Master of Science in Biological Sciences (MS)

A Bachelor’s degree in Biology or its equivalent from a regionally accredited institution of higher education is required to apply to our graduate programs.

1. Completed Application — Apply now!
2. Official Transcript(s)
   Official transcript of coursework from each college or university attended (undergraduate and graduate). Find complete instructions on how to submit your transcripts to Dominican here.
3. GPA of 3.0
   A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 is required for the last 60 units of graded undergraduate or graduate course work.
   
   Students who received their undergraduate degrees from an institution outside the United States must have credentials evaluated by a third-party evaluation service. The agency must submit an official report to Dominican verifying credentials. Contact the Office of Graduate Admissions for further instructions. 
4. Resume
5. Statement of Purpose or Intent
   A statement between 300 and 800 words describing why you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree.
6. Two Letters of Recommendation
   Academic or professional, on letterhead.
7. Prerequisite Requirements 
   • Biology. Two semesters.
   • Calculus. Two semesters, comparable to Dominican’s MATH 1600 and 1700 
   • Physics. Two semesters, comparable to Dominican’s PHYS 2000 and 2100 
   • Organic Chemistry. Two semesters, comparable to Dominican’s CHEM 3800 and 3900 
   • Biochemistry. One semester, comparable to Dominican’s CHEM 4100  
   • Statistics. One semester, comparable to Dominican’s MATH 2400 
8. Personal Interview
   Applicants who have been selected to continue on in the application process will be invited to interview at BioMarin or the Buck Institute.

9. Optional — GRE Record
   An official copy of general Graduate Record Examination scores may be submitted (GRE code 4284).

10. International Applicants
    International candidates must meet additional admissions requirements.

Competency in the above subjects may be demonstrated by either completion of a college course with a grade of "B" (3.0), successfully testing out of a course through challenge exams, or completion of Dominican’s core competency courses. The Department Chair will make the determination regarding a candidate’s core competency requirements. Students who need the core competencies may be concurrently enrolled at Dominican in the MS program and in a core competency course. The following courses are considered co-requisites: MATH 1700, PHYS 2100, CHEM 3900, and MATH 2400. These must be taken in the first two semesters of the program.

If an application deadline falls on a weekend and/or holiday, applications will be accepted through the end of the next business day.

*Priority deadline is April 1. Submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis, and research spots are limited.

Learn about tuition per unit, additional fees and total tuition.

We'll also show you how a Dominican education is more affordable than you might think with support from financial aid, scholarships and loans. 

Tuition and Aid

The 36-unit program takes two years to complete and research is focused on a thesis project. Students attend one on-campus evening lecture per week while working in a lab during day hours for full-time hands-on research.

Graduates of Dominican’s Master of Biological Sciences program are prepared for a wide range of exciting careers in the life sciences, including academic or industry research positions, biochemistry, genetics and medical and health services. Graduates may also decide to pursue further education, including PhD, MD or pharmacy programs.