Admissions

General

The Admissions Committee makes the final decision in accepting all applicants to the MCB Program. Admission requires evidence that the student is capable of doing outstanding graduate work in the areas encompassed by the program. The applicant should have at least a B average in science and mathematics courses, and strong letters of recommendation and satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Exam. It is expected that entering graduate students will have completed two semesters each of Organic Chemistry and Physics, and Mathematics through Calculus. It is desirable that entering MCB students have completed at least one semester of Genetics, and courses in Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, and Molecular Biology are also advantageous. With the rare exception of students with minor background deficiencies (see below), it is the policy of the MCB Program and the Admissions Committee to accept only those students who meet the criteria for admission as set by the Admissions Committee. This is especially true in cases where a P.I. is willing to provide support for a particular student in the first year, thus exempting that student from laboratory rotations (see "targeted" students below). The Admissions Committee must be convinced that the "targeted student" is not a marginal admission

Admission Under Special Circumstances

Admission of Students with Deficiencies in Formal Coursework

A student deficient in one core area but otherwise a very strong candidate, can be admitted to the program with the understanding that (s)he will make up the deficiency. A deficiency in molecular or cellular biology, for example, can be remedied by taking appropriate undergraduate courses as determined by the Graduate Operations Committee and the Admissions Committee. An example of conditions for making up a deficiency in Biochemistry follows: A student deficient in Biochemistry will take BIOCHEM 523 (as well as MOLCLBIO 641 and 642), but not BIOCHEM 623 in the first year. This arrangement will allow students deficient in a single area to make up the deficiency without falling a year behind their classmates, and becoming a liability in terms of MCB support.

Exemptions from Core Courses

The Admissions Committee has the authority to exempt incoming students from core courses. At the end of each spring semester, the Academic Affairs Committee will review the exemptions granted by the Admissions Committee and provide the Admissions Committee with feedback for future admissions decisions. Exemptions approved by the Admissions Committee will be upheld by the Graduate Operations Committee.