Required Application Materials:
- Application with personal statement
- Application fee
- All official transcripts
- Minimum of two letters of recommendation
- TOEFL (see https://www.umass.edu/graduate/apply/international-applicants for test options) and Financial Statement (for international applicants only)
We encourage you to use your personal statement to address the following components, as applicable.
- Academic performance: This refers to your scholarship. Have you taken and succeeded in courses that provide the foundations for Molecular and Cellular Biology? Or in other courses that you think will prepare you for Molecular and Cellular Biology? Are there any circumstances that might have slowed or hindered your academic progress? If so, how did you overcome those and what have you learned about yourself?
- Perseverance: This refers to your ability to overcome obstacles, either personal or scientific. Being a successful scientist requires the ability to set long term goals and achieve them, and the capacity to not be daunted by failure. How has your perseverance helped you reach where you are now? Note that the perseverance might relate to academics but could also relate to events outside of school.
- Research experience: If you have had the opportunity to carry out research, what have you worked on? What questions did you ask with the research? What did the research teach you (about science; about yourself)?
- Passion for Molecular and Cellular Biology: This refers to your conviction on this career path. What has inspired you to pursue Molecular and Cellular Biology?
- Communication skills: Success in academia entails a commitment to communicating clearly through various means. Consider relating any experiences or training you have had in this area. Keep in mind that your personal statement itself will reveal something about your ability to communicate.
- Alignment to the research program: This refers to your “fit” with our program. How do you see yourself fitting into the MCB program? Which labs do you think may be of interest to you? Are you or have you been in contact with any professor?
- Contributions to diversity: We are interested in building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive program. Tell us about how you may contribute to these efforts either through your life experiences or your understanding of current barriers facing underrepresented communities.
A file will generally not be reviewed until all application materials have been received.
A bachelor's degree from a qualified college or university is required or expected prior to the program's start date. Applicants are expected to have taken college-level courses in Biology, Organic Chemistry, Calculus, and Physics. GRE scores for the General Exam or Subject Tests can be submitted to supplement the application, but are not required.