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The priority deadline for Fall 2025 MA in MCBB applications is January 15, 2025 at 11:59pm EST*

*For full consideration for the MA program, applications should be received by January 15th; late applications may also be considered until May 15, 2025 if space in the cohort permits. Please note that we will be recruiting directly into labs for Fall 2025; we recommend contacting faculty of interest prior to applying. 

Generally the Program does not accept new students for the spring semester.

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The deadline for Fall 2025 PhD in MCBB applications is December 4, 2024 at 11:59pm EST

The PhD application will open October 1, 2024

Generally the Program does not accept new students for the spring semester.

Curious about specific program statistics? Check out the MCBB PhD Profile to view data on application and admissions; enrollment; career outcomes; and more!

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• Transcripts
• Three recommendations – We consider letters of recommendation a very important part of your application. Letters from individuals who can address the applicant’s research experience and aptitude are particularly valued for those applying for the PhD or the MA with research thesis.
• Personal statement/statement of purpose – A thoughtful personal statement is important and should include information on your motivation for attending graduate school. Those applying for the PhD or the MA with research thesis should also include any research interests and any prior research experience.
• Curriculum Vitae
• Additional requirements for international students – Information for international students on English proficiency and other requirements is available on the International Student Applicant page.

1. Enjoy the Unique Advantages of an Interdisciplinary Program

MCBB students have the opportunity to take classes and do world-class research in the molecular biosciences with an interdisciplinary, interdepartmental approach. Students can do research with faculty in departments that span BU’s College of Engineering, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Faculty of Computing and Data Sciences and select a coursework plan in line with their interests, goals, and background. Research training using tools and approaches from molecular, cell, systems, and synthetic biology; neuroscience; chemistry; biomolecular engineering; and more enables students to be competitive in their chosen career paths upon completion of the program.

2. Benefit From Our World-Class Research Centers and Facilities

MCBB students benefit from the resources in the department and research centers in which the student’s advisor is housed. MCBB faculty are affiliated with a number of vibrant, interdisciplinary research centers, including the Biological Design Center, BioMolecular Engineering Research Center, Center for Systems Neuroscience, Center for Molecular Discovery, Genome Sciences Institute, Neurophotonics Center, Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering, and more. Students also have access to shared research facilities including the Biomedical Engineering Core Facilities; the Cognitive Neuroimaging Center; the Animal Science Center; the Proteomics and Imaging Core Facility; Electronics Design Facility; Research Computing; and the Neurophotonics Center.

3. Experience the Advantages of Boston

MCBB students experience the unique advantages of obtaining an education in Boston—a hub for the scientific and medical community. Students collaborate on research with the world’s top scientific and medical minds, have access to outstanding professional development events, and network with local professionals from both academia and industry. Many graduates of our programs choose to stay in the Boston area, providing a rich base of local alumni available for events, networking, and mentoring.

Applications for the upcoming fall admissions period become available in early September for the MS and early October for the PhD each year.

Application deadlines for Fall 2025 admission are December 4, 2024 at 11:59pm EST for the PhD program and January 15, 2025 at 11:59pm EST (priority)/May 15, 2025 at 11:59pm EST (final) for the MA program. Note: For full consideration for the MA program, applications must be received by January 15th. Late MA applications may also be considered if space in the cohort permits.

Yes, we welcome applications from all over the world.

Transcripts; Three recommendations – We consider letters of recommendation a very important part of your application. Letters from individuals who can address the applicant’s research experience and aptitude are particularly valued for those applying for the PhD or the MS with research thesis; Personal statement/statement of purpose – A thoughtful personal statement is important and should include information on your motivation for attending graduate school. Those applying for the PhD or the MS with research thesis should also include any research interests and any prior research experience; Curriculum Vitae; Additional requirements for international students – Information for international students on English proficiency and other requirements is available on the GRS Academic Admissions page and on the International Student Applicant page.

The MCBB Program does not have a minimum GPA for admission. We consider the full application when reviewing applicants.

No, the GRE is not required. However, if you feel that your scores will strengthen your application, you are welcome to submit them. The admissions committee fully recognizes that there are many components to your application and that GRE scores have a limited scope of predictive power in the evaluation of a candidate for their long-term success as a student.

Yes, the minimum scores are strictly enforced by the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Your most recent test scores will be used to determine if you have met the English proficiency requirements. You cannot combine sections from different test dates and you must meet the minimum score for every section of the test to be considered for admission. We accept the following English proficiency tests and minimum scores:

TOEFL:  100 Overall Score (25 recommended in each section). Internet-based Test (iBT) only. We do not accept “MyBest Scores.”

