Information on this page:
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
Students are accepted during the Spring semester for enrollment in the Fall. Applications for Fall enrollment should be filed with the Graduate Selections Committee by December 15. Later applications may be considered.
GENERAL STRATEGIES:
When a student is accepted into the OU Biology Graduate Program, the student is accepted directly into the laboratory of an individual faculty member or has at least one faculty member who is willing to serve as a potential sponsor (for the CBN Ph.D. program). Therefore, there are three key things to keep in mind before applying.
First, introduce yourself to all Biology faculty members with whom you share strong research interests, and make sure they have a chance to get to know you. It is important to communicate with a faculty member and to get that person interested in having you as a student. If there is more than one faculty member that would be interested in you, be sure to introduce yourself to all of them. Don't be afraid to contact faculty. They want to hear from you!
Secondly, spend some time to really get to know the faculty. All of our graduate programs require successful completion of the research thesis or dissertation. This, as well as your success in your career after you leave the program, will depend on the quality and creativity of the science that you do while you are here. Therefore, you need to make sure that you find a faculty mentor who is a good fit for you. Consider several things: Do you share research interests? Does the faculty member have space for you? Also, does your learning style fit the structure or independence offered by a particular faculty member?
Finally, and this is critical, talk to the graduate students to help you make the aforementioned decisions. More than anyone else, the students know what it is like to be in the program. Ask students about their experiences working with the faculty member whom you are interested in as a potential mentor. Be sure to speak with several students, since different people can have very different opinions.
WHAT TO INCLUDE IN THE APPLICATION:
You will need to send materials to both the OU Office of Admissions and the Biology Department. You are encouraged to submit portions of your application as soon as they are ready. However, your application will not be considered complete until all of these items have been received.
- Complete the Department of Biology Pre-application either online or as a hardcopy (see below).
- Arrange for a complete set of official college transcripts to be sent to the Biology Graduate Selections Committee AND the OU Office of Admissions.
- Arrange for signed letters of reference (at least three) to be sent directly to the Graduate Selections Committee, Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019 U.S.A. or via email to biologygrad@ou.edu.
- Arrange for an official copy of your scores on the Graduate Record Examination General Test to be sent to us. Institution code for OU = 6879, Departmental code for Biology = 0203. The Advanced Biology GRE is not required, but is strongly advised.
- Submit a University of Oklahoma Application for Graduate Admission. This application can be found online here. Please note that there are different versions of the application for U.S. and International students.
- Students whose native language is not English: arrange for official score reports for one of these tests to be sent to OU:
- TOEFL internet-Based Test (iBT) - The institution code for OU is 6879, Department of Biology code is 35.
- International English Language Testing Service (IELTS)
These scores allow us to assess your language skills and ability to instruct using English. OU’s English language proficiency requirements for teaching assistantships are described here.
OBTAINING MATERIALS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
To obtain a Biology Department Pre-application form and additional information about our graduate program, you may send an electronic mail request to biologygrad@ou.edu, or write to:
Chair, Graduate Selections Committee
Department of Biology
University of Oklahoma
730 Van Vleet Oval
Norman, OK 73019
To download a copy of the departmental pre-application, which can be mailed to the above address, click here (27 KB download -- requires Acrobat Reader software). In addition, you can complete the pre-application online by clicking here.
Please note that your application is not considered complete without all of the appropriate recommendations, transcripts, and test scores.
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