Admissions

The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) actively seeks applicants who are dedicated to a career improving healthcare through research and specialized training. Applicants with a long-term goal of pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) are not required to complete a Master of Science (MS) and are encouraged to apply directly to the PhD program.

Application

First-time applicants must complete the online application for admission to the GSBS. Applicants reapplying or GSBS alumni applying for a second degree program should contact the Office of Recruitment and Outreach for instructions.

Supporting documentation such as letters of evaluation and transcripts should be mailed or delivered to:

Office of Recruitment and Outreach
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth
3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard
Fort Worth, TX 76107-2699

Questions may be directed by telephone to 817-735-2560 or by e-mail to gotogradschool@unthsc.edu.

Applicants applying for the first time to the GSBS must pay a non-refundable application fee of $40. This application fee is valid for one year from the application date. Fees must be paid in U.S. currency. Application fees are waived for McNair Scholars that provide documentation of participation in a McNair program.

Application Deadlines

The deadlines listed below are not postmark deadlines. All application materials must be received by 5:00 p.m. on deadline day. All application materials submitted become the property of UNT Health Science Center and cannot be returned.

It is important to note that all GSBS programs have rolling admission. The more in advance of the deadline an application file is completed, the sooner a decision will be made and the applicant notified.

It is highly recommended that international applicants apply well in advance of these deadlines to allow preparation of immigration documents.

Requirements for Admission

General Admission Requirements

All applicants for admission to the GSBS must meet the following requirements, whether or not admission to a specific degree program is sought.

1. Applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree. A competitive applicant typically has a background in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, or related field from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants are advised to contact the Office of Admissions and Services or the Office of Outreach and Recruitment if they have questions about the suitability of their academic backgrounds. Research experience is preferred but not required.
2. Specific grade point average (GPA) requirements for both non-degree and degree-seeking students follow. The GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of semester hours attempted. The applicant must have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale on the last 60 undergraduate semester hours of course work before receiving the bachelor’s degree, or on all undergraduate work, in order to receive unconditional admission to the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Applicants who have already completed a master’s degree must have at least a 3.0 GPA on the master’s or meet the undergraduate GPA standards listed above in order to be admitted unconditionally. Non-degree seeking students will be allowed to take a maximum of 12 semester credit hours.
3. All applicants seeking admission to a degree program are required to take the general Graduate Record Examination (GRE) except applicants to the MS in Medical Sciences or to dual degree programs who are required to submit official Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) scores. Applicants to the Medical Sciences program who are interested in entering dental school may submit Dental Application Test (DAT) scores instead of the MCAT. Applicants to the Medical Sciences program who are interested in entering physician assistant programs may submit the general GRE (reporting code 6909) instead of the MCAT. The application must clearly state the interest in the relevant program in order to substitute the MCAT score.
4. The applicant may be required to take entrance examinations, either oral, written, or both, before admission to the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences is granted.
5. UNTHSC requires an applicant from a foreign country to demonstrate satisfactory proficiency in oral and written English before being granted admission in addition to supplying official documentation of minimum scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
6. To be considered for admission, the applicant must file the following official credentials with the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences:
   
   • an online application for admission
   • transcripts from all colleges or universities attended
   • applicants who have attended foreign universities must provide, at their own expense, an official evaluation report listing course-by-course U.S. grade point equivalency from one of the following services: International Academic Credential Evaluators, Inc. (IACEI), World Education Services (WES) or Education Credential Evaluators (ECE)
   • official scores on the required entrance test
   • the $40 application fee, payable by check or money order issued to UNT Health Science Center
   • two letters of evaluation by individuals in positions to comment on the applicant’s potential as a graduate student and future professional
   • a resume or curriculum vita is helpful to the admissions committee but is not required
7. Admission to the GSBS does not imply candidacy for a graduate degree.

Applicants are furnished electronic notification of their admission status. Written or verbal statements are not valid until confirmed by the electronic notification.

Applicants who are admitted to a graduate degree program and do not enroll in the semester for which they have applied must contact the GSBS Office of Admissions and Services to have their file re-evaluated.

Entrance Examination Requirements

All applicants seeking admission to a graduate degree program are required to take the general Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Applicants to the DO/MS and DO/PhD degree programs are allowed to substitute Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) scores. Applicants to the Master of Science in Medical Sciences are required to take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Applicants to the Medical Sciences program who are interested in entering dental school may submit Dental Application Test (DAT) scores instead of the MCAT. Applicants to the Medical Sciences program who are interested in entering physician assistant programs may submit the general GRE (reporting code 6909) instead of the MCAT. The application must clearly state the interest in the relevant program in order to substitute another exam for the MCAT score requirement. Only official score reports are acceptable.

The test score requirements may be waived by the graduate dean for the individual applicant only in exceptional cases and only on petition by the applicant to the Office of Admissions and Services.