IELTS:  7.0 Overall Band Score

Cambridge English Qualifications: 185 Overall Score on B2 First, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency exams

Duolingo:  130 Overall Score

Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements of English proficiency are not eligible for admission.

The proof of English proficiency requirement is waived if you meet any of the criteria listed on the GRS website; see “English Proficiency Requirement”.

All applications must be complete by the deadline; any application materials received after the deadline may not be reviewed by the Program.

Applicants who would like to request an application fee waiver must follow the fee waiver instructions on the GRS website. Note that you must be a US citizen or a US permanent resident in order to be eligible to apply for a fee waiver. Non-US citizens are not eligible to apply for a fee waiver through GRS.

In exceptional circumstances, applicants who are non-US citizens may be granted a Program fee waiver; please fill out the MCBB fee waiver request form to be considered. We accept fee waiver requests September 1st to about three weeks prior to the application deadline. 

• PhD applicants: Generally, we do not accept applications for submission after the deadline has passed.
• MA applicants: For full consideration, applications must be received by January 15th. Late applications may also be considered if space in the cohort permits.

Please contact the Graduate Program Specialist to find out if your application can still be submitted.

Generally, the Program does not accept new students for the spring semester.

Applicants to the MA or PhD programs must have completed a bachelor’s degree. An MA degree is not needed to apply to our PhD program. You do not need a specific degree, but you do need to have a strong background in organic and inorganic chemistry; cell biology and/or genetics; physics; and calculus. Statistics would also be useful. Prior research experience will also make your application more competitive.

Some BU courses may be available for non-degree students if you would like to take courses before applying. Please contact the Graduate Program Specialist for more information.

Students who apply to our PhD program with a master’s degree may have an opportunity to transfer credits towards the program. Admission into the program is competitive and we favor applications with both strong academic records and a demonstrated aptitude for research.

Yes, it is recommended that you contact one or more faculty with whom you might wish to work. The Program requires laboratory rotations during which students can explore their interests, but it is often useful to contact a faculty member. We do not provide a list of faculty members who are currently seeking graduate students.

Please review our faculty profiles for information on individual research.

Yes, prospective applicants can contact the Graduate Program Specialist or any faculty member with whom they may wish to work to schedule a time to visit. The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences does not offer tours of the campus however, prospective students can sign-up for tours with undergraduate admissions.

• PhD applicants: Initial Zoom interviews will be conducted in late January. Selected applicants currently in the continental US will be invited to visit the campus for Prospective Students Day in late February/early March to learn more about Boston University, the surrounding area, and to meet with many of the faculty and current students within the department. Admission decisions are usually sent out the week following this visit to campus (early-mid March).
• MA applicants: Admissions decisions are sent out in rounds depending on application submission date—typically mid-February, late-April, and mid-June.

Admission rates vary each year. However, you may view the MCBB PhD Profile to view data on application and admissions; enrollment; career outcomes; and more!

Tuition and mandatory fees for the current academic year can be found on the GRS website.

The MCBB Program guarantees support for five years for all PhD students, contingent on satisfactory performance in the program. This includes tuition, a stipend, and health insurance. You can learn more about the different fellowships that are offered on the GRS website.

The MCBB Program does not guarantee financial support for MA students. Some resources are available on the GRS website for MA students seeking financial aid.

MA students must complete the degree within three years, though most of our students complete this within 2 years. PhD students must complete the degree within seven years, though most of our students complete this within 5-6 years.

MA students can transfer a maximum of 8 credits from other universities. PhD students can transfer a maximum of 32 credits. Your coursework would be reviewed by faculty to determine what is appropriate to transfer based on the program and what credits you would still need to take moving forward. This could certainly decrease the time to degree, but PhD and MA with research thesis students would still need to complete research credits and the length of time for completion can be different depending on the research projects that you take on and the progress of your dissertation/thesis. More information about the transfer of credit policy can be found online.

Course requirement information for MA students can be found here.

Course requirement information for PhD students can be found here.

The PhD program requires a minimum of two semesters of teaching during a student’s graduate career. During the first semester of teaching, students are required to enroll in our first-year seminar course, GRS MB 697 A Bridge to Knowledge. The course provides guidance and training on pedagogy and other aspects of graduate school.

MA students are not required to teach but there are sometimes opportunities for MA students to teach if interested.

It is possible to take classes part time if you are in the master’s program or if you want to take a class or two before officially enrolling in the program. However, we do not offer evening courses, so if you have a full time job and are interested in taking one or two courses, this may not be a good fit for you. The PhD program is a full-time program.