Molecular & Cellular Biology Admissions
Apply Now
Students must be simultaneously admitted into both the MCB program and a home department:
Each of the home departments participates in programs of study leading to the Ph.D. degree, with its own requirements for admission and graduation.
For related M.S. degrees, apply directly to the home department Biological Sciences: MS2517 Chemistry: MS3311 Plant Biology: MS2111.
Admissions Requirements
All graduate applications must be submitted electronically through the Graduate College.
Note: Fee waivers for the fall admissions cycle can be requested by filling out this form. Waivers will be granted for academic year 2025-26 on a first-come, first-serve basis, at the discretion of the Chair of the graduate recruitment committee. You will need to demonstrate English proficiency as set forth by the graduate college in order to receive an application waiver. Email requests related to application fee waivers will not be answered.
- Undergraduate or Master's Degree, in biology or closely related discipline.
- GPA of 3.0 or better in most recent degree program.
- Three letters of recommendation from current or prior professors.
- Resume or Curriculum Vita (CV) with employment and research experience, including part-time and/or unpaid volunteer or internship experiences.
- Personal Statement that includes an autobiographical sketch and statement of intent and a list of two to three MCB faculty members whose research you find especially interesting and would consider as potential mentors. (See Faculty Research Areas.)
- English Language Proficiency Requirements: This program has English proficiency requirements that are higher than the minimum university requirements. The minimum score is a TOEFL-iBT of 95. Please review information about Ohio University’s English Language Proficiency requirements.
Applicants must have a B.A., B.S. or M.S. degree in biological or physical science. Criteria considered are course work completed, grades, and letters of recommendation. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores may be submitted at your discretion, but are not required. Unconditional admission requires an overall grade-point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale. International students, for whom English is not their primary language, should have earned a minimum grade of 620 written or 260 computer on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
For admission to the departments of Biological Sciences or Biomedical Sciences, a score in the 50th percentile or above on the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations (verbal, quantitative, and analytical) and an overall grade-point average of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale is required.
For admission to the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, students must have completed one full year of undergraduate classes in one of the following areas: analytical, inorganic, organic, physical or biological chemistry.
For admission to the DO/Ph.D. program, students must be accepted into the College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Ph.D. graduate program in the department of their choice and meet all admission requirements of both.
Exceptions to these requirements will be made only where background or special talents dictate.
Application Deadline
It is recommended that students enter the program in the fall semester. Completed applications are to be received no later than Jan. 7 for entrance in the fall semester.
Note: Select the correct program code based on the faculty and home department. Find the program listings on the graduate application listed under the departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry & Biochemistry, and Environmental & Plant Biology: