PhD in Biological Sciences

Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. Transcripts of all undergraduate and any graduate work must be submitted. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

  • Baccalaureate Field No restrictions. It is recommended that prior academic work include courses in biological sciences beyond the introductory level to provide sufficient preparation for the proposed area of study. Admitted applicants may be required to remedy specific coursework deficiencies by enrolling in undergraduate classes during their first year.
  • Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study.
  • English Proficiency Additional information on the English proficiency test requirement for international students can be found on the UIC Admissions website. Minimum test scores for this program are:​
    • Exam Score Reading Listening Speaking Writing
      TOEFL iBT 90 19 24 26 21
      IELTS Academic 6.5 6.0 7.5 8.0 6.0
      PTE Academic 54 51 47 53 56
  • Letters of Recommendation Three required, preferably from faculty who are familiar with the applicant’s recent work.
  • Personal Statement A one- to three-page statement of the applicant’s area of interest and potential faculty mentors working in this area, research experience, professional goals, and reasons for wishing to attend graduate school is required.
  • Deadlines Application deadlines for this program are listed on the Graduate College website.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

  • Minimum Semester Hours Required 96 from the baccalaureate.
  • Coursework At least 22 semester hours of 400- and 500-level courses are required. A minimum of 8 semester hours of 500-level courses must be letter-graded courses (A to F), not project (BIOS 597), thesis (BIOS 599), or seminar courses which are graded Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U).
  • Preliminary Examination Required.
  • Dissertation Required. Students must earn at least 32 hours in BIOS 599.

Interdepartmental Concentrations

Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in select concentrations after consulting with their graduate advisor. Interdepartmental concentrations available for this degree include: