• Skip to main content
  • Skip to main navigation
Baylor University
Department of Biology
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
      • COVID-19 Statement
    • Administrative Faculty
    • Baylor's Caring Community
    • Contact Us
      • Contact Us Form
    • News
    • Quick Facts
    • Social Media
    • Employment
  • Events
  • Biology Seminars
    • Spring 2025 Seminars
    • Fall 2024 Seminars
    • Spring 2024 Seminars
  • Faculty & Staff
    • Research Faculty
    • Research Faculty Secondary Appointments
    • Teaching Faculty
    • Post-Doctoral Fellows
    • Research Staff
    • Teaching Staff
    • Departmental Staff
    • Financial Services
    • Faculty Emeriti
    • Employment
  • Research
    • Faculty Research
      • CMHD
      • EEO
    • Graduate Research
    • Undergraduate Research
      • CURES in BIO
      • BIO V9R: Research
      • B-TRUE
    • Undergraduate Student Research Grants
      • 2024-25 Folmar Research Awards
    • Facilities
      • C.E.N.T.R.
      • Center for Microscopy and Imaging
      • Center for NMR Spectroscopy
      • Mass Spectrometry Center
      • Molecular Biosciences Center
      • Vivarium
      • Shared Equipment
    • Publications
      • 2023 Publications
      • 2022 Publications
      • 2021 Publications
      • 2020 Publications
      • 2019 Publications
  • Graduate
    • Programs and Degrees
      • PhD in Biology
      • MS in Biology
      • MA Health Professions
    • FAQs
    • Graduate Student Handbook
      • Archived Handbooks
    • Graduate Catalog
    • Student Organizations
      • CEGSS
      • PYPhD
      • Ramm Scholars
      • WISE
    • Travel Procedures and Funds
    • Registration
      • PhD Registration
      • MS Registration
      • MA Registration
  • Undergraduate
    • Undergraduate Programs and Degrees
    • Financial Aid and Scholarships
    • Biology Student Ambassadors
      • Biology Student Ambassadors Profiles
      • Contact Information
    • Learning Assistant (LA) Program
    • Undergraduate Student Organizations
      • Beta Beta Beta
    • Biology Careers
    • Undergraduate Catalog
  • Student Resources
    • Academic Success
      • Faculty Mentors
      • Graduate Writing Center
      • International Student Academic Support
      • Learning Lab
      • Office of Access and Learning Accommodation
      • Paul L. Foster Success Center
      • Study Strategies
      • Tutoring
      • Academic Planner and GPA Calculator
      • Graduate Mentoring
    • Health and Wellbeing
      • Campus Recreation
      • Care Team
      • Counseling Center
      • Equity, Civil Rights, and Title IX
      • Food Security
      • Graduate Student Resources
      • Graduate Student Short-Term Leave
      • Health Services
      • Massage Therapy
      • McLane Student Life Center
      • Spiritual Life
      • Student Emergency Fund
      • The Store
    • Professional Development
      • BCU Scholars
      • Baylor University Career Center
      • Doctoral Admin Fellow
      • GPS Workshops
      • Handshake
      • Mock Interviews
      • Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship Program
      • Present Your PhD
    • Research Funding
      • Fulbright Scholars Program
      • NIH Grant Funding
      • NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
      • NSF Grant Funding
    • Teaching Resources
      • Academy for Teaching and Learning
      • GPS "Practical Pedagogy" Workshop Videos
      • Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award
      • Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship Program
      • Seminars for Excellence in Teaching
      • TeaCHE Capstone in Higher Education
      • Teacher of Record Training
      • Teaching in English
  • Make a Gift
    • Biology Giving
    • Walter Holmes Memorial Fund
Baylor BU Department of Biology Graduate Programs and Degrees
  • Programs and Degrees
    • PhD in Biology
    • MS in Biology
    • MA Health Professions
  • FAQs
  • Graduate Student Handbook
    • Archived Handbooks
  • Graduate Catalog
  • Student Organizations
  • Travel Procedures and Funds
  • Registration

Graduate Programs and Degrees

Deadline for applications to the Biology PhD, MS, and MA Health Professions programs is December 1 of the year preceding admission. However, we strongly encourage applicants to submit as early as possible; early applicants with strong credentials are frequently invited to our annual recruiting event (all expenses paid) to visit our beautiful campus, spectacular Science Building, students, and faculty. We have found that the majority students who visit and are offered Graduate Assistantship positions in our PhD program accept our offers. Once you visit, few students find a better all-around program in Biology than what we can offer at Baylor.

