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. Recommended courses 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. If an applicant wishes to take the GRE tests, it is advised to take the GRE in the fall prior to the fall term for which admission is sought. Applicants may self-report scores at the time of application submission. When ordering your GRE score reports, use UCSD's institution code 4836. No department codes are necessary. GRE score reports are typically received electronically within 5-7 business days from the order date. More information about the GRE may be obtained from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) website. 

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. For international students requesting a fee waiver, please visit this link.

Apply for Fall 2025

Official Graduate Application Opens - September 4, 2024

Official Graduate Application Deadline - November 25, 2024

Interviews and Recruitment (In-Person) Weekends - February 6-9, 2025, and February 27 - March 2, 2025.

 Begin Your Application

More Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Please contact the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program offfice for more information or questions: biomedsci@ucsd.edu.

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.