How to Apply

The application portal for Fall 2025 is now open! All application materials, included submitted letters of reference, will be due on December 1st, 2024.

ABBS Application Requirements - The following items will be required for upload as part of the application process:

• Unofficial transcripts of all college and university work
• Statement of Purpose
• Current CV or resume 
• Contact information for at least three people willing to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf. You should select individuals who are familiar with your work (one of these letters should be from a research advisor/supervisor). Potential letter writers will be contacted directly from the Graduate College with instructions on letter submission. Recommenders must respond by the December 1st deadline as well.
• GRE is NO LONGER REQUIRED

For any international applicant not born into an English speaking country, proof of English proficiency is required from at least one of the accepted tests found below. Tests must be dated within two years of enrollment term to be considered valid. The following are acceptable English proficiency credentials:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - minimum score of 79 iBT or 60 on the revised PBT with no section score lower than 15 (550 on PBT taken before 2017)
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) - minimum composite score of 7, with no subject area below a 6
• Pearson PTE Academic - minimum score of 60
• Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) - minimum score level C1
• Graduate English Language Endorsement from the Center for English as a Second Language (CESL)
• CEPT Full Academic test - minimum score level C1(equivalent to 126 or higher), offered by our Center for English as a Second Language (CESL)

You can find more information about exceptions for international applicants here on the University of Arizona's Graduate College page. Please contact sfeller@email.arizona.edu with any questions.

The University of Arizona Graduate College and the ABBS program are highly committed to recruiting and retaining a talented and diverse student body. Students from racial, ethnic or economic group that is underrepresented in the biological and biomedical sciences and students with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply to our program.

Fee Waivers: Occasionally the UArizona Graduate College offers fee waivers to students who participated in undergraduate research programs and other sponsored programs for underrepresented students. The eligible programs are listed here: https://grad.arizona.edu/diversityprograms/sponsored-programs. If you have participated in a program that is specifically designed for diverse students but don't see it listed, please contact the ABBS graduate program coordinator, Sophia Feller sfeller@email.arizona.edu.