Graduate Program
Admission
In addition to fulfilling the departmental admission requirements outlined below, applicants must also meet the university requirements for admission described in the “Graduate Education” section of the UCSB online catalog. Optimal, but not required, undergraduate preparation would include one year each of introductory chemistry, biology and physics, one year of calculus (differential equations recommended), one year of organic chemistry, one year of biochemistry, one course in physical chemistry (one year recommended), one course in molecular genetics or molecular biology and additional specialized electives. Applicants with strong undergraduate records who lack some of the preparation indicated above may be admitted with the condition that they complete necessary coursework early in their graduate careers. The target deadline for completed applications is December 15th.
Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Exceptions to this requirement will be considered for those students who have completed an undergraduate or graduate education at an institution whose primary language of instruction is English. The minimum TOEFL score for consideration is 630 when taking the paper-based test or 109 when taking the internet based test, taken within two years of the application to UCSB. An IELTS overall band score of 7 or higher is needed for consideration, taken within two years of the application to UCSB.
Master of Science – Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Requirements - PDF)
Doctor of Philosophy – Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Requirements - PDF)
Optional Interdisciplinary Emphases
Students pursuing a doctoral degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology may petition to add the following Optional Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Emphases: Bioengineering.
Requirement sheets for each emphasis may be found on this page.