Apply Now

The Baylor Graduate School site provides a wealth of information about the campus and our program. The link below will take you to their site and additional information.

APPLY ONLINE

PhD and M.S. degrees

How do we select applicants among the many interested in our Ph.D. and M.S. degree programs?
The answer depends upon whether you are applying to the Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology (EEO) or Cell, Molecular, Health, and Disease (CMHD) tracks. 

EEO students should identify a faculty mentor prior to or during the application process based on their personal research interests. This is important because EEO faculty seek applicants who have undergraduate and/or graduate research experience in an area closely aligned with their own lab's research. It's critical for EEO applicants to contact faculty directly to express their interest in working with them. 

CMHD students may apply to work with a specific faculty mentor, but all students participate in lab rotations during the first year before matching with a mentor’s lab. 

Whether you're applying to the EEO or CMHD track, please indicate in your personal statement the name of the professor(s) with whom you wish to study and whether you have been in contact with this (these) individual(s). 

Applicants accepted to our Ph.D. or Master-level programs possess at least a B.S. degree (M.S. preferred for Ph.D. degree applicants) in Biology, Biochemistry, or related field, a minimum GPA of 3.0 (typically >3.5), excellent letters of recommendation from professors or employers who know you well, and a strong personal statement demonstrating maturity, innate interest in biology, and sufficient research experience to be successful in graduate school.

Applications to our Ph.D and M.S. programs are typically only considered for fall matriculation. Our funding structure for assistantships is based on fall-semester admission. Further, we prioritize assistantship funding for Ph.D. students. We admit a much higher proportion of Ph.D applicants than M.S. applicants. Those interested in the M.S. degree are most likely to gain admission by working with a professor who has grant funding for a research assistantship and tuition remission. Several current M.S. students are supported in this way.


Whether M.S or Ph.D, applicants must apply by the December deadline for Fall admission. We typically only consider students for fall admission. Exceptions include grant-funded research assistantships that may start in spring or summer sessions and deferred admission for legitimate personal reasons.

All degree programs: We require the following when you apply:

  • English proficiency score (for international students only, click here);
  • Official transcripts for all college and university studies (unofficial transcripts may be used to start the application process, but officials will be necessary before an admissions decision can be made);
  • Three (3) letters of recommendation from educators or employers who can evaluate your professional abilities, accomplishments and potential for success in graduate studies;
  • $50 application fee (can be submitted electronically with your application).

Please complete and submit the electronic application available on the Graduate School website.

If you have additional questions not answered here or elsewhere on our website, please reach out to us by filling out our Contact Us Form. Please be advised, do not send any application materials to the Department of Biology or the Graduate Program Director; all materials must be submitted directly to the Graduate School following their online application submission instructions.

