Undergraduate Admissions

Minimum GPA

2.50

Admission Policies

Students must meet minimum GPA requirements. Probationary admission may be provided for those students with a GPA between 2.30 and 2.49. Students who enter on probation must meet with an advisor to establish a probationary course of study. Specific details pertaining to probationary status can be found in the College of Sciences listing of the undergraduate catalog.

Transfer Policies

Transfer students must have a minimum GPA of 2.50. All students are required to meet with an advisor to determine course work that can be used to satisfy degree requirements. The last 30 credit hours must be taken at UNLV. Although rare, it is possible for superior pre-professional students to gain admission to a professional school upon completion of 94 units of undergraduate work. Such students may, under certain circumstances, be awarded a bachelor’s degree from UNLV upon successfully completing one year of full-time study with courses equivalent to the biological sciences major at the professional school. To apply for a degree after one year of professional school, students must have completed 94 units at UNLV with a GPA of 3.5 and meet university and college graduation requirements. Students contemplating such a program must obtain approval from the departmental chair and college dean in advance of their departure from UNLV.

Community College Articulation

The School of Life Sciences has course articulation agreements with several community colleges both within and outside Nevada. For specific information about transfer of credits from two-year institutions, students should seek advising about specific courses of study from the department.

The undergraduate application is online. Simply follow the steps on the university’s admissions page. You’ll find information for freshmen, transfer students, and international students.

When filling out the undergraduate application, be sure to indicate your major in the College of Sciences.

Graduate Admissions

Admission to master’s and doctorate programs require the following:

  1. A baccalaureate (B.S., B.A.) degree in biological sciences or its equivalent.
  2. A minimum GPA of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) for all undergraduate work.
  3. Letters of recommendation (two letters for the M.S. Program; three letters for the Ph.D. Program) from individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic record and potential for advanced study in the biological sciences.
  4. A written statement that includes:
    a. summary of research interests
    b. reason(s) for wishing to earn an advanced degree
    c. motivation for attending UNLV
    d. possible faculty mentors
    e. explanation of any non-traditional grades (other than letter grades A-D & F) earned during your degree(s)
  5. A CV or resume that includes
    a. all post-secondary education with dates of attendance
    b. research experiences with dates and names of the principal investigators
    c. research-related work experiences with dates and names of supervisors
    d. publications
    e. research presentations
    f. honors/awards
    g. service/outreach activities
  6. Submission of official transcripts of all colleges and universities attended.
  7. Submission of a completed application form and payment of fees required by the Graduate College.
  8. All international students whose first language is not English or who have not received baccalaureate or master’s degrees from an institution in which the language of instruction is English must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) examination.

Prospective Graduate Student Deadlines

One formal admission cycle is used every year. The deadline is December 15 for fall admission. Under rare circumstances, a student may matriculate in the spring, but typically these students have either deferred fall admission or have already been doing research with a professor at the School of Life Sciences as an undergraduate or post-baccalaureate student.

Applications completed by the December 15 deadline are given priority for state-funded graduate assistantships. Admissions are based on a combination of criteria; however, most successful applicants have a grade point average greater than 3.0 in their junior and senior years and show promise of becoming a graduate student researcher. Decisions for fall applicants will be made by April 1 or sooner. Please note that the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the School of Life Sciences are research degrees. Applicants must identify one or more potential mentors as part of their application. They are required to contact these faculty directly regarding the possibility of joining their lab.

Apply Online for the School of Life Sciences Graduate Studies Program

Complete the Graduate College application.

For questions about graduate admissions, contact the Graduate College.