Information for Applicants
How to Apply:
Official application information is provided on Georgetown's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences pages. Applications should be submitted online or directly to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The online application process is faster, more accurate and slightly cheaper.
Our application deadline is December 1st to be considered for admission in the following fall semester. Applications are accepted throughout the year for spring and summer admission, but such applications are contingent on available support.
The following information must be submitted before the Biology Graduate Committee will review your application:
- Completed application form
- Official college transcript(s)
- A one-page essay stating your research interests and career goals
- Three letters of recommendation
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score is required for the general test and is recommended for the subject test, taken in Biology or Molecular Biology.
- If English is not your first language, a TOEFL score is also required (550 on the paper test or 213 on the computer test is a minimum requirement, scores of 600 [paper] or 250 [computer] or better are preferred).
Link to on-line application
Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the research programs of individual faculty and to contact them directly regarding mutual research interests and the possibility of doing graduate research in their lab. The fit of an applicant with existing research programs plays a critical role in admissions decisions and should be addressed in your essay.
Georgetown University admits qualified students of any age, sex, race, religion, color, national or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities it generally accords or makes available to students. It does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, handicap, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other University-administered programs. Inquiries regarding Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity may be addressed to Director, Affirmative Action Programs. Georgetown University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer.
***ADMISSIONS TO THE MS PROGRM ARE CURRENTLY SUSPENDED, PENDING PROGRAM REVIEW***
Making the decision to apply to graduate school
Whether or not to pursue graduate study is a major decision. Even after making up your mind to go to graduate school, there are many aspects of the application process that require considerable thought and planning. We encourage applicants to look at the following sources designed to help in preparing an application for graduate school and knowing what to expect once you begin a program:
Commentary by Walter P. Carson, A Primer on How to Apply to and Get Admitted to Graduate School in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. From the Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, Volume 80(4): 246-250, October, 1999.
How to apply to graduate school (focuses on psychology programs, but many useful hints). From the APS Observer, Sept., 1989 and found by us on the Hanover College Psychology Department web pages.
Admissions Questions?
For any questions on graduate studies in the Department of Biology not addressed here, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions page, or contact the Committee on Graduate Students and Studies, Department of Biology.