Department of Biology

College of Arts & Sciences

B.207 Baylor Science Building 

One Bear Place #97388
Waco, TX 76798-7388

BU_Biology@baylor.edu
(254) 710-2911
Apply
Visit
Make a Gift
Baylor BU Department of Biology Graduate Programs and Degrees
  • About Us
    Back
    • Who We Are
      Back
      • COVID-19 Statement
    • Administrative Faculty
    • Baylor's Caring Community
    • Contact Us
      Back
      • Contact Us Form
    • News
    • Quick Facts
    • Social Media
    • Employment
  • Events
  • Biology Seminars
    Back
    • Spring 2025 Seminars
    • Fall 2024 Seminars
    • Spring 2024 Seminars
  • Faculty & Staff
    Back
    • Research Faculty
    • Research Faculty Secondary Appointments
    • Teaching Faculty
    • Post-Doctoral Fellows
    • Research Staff
    • Teaching Staff
    • Departmental Staff
    • Financial Services
    • Faculty Emeriti
    • Employment
  • Research
    Back
    • Faculty Research
      Back
      • CMHD
      • EEO
    • Graduate Research
    • Undergraduate Research
      Back
      • CURES in BIO
      • BIO V9R: Research
      • B-TRUE
    • Undergraduate Student Research Grants
      Back
      • 2024-25 Folmar Research Awards
    • Facilities
      Back
      • C.E.N.T.R.
      • Center for Microscopy and Imaging
      • Center for NMR Spectroscopy
      • Mass Spectrometry Center
      • Molecular Biosciences Center
      • Vivarium
      • Shared Equipment
    • Publications
      Back
      • 2023 Publications
      • 2022 Publications
      • 2021 Publications
      • 2020 Publications
      • 2019 Publications
  • Graduate
    Back
    • Programs and Degrees
      Back
      • PhD in Biology
      • MS in Biology
      • MA Health Professions
    • FAQs
    • Graduate Student Handbook
      Back
      • Archived Handbooks
    • Graduate Catalog
    • Student Organizations
      Back
      • CEGSS
      • PYPhD
      • Ramm Scholars
      • WISE
    • Travel Procedures and Funds
    • Registration
      Back
      • PhD Registration
      • MS Registration
      • MA Registration
  • Undergraduate
    Back
    • Undergraduate Programs and Degrees
    • Financial Aid and Scholarships
    • Biology Student Ambassadors
      Back
      • Biology Student Ambassadors Profiles
      • Contact Information
    • Learning Assistant (LA) Program
    • Undergraduate Student Organizations
      Back
      • Beta Beta Beta
        Back
        • Contact Us
    • Biology Careers
    • Undergraduate Catalog
  • Student Resources
    Back
    • Academic Success
      Back
      • Faculty Mentors
      • Graduate Writing Center
      • International Student Academic Support
      • Learning Lab
      • Office of Access and Learning Accommodation
      • Paul L. Foster Success Center
      • Study Strategies
      • Tutoring
      • Academic Planner and GPA Calculator
      • Graduate Mentoring
    • Health and Wellbeing
      Back
      • Campus Recreation
      • Care Team
      • Counseling Center
      • Equity, Civil Rights, and Title IX
      • Food Security
      • Graduate Student Resources
      • Graduate Student Short-Term Leave
      • Health Services
      • Massage Therapy
      • McLane Student Life Center
      • Spiritual Life
      • Student Emergency Fund
      • The Store
    • Professional Development
      Back
      • BCU Scholars
      • Baylor University Career Center
      • Doctoral Admin Fellow
      • GPS Workshops
      • Handshake
      • Mock Interviews
      • Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship Program
      • Present Your PhD
    • Research Funding
      Back
      • Fulbright Scholars Program
      • NIH Grant Funding
      • NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
      • NSF Grant Funding
    • Teaching Resources
      Back
      • Academy for Teaching and Learning
      • GPS "Practical Pedagogy" Workshop Videos
      • Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award
      • Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship Program
      • Seminars for Excellence in Teaching
      • TeaCHE Capstone in Higher Education
      • Teacher of Record Training
      • Teaching in English
  • Make a Gift
    Back
    • Biology Giving
    • Walter Holmes Memorial Fund
  • General Information
  • Academics & Research
  • Administration
  • Admissions
  • Gateways for ...
  • About Baylor
  • Athletics
  • Ask Baylor
  • Bookstore
  • Calendar
  • Campus Map
  • Directory
  • Give to Baylor
  • News
  • Search
  • Social Media
  • Strategic Plan
  • College of Arts & Sciences
  • Diana R. Garland School of Social Work
  • George W. Truett Theological Seminary
  • Graduate School
  • Hankamer School of Business
  • Honors College
  • Law School
  • Louise Herrington School of Nursing
  • Research at Baylor University
  • Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences
  • School of Education
  • School of Engineering & Computer Science
  • School of Music
  • University Libraries, Museums, and the Press
  • More Academics
  • Athletics
  • Compliance, Risk and Safety
  • Human Resources
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Office of General Counsel
  • Office of the President
  • Office of the Provost
  • Operations, Finance & Administration
  • Senior Administration
  • Student Life
  • University Advancement
  • Undergraduate Admissions
  • goBAYLOR
  • Graduate Admissions
  • Baylor Law School Admissions
  • Social Work Graduate Programs
  • George W. Truett Theological Seminary Admissions
  • Online Graduate Professional Education
  • Virtual Tour
  • Visit Campus
  • Alumni & Friends
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Online Graduate Professional Education
  • Parents
  • Prospective Faculty & Staff
  • Prospective Students
  • Students
  • Anonymous Reporting
  • Annual Fire Safety and Security Notice
  • Cost of Attendance
  • Digital Privacy
  • Legal Disclosures
  • Mental Health Resources
  • Notice of Non-Discrimination
  • Report It
  • Title IX
  • Web Accessibility
 
Baylor University
Copyright © Baylor® University. All rights reserved.
Baylor University • Waco, Texas 76798 • 1-800-229-5678