The Department of Biological Sciences offers graduate degrees in three program areas: Ecology and Evolution, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, and Neurobiology. Prospective students apply to the Department of Biological Sciences, indicating their program area(s) of interest. Application materials are then reviewed by faculty committees representing those area(s). Priority is given to students pursuing the Ph.D. degree; however, well-qualified applicants for the M.S. degree may also be considered. Students are considered and admitted for fall semester only.

Our primary season for review is January through March. While December 1st is a department guideline, rather than a deadline, we strongly encourage applicants to submit all materials by that date in order to receive fullest consideration.


To our applicants for Fall 2012 admission:

Thank you for considering graduate study in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Please note that our deadline for submission of materials will be earlier for this upcoming season: For fullest consideration, all application materials should be submitted by December 1, 2011.

The Department's online application system is now available. Please read through all of the following instructions before starting your application.

To complete your application for admission to our department:

• Please complete the Graduate College Application form and submit your $60 application fee online on the University's Office of Admissions site. Please be sure to give all requested information for 'courses in progress / courses planned before term of admission'.
  
  
• All applicants are required to provide complete and official, sealed and attested academic documents:
  
  Domestic applicants:
  Please send all required academic documents directly to the department at the address given at the end of these instructions. The department will retain a copy and forward the original documents to the university's central office of admissions so that office's application processing can proceed in parallel to the department's review. Domestic applicants must provide transcripts for the institution where they earned / will earn their undergraduate degree; for all institutions where they earned academic credit during the last 60 semester hours of their undergraduate program; and for any postbaccalaureate work.
  
  International applicants:
  Please send all required academic documents directly to the university's central office of admissions below. That office will verify that university requirements for document completeness and authenticity have been met, will calculate and convert the GPA to the U.S. system, and will forward the documents to the department for our review. International applicants should consult their site for further detail on document requirements. (Please refer to the 'Glossary of terms related to academic credentials' for further information.)
  
  Please note that the university now must receive the 'Declaration and Certification of Finances' form from all international applicants regardless of whether or not the department provides financial support. Please print and fill out this form and mail directly to the university's central office of admissions at the address below:
  
  For delivery by U.S. mail:
  Office of Graduate Admissions (MC 018)
  University of Illinois at Chicago
  Box 7994
  Chicago, IL 60680-7994
  
  For delivery by another carrier:
  Office of Graduate Admissions (MC 018)
  University of Illinois at Chicago
  1200 W. Harrison St., Suite 1100
  Chicago, IL 60607
  
  
• The GRE General Exam is required for all applicants. Please arrange to have ETS/GRE send official reporting of your scores to UIC (institution code: 1851, department code: 0203).
  
  
• A TOEFL score less than 2 years old is required for applicants whose native language is not English. Please arrange to have ETS/TOEFL send official reporting of your scores to UIC (institution code: 1851; no department code is required.) While the TOEFL exam is preferred by the department, the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is also accepted.

The Department's online application system is now available. Please note that the materials that comprise an application to our department have not changed. We strongly encourage applicants to submit these materials through the online system when available; however, these materials can also simply be mailed to the department at the address given at the end of these instructions if you prefer. Please note that the department's online system compiles department forms, files uploaded by the applicant, and information about recommenders in one document; therefore, applicants should make sure all is correct and complete before submitting their application online.

• 3 letters of recommendation
• Department application form(s)
  [Applicants using the online system fill out 2 forms: the 'profile' and 'research area/degree' forms. Applicants submitting their materials by mail should use the equivalent 'application for graduate appointment' form.]
• Personal statement

Any hard-copy materials being sent to the department should be mailed to:

Margaret Kleist (APPL)
Department of Biological Sciences (M/C 066)
University of Illinois at Chicago
845 W. Taylor St. Chicago, IL 60607-7060

If you are sending your materials by an express carrier (such as FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.), please add "Rm. 3250, SES Bldg." to the delivery address and note my phone number '312-996-2931' on the airbill. I also recommend that you send me an email at kleist@uic.edu with your name and the package tracking number if you're sending your materials by express during the holiday season.

Thank you again for your interest in our graduate programs. If you have any questions regarding the application process and/or the completeness of your application, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Best regards,

Margaret Kleist
Graduate Admissions Coordinator
Department of Biological Sciences/UIC
kleist@uic.edu / 312-996-2931