 students who are currently residing in the United States for in-person interviews. For students residing outside the country during the interview period, we conduct online interviews only. About 40 offers of admission are made each year. The final cohort size is generally around 15 students.

Yes. International students who are not currently residing in the US will be contacted for a Skype or Zoom interview prior to receiving an offer of admission. International students who are currently residing in the US will be considered for in-person interviews along with those that are US citizens.

The program interviews approximately 6-8 international students per year on average.

The program pays your annual stipend ($34,000 - Fall 2024), tuition, student fees, and a portion of your healthcare benefits for the first year. Once you join a lab, your advisor will continue this funding for the remaining time you are in the program.

The University is currently in collective bargaining with the graduate assistant union (GLU-UE) and compensation amounts are subject to change pending the outcomes of bargaining. Under Minnesota law, new employees have the right to meet with union representatives within their first 30 days of employment.

If you opt-in to the University’s health care benefits, 5% of the premium costs (roughly $200 per semester in the fall and spring) is paid by the graduate students per semester towards their medical benefits. The department or the advisor pay the bulk of the cost for medical coverage.

No, completion of these financial aid forms is not necessary.

Yes, the graduate school does not offer a fee waiver. The application fee is $75 for domestic students and $95 for international students.

No, only the admissions committees can review your application and offer admission. 

No, given the large volume of applications that we receive each year, this would be an impossible task.

Applicants apply to the BMBB graduate program and not to a position in a specific lab. There is no upfront guarantee that a student will join a particular lab for their graduate studies. It is therefore important for students, prior to applying to our program, to identify multiple faculty whose research they find interesting and for whom they would want to work. 

At the beginning of the program in August, students go to the Itasca Biological Field Station for a week-long course. During that time, they have the opportunity to meet with faculty during modules and talks. After that week, there is an additional week during which students are encouraged to contact faculty about rotating in their labs. 

Once the school year starts, students participate in three 7-week rotations in faculty research laboratories with the first beginning in September and the last finishing in February. Students then select their thesis laboratory.

You must apply to the Graduate School online via the Slate online system. Please visit https://www.grad.umn.edu/admissions and select “Apply Now” to begin your application.

No, you must upload all materials to your online graduate school application, including transcripts. Do not send paper documents to the Graduate School because they will not be evaluated.

Your Personal Statement should be no longer than two single-spaced pages. Your list of research publications is excluded from this two-page limit. In your list, please include the references, and at most, the associated abstracts. Please do not submit an entire manuscript unless it is unpublished. If there is a lapse in time for your education or employment, please explain why. 

At the end of the Personal Statement, list any research publications for which you are an author. The best personal statements show enthusiasm for science, your research experiences, and career goals. Convey to the committee that you are seriously considering the University of Minnesota based on your indication of specific labs who are doing work you would be interested in pursuing.

Here are some questions to think about when crafting your personal statement: 

• Did you concisely describe your research experiences and career goals?
• Did you perform an independent research project where you were extensively involved in planning and developing experimental approaches? 
• What was your project and contribution(s)? 
• Do you have any scientific achievements such as publications, leadership roles, awards, and acceptances into internships? 
• Why are you specifically considering the University of Minnesota? 
• Are there specific faculty or labs that you are interested in? Why? 

Neither are required, however we encourage you to submit a diversity statement and/or a writing sample.

If you would like to include a diversity statement, you can identify the distinctive characteristics and/or life experiences, such as successfully overcoming obstacles or hardships, and how that could contribute to the educational environment and enhance perspectives at the University. Please upload a separate Diversity Statement with your application.

Good options for writing samples include class-related essays or reports with a strong preference for science-related topics. Posters that were primarily written and presented by the applicant are also acceptable.

You can either leave it blank or if you decide to add a description of your research, please include how you became interested in your area of research. Concisely describe what you were studying. Be sure to include which aspects of the research projects you extensively planned and developed. Also describe your contributions to the implementation of the project. Also indicate what direction you might take in the future if you continued on this research project. Descriptions of Research should have minimal overlap with content in your Personal Statement and should be viewed as a complement and/or supplement to what is written in your Personal Statement. 

Yes, a CV or résumé is required.

No. Unofficial transcripts should be uploaded to the application. Official transcripts are only required when you accept an offer of admission to the program. If you are an international student, go to the international student resources page for more information.

Three letters are required. Letters of recommendation from persons familiar with your academic and research capabilities are strongly encouraged. It is important to have a strong letter of support from your direct research supervisor. Names and complete contact information for the three referees must be entered online.

Referees will be sent instructions from the Slate application system via system via email, using the email address you have provided.. Referees are strongly encouraged to follow these instructions and directly upload their letters to your online application. If they are unable to upload letters online, please contact the BMBB graduate program (bmbbgp@umn.edu).

Contact the BMBB graduate program (bmbbgp@umn.edu) as soon as possible. It is very important that you do not mail any paper documents to the Graduate School Admissions Office.

No. The GRE general and subject scores are NOT required to apply to the program. Note that the University's Graduate School application system still includes a spot for GRE scores; however, you are not required to enter them. Please be aware that our application review committee will NOT view these scores, even if you do submit them.

Yes, if they are coming from a non-English speaking background. There are also exceptions for those who have done their bachelor’s or master’s degrees in an English-speaking university or college. If you attended an English speaking university full time (at least 16 semester credits or 24 quarter credits) during the past two or more years while living in an English-speaking country, and the coursework does not include ESL courses, the TOEFL or IELTS score is waived.

Scores must be less than two years old. Your self-reported scores are acceptable, but official scores will be required if you are accepted and decide to join our program. If you are an international student, please see the English Language Proficiency page from the Graduate School.