Application Process

nervous cells

At the University of California, San Diego, diversity is a core component of excellence that further enhances our quality and achievement. We seek a diverse graduate student body to ensure that all of our students gain the educational benefits that result from being exposed to a broad spectrum of ideas and perspectives. These include the variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. Such differences include race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, language, abilities/disabilities, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, geographic region and more. We wish to broaden and deepen both the educational experience and the scholarly environment, as students and faculty learn to interact effectively with each other, preparing them to participate in an increasingly complex and pluralistic society. We also want all of our students to contribute to the campus community in a manner that enhances campus diversity and inclusiveness, consistent with the University of California Principles of Community.

The UC San Diego Graduate Application can be completed on-line.

The Admissions Committee of the program considers all elements of the student's file. Top applicants are usually invited to UCSD to visit the campus and participate in faculty interviews in February and March. Arrangements are made by telephone or e-mail from the program office. It is therefore essential that you provide a correct telephone number (home and work) and email address where you can be reached during the winter and spring months. 

We recognize that the graduate school admissions process can be opaque and intimidating. To address this problem, we have established the Biomedical Application Assistance Program (BMAAP), a student-run program that aims to demystify the admissions process for applicants. For more information, please visit the BMAAP Program page.


Requirements

The The Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs at UCSD requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 for admission to graduate school. The Biomedical Sciences Admissions Committee looks specifically at an applicant’s cumulative and science GPAs, and at the types of courses taken. These should include calculus, biochemistry, organic and physical chemistry, biology, and, preferably, cell and molecular biology and mammalian physiology.

As of 2018, applicants are no longer required to submit scores for either the GRE General or Subject Tests. Applicants can optionally submit scores for the GRE General Test (verbal, quantitative, and analytical sections) and/or an applicable GRE Subject Test (Biology, Biochemistry (discontinued December 2016), or Chemistry). To ensure receipt of GRE scores by the November 20th deadline, applicants should plan to take the test no later than October. Students may have scores sent directly to UCSD by designating GRE school code #4836, department code 5199 on their test registration form.

The UCSD Graduate Application fee is $135 ($155 for international applicants). This fee may be waived for applicants who demonstrate financial hardship, US Military service, or who have participated in certain graduate preparatory programs. Please see this page for more information.


Preliminary Application (International applicants)

The preliminary application is no longer required. 


Apply for Fall 2025

Official Graduate Application Opens - early September 2024

Official Graduate Application Deadline - approximately late November 2024

Interviews and Recruitment (In-Person) Weekends - to be announced, most likely in February 2025

 Begin Your Application


More Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Statement of Purpose

Focus your Statement of Purpose on the reasons you are interested in attending the UC San Diego Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program. The statement has a 1500 word limit and should be well organized, concise, and completely free of grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.

Include responses to the following as part of your statement:  

  • Summarize the long term goals of research in which you participated.
  • Describe one research problem, project or area for graduate study that excites you. Have you thought about what you want to accomplish in graduate school and how is UC San Diego a good match for these goals?

Letters of Recommendation

These are of great value in assessing a student’s qualifications for a career in research. It is advantageous to have letters submitted by well-known faculty who can critically evaluate a student’s academic performance, undergraduate research experience, and potential for a career in biomedical sciences.

Research Experience

Undergraduate and/or post-college research experience is considered an important part of a student’s preparation for graduate work. It gives the student the opportunity to experience laboratory work and thus make a knowledgeable decision to pursue a career in basic biomedical sciences.

Official Application

Screening of applications will begin in late November. It is recommended that applicants submit their application well before the deadline to be considered for on-campus interviews. Typical causes of delayed consideration include missing letters of recommendation and transcripts. 

PLEASE NOTE: To expedite the processing of your application, the Biomedical Sciences Admissions Committee requires that you upload PDF versions of your official or unofficial transcripts directly into the UCSD on-line application system. More information on this process is available in the on-line application system.

Non-discrimination Statement

The University of California, in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, or age in any of its policies, procedures, or practices; nor does the university discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. This nondiscrimination policy covers admission and access to, and treatment and employment in, university programs and activities, including but not limited to, academic admission, financial aid, educational services, and student employment.

Inquiries regarding the university's equal opportunity policies may be directed to the campus compliance coordinator, (858) 534-0195.