Master’s applications are reviewed by individual admissions committees in each department offering programs. In general, committees will offer admission for 1-year programs if they believe that completion of their program will increase academic proficiency and MCAT scores for eventual acceptance into Medical School or another professional program.
Applications are looked at holistically and there are no hard and fast minimums. Successful applicants usually have a GPA of at least 3.0 in an appropriate degree program.
The BMS PhD Admissions Committee conducts a holistic review of the total application, evaluating applicants using indicators of academic excellence and the potential for educational and professional success. This process relies upon the comprehensive assessment of a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures. Holistic review recognizes that an applicant possesses strengths and weakness that must be evaluated in relation to one another and ensures that an applicant is neither accepted nor denied admission based on a single parameter.
Applications for admission will be assessed on the basis of both achievement and potential for success, within the broader context of an applicant’s experiences, opportunities, and challenges. Strong applicants will not only possess competitive academic qualifications for admission, but will demonstrate the ability to contribute to the academic environment, complete the graduate degree program, and ultimately, have a successful research career.
Standardized test scores: GRE or MCAT scores are not required, but will be evaluated if provided.
A competitive candidate generally has documented evidence of academic excellence as demonstrated by several of the following:
Additional factors that will be considered as indicators of commitment to the degree program and overall potential for success include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following:
Applicants must:
PhD applications open on October 1st and close on March 15th. Apply early. Admissions are offered on a rolling basis.
PhD Personal Interview:
Interviews will be offered to the most competitive PhD candidates for admission. Applicants will meet with faculty and current students in both an individual and group setting. Interviews will either be conducted in person or virtually, and will begin in January. Apply early. Admissions are offered on a rolling basis.
MS applications open in October and most close in July, although some close as late as August 1st. Please refer to the specific master's program website. The application system at applygrad.tulane.edu/apply will only allow creation of applications within the deadlines.You may apply to more than one program.
You will need to enter/upload the following information to submit your application:
Your application will be reviewed when the following is received
Note: Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we may review your application with copies of official documents, but will not offer acceptance until all official documents are received.
Applications for PhD and Masters' programs do not require payment of an application fee.
MS programs: Your personal statement should describe your professional goals and reasons for applying to our MS program, in one or two pages.
PhD: Your personal statement should describe your purpose in pursuing a doctorate in Biomedical Sciences. Include an explanation of any past research and future research interests, indicating how they are related to your professional goals. Please limit your statement to approximately two pages. You will also be asked to include the names of any Tulane School of Medicine faculty members whose research is of interest to you.
Applicants must request three letters of recommendation in the application system in order to be able to submit an application. Letters from professors who know your academic history and capabilities or researchers with whom you have worked are weighted much more heavily than friends, acquaintances or people you know in other capacities. The letters should address your potential to succeed in Tulane’s Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences.
Recommenders will receive and email with instructions for uploading their LOR into the application system along with a rating scale for other attributes. If you apply to more than one MS program, you may use the same recommenders. They may use the same letter but will be required to upload their recommendation to each application separately.
Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate study are required. Electronic official transcripts from the school or a transcript service are preferred, sent to bms@tulane.edu. We also accept mailed sealed official transcripts, our institution code is 6178. Photocopied transcripts, faxed transcripts, and student copies of transcripts are not acceptable for admission. Final transcripts indicating receipt of degree must be submitted before the beginning of the incoming semester. Email and postal mail addresses are provided in the application. International applicants whose highest degree is from an international university must have those transcripts evaluated by a service (www.naces.org) and the evaluation must be received before the admissions committee will review your application.
In addition to admissions requirements, applicants who are not native speakers of English must demonstrate an adequate command of the English language. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores is required. For more information about the tests, visit the TOEFL or IELTS website or contact ETS. When requesting ETS to send your score to the Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, please use code 6178. English language testing requirements are waived for applicants who have received a degree from an institution where instruction was conducted in English.
Applicants whose highest degree is from a university outside the United States must have their credentials evaluated (course by course). This evaluation is required even if the primary language is English and/or the school uses a 4 point grading scale. The university will accept evaluations done by any credentialing agency listed on the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services web site (http://www.naces.org).
The BMS Program Office will contact admitted international applicants regarding funds verification and visa paperwork. Once required information is received, The Center for International Students and Scholars will contact admitted students to prepare an I-20.
The Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences does not set a specific number of International PhD Students that it will admit each year, but instead weighs the applications of all applicants to select those who are the best qualified. Typically, about one third of our incoming PhD students are international students.
PhD Students from outside the United States receive the same financial package as U.S. citizens. For more information on tuition scholarship and stipend, see Stipends and Benefits.
