The University of Iowa
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
The Department of Biology

Graduate Program Admissions

For full consideration, applications need to be submitted by January 1st.

Admissions Requirements

Successful applications typically have:
  • Combined GRE General Test score of 1200 (old GRE) or 308 (new GRE) or greater (Verbal and Quantitative).
  • Undergraduate GPA of 3.00 or greater (on a 4.00 scale).
  • Experience in conducting independent research.
Selected candidates residing in the U.S. will be invited for an interview weekend in February, at the expense of the Department of Biology. U.S. applicants may be notified about acceptance and financial support at any time, typically by April 1st. International applicants may be notified as late as May 15th. Offers made by April 1st require students to notify the Department of their decision by April 15th.
Graduate School Application

Financial Support

All Ph.D. students in the department are guaranteed full financial support, provided they make satisfactory progress toward their degree. Students are expected to complete a Ph.D. program in four to six years. Compensation in 2012-2013 include a: Ph.D. students are fully supported by a combination of Fellowships, Research Assistantships and Teaching Assistantships.

Graduate Program Application Process

For Ph.D. Program applicants:

Step 1: As an auxiliary to our on-line application, we ask that you complete the Graduate Information Form (pre-application), and then go to the on-line application at our Centralized Application System (see Step 2). The auxiliary information page is critical for us to provide you with more information about our program and the status of your application.
Step 2: After submitting the Graduate Information Form (pre-application) above, click here to complete the University Application.

Alternatively, click here to download a paper-version of the Graduate Application. This is an Adobe PDF file and you will need at least Adobe Acrobat Reader to open it. If you need the reader, click on the Get Adobe Reader logo below.
NOTE: Be sure to enter "Department of Biology" in Question B.3 "List your intended department or graduate program of study", and enter "02A" for the "Program Code". This will ensure your application's safe routing to the Department of Biology.
Step 3: Fill out additional forms for admission:

For MS Program applicants only:

Complete the on-line application at: University Application.
The application fee ($60 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents) can be waived for Ph.D. students who meet the appropriate criteria and/or for those to whom the fee would a financial hardship. One method is to request an application fee waiver prior to application. The other is to seek reimbursement from the Department after applying. Click here to download the Application Fee Waiver Request Form. Limited to the first 100 domestic requests. For more information, contact Phil Ecklund (Graduate Advisor) at phil-ecklund@uiowa.edu.
Adobe Acrobat