Admission Requirements for International Applicants

Applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents should apply for admission at least six months before the anticipated enrollment date. If transferring from a college or university, they must meet all transfer admission requirements. Specific requirements are detailed below.

UNT Health Science Center will not issue immigration papers for student visas until all admission credentials have been received and approved. A $40 application fee is required and must be submitted with the application for admission. These fees are subject to change at any time.

In addition to the General Admission Requirements listed above, applicants who are graduates of foreign colleges or universities must present the additional documentation:

• official reports from ETS showing a minimum score of 213 on the computer-based TOEFL, 79 on the Internet-based TOEFL, 550 on the paper-based TOEFL, 6.5 on the IELTS or evidence of successful completion of a non-credit intensive course in English. Please allow sufficient time for the service to evaluate credentials.
• official evaluation report listing course-by-course U.S. grade point equivalency from either World Education Services or Educational Credential Evaluators
• proof of available financial resources, filed with application for admission

All fees must be paid in U.S. funds by check or money order made payable to UNT Health Science Center.

Additional Admission Policies

Admission of Applicants to Non-Degree Status

UNTHSC recognizes that some students may wish to be admitted to the GSBS for the purpose of taking courses not necessarily leading to an advanced degree. Admission to the GSBS may be granted, subject to the following provisions:

1. The applicant must meet all of the general admission requirements described above and must meet all application deadlines.
2. The student in this status is required to receive credit in all graduate courses taken, and must maintain a GPA of 3.0 on all such courses attempted.
3. A student who is admitted to non-degree status has no assurance that work completed under this status will be applicable toward degree requirements should he or she subsequently be admitted to a degree program at the Health Science Center. A maximum of 12 semester hours may be taken. Exceptions to this policy can be approved only by the graduate dean. Completion of departmental graduate courses by non-degree students does not obligate the GSBS to grant admission to a degree program at a later date, unless all general and specific requirements for admission to that program have been met.
4. A student who wishes to change from non-degree status to degree status must have satisfactory GRE scores on file in the GSBS Office of Admissions and Services.
5. International applicants are not eligible for non-degree admission.

Admission of Applicants to Probationary Status

The GSBS admits students on a probationary basis in cases where one of the credentials is below the average of the applicant pool, providing that all other admission criteria are met or exceeded. Students admitted on probation must earn a 3.0 GPA during the first semester of study. Students may be continued on probation for one semester should these requirements not be met at the discretion of the dean.

Admission of Continuing Students

A continuing student is defined as a student who enrolls one time during three consecutive semesters. Example: enrolls Summer 2013; no enrollment Fall 2013 or Spring 2014; re-enrolls Summer 2014.

Continuing students do not need to reapply to the GSBS if they meet all of the following conditions:

1. The student has not received a degree from UNTHSC since last enrollment.
2. The student does not have any current blocks on his or her record, i.e., fiscal or academic.
3. The student has not attended any other academic institution during his/her absence from UNTHSC.

Students who are unsure that they meet all of the above conditions for re-enrollment should contact the GSBS Office of Admissions and Services prior to the registration period.

Readmission of Former Graduate Students

Students who previously have been admitted to the GSBS but have not enrolled here once during the last three consecutive semesters (i.e., Fall, Spring, and Summer) must follow these re-enrollment procedures:

1. File an admission application; and
2. Submit transcripts from all colleges attended (if any) since leaving UNTHSC, showing eligibility to re-enroll at each institution. Former students who have not enrolled elsewhere since leaving UNTHSC and are in good academic standing are required only to submit an admission application. The application will be processed in the same manner as first-time applications.

Admission of Current MS Students to PhD Program

Current MS students who wish to change from the MS program to the PhD program must be reviewed by the GSBS Admissions Committee. There are two options:

1. If the major professor is able to provide both a doctoral-level project and financial resources to support the project as well as the student assistantship, the student may complete the Application for Change of Degree Program form available on the GSBS Forms and Guidelines website. The application will be considered out-of-cycle by the GSBS Admissions Committee.
2. In order to receive funding from the GSBS, the student must apply to the PhD program through the GSBS Admissions Committee within the deadlines established by the Academic Calendar  by completing the Application for Change of Degree Program form available on the GSBS Forms and Guidelines website.

In either case, the student must be in good academic standing in the MS program to be considered for admission to the PhD program.

Courses Taken for Doctoral Credit by Students Completing the Master’s Degree

Students completing the MS degree at UNTHSC who plan to continue work toward the doctorate degree are required to submit application for admission to the GSBS for the PhD program. Those who wish to begin taking courses to be credited toward the PhD before receiving the MS degree must declare this intention in the GSBS Office of Admissions and Services at the time of registration for doctoral status, so that doctoral work may receive proper credit. Final acceptance of such work will not be granted until the student has secured full admission to the PhD program.