Admission Requirements
Applicants to the doctoral program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology should have the equivalant of a U.S. 4-year BA/BS degree in science, math, engineering, or computer science, with a minimum GPA of 3.25, and minimum GRE scores of 1100 combined on the verbal and quantitative sections and 4.0 on the analytical writing section.
Requirements for admission into the Ph.D. program include:
- Higher level programming language
- Integral calculus and one additional advanced level math course, such as multivariable/vector calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, probability/statistics or discrete math.
It is recommended that applicants have strength in one or more of the following areas:
- Molecular biology
- Biochemistry
- Physical chemistry
Students with deficiencies in one or more of these areas may be admitted provisionally and required to take additional courses from the undergraduate curriculum.
Applicants to the master's program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology should have the equivalant of a U.S. 4-year BA/BS degree in science, math, engineering, or computer science, with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Requirements for admission into the MS program include:
- Higher level programming language
- Two semesters each of integral calculus, chemistry, and physics
- One semester of statistics
It is recommended that applicants have strength in one or more of the following areas:
- Molecular biology
- Biochemistry
- Physical chemistry
Students with deficiencies in one or more of these areas may be required to take additional courses from the undergraduate curriculum.
To apply to the Ph.D. or M.S. program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, prospective students should submit an application online at: http://admissions.gmu.edu/grad/.
Prospective students applying for the M.S. or Ph.D. program should submit the following materials to the address listed below.
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Two official transcripts from each college and graduate institution attended.
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Three letters of recommendations from faculty members or individuals who
have personal knowledge of the applicant's academic or professional
capabilities.
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An expanded goals statement and resume. Applicants to the doctoral program should
address their research interests in the goals statement.
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An official report of scores obtained on the Graduate Record Examination
(GRE). The ETS code for GMU is 5827; there are no departmental codes.
The GRE requirement is waived if the student holds a master's
degree from a U.S. institution.
- A TOEFL score of 88 with a minimum of 20 in each section (Internet-based test), 230 (Computer-based test), 575 (paper-based test), or 6.5 IELS is required for all students who have not attained a degree in the US, Canada, U.K. New Zealand, or Australia. For those applying for assistantships in the Ph.D. program, TOEFL requirements are 100 with a minimum of 23 in each section (Internet-based test), 250 (Computer-based test), 600 (paper-based test).
Applicants to the graduate Certificate in Bioinformatics should hold a B.A. or B.S. degree in a discipline related to biological and/or computer science from an accredited university, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. The applicant should have taken courses in molecular biology, computer science, calculus, and/or statistics, and should possess working knowledge of a computer programming language. Students may not enroll initially in any COS non degree, M.S., or Ph.D. program, then later transfer into this certificate program. The Certificate in Bioinformatics charges students a differential tuition rate of $100 per credit hour, which is added to the standard GMU graduate tuition rate (regardless of in or out of state status).
To apply to the Certificate program in Bioinformatics, prospective students should submit an application online at: http://admissions.gmu.edu/grad/.
Prospective students applying for the Certificate program should submit the following materials to the address listed below.
- Two official transcripts from each college and graduate institutional attended.
- Resume
- A TOEFL score of 88 with a minimum of 20 in each section (Internet-based test), 230 (Computer-based test), 575 (paper-based test), or 6.5 IELS is required for all students who have not attained a degree in the US, Canada, U.K. New Zealand, or Australia.
- Note that GRE scores and letters of recommendation are not required.
Please send application support documents to:
George Mason University
College of Science
Graduate Admission Processing Center
4400 University Drive, MSN 6A3
Fairfax, VA 22030
A limited number of assistantships are available for the Ph.D. program beginning in the fall semester. International applicants and those applying for assistantships must submit completed applications by February 1 for fall admission; all other applications for fall admission are due by April 15. Applications for spring admission should be received by November 1 of the preceding year. Applications from local persons may be accepted by the program after these general deadlines. Deadlines for international applicants are February 1 for fall semester, and October 1 for spring semester.
An applicant who has missed the application deadline to be considered a degree-seeking student may want to enroll initially as a nondegree student.
Nondegree status is suitable for individuals who do not want to pursue a degree but are interested in taking courses offered by COS. An applicant must have a B.S. degree in mathematics, computer science, engineering, or natural science, and a minimum GPA of 3.00 to be considered for nondegree status. Exceptions are reviewed on an individual basis. Along with the Graduate COS Nondegree Application, please include unofficial (or official) copies of transcripts. A resume is required.
If you need further information, please contact our Student Services Coordinator at binf@gmu.edu.