Admissions committees will begin reviewing applications immediately following the priority deadline in late November. Interview invitations are typically sent on a rolling basis throughout December and early January. If you are selected for an interview, we will contact you via email with an invitation and further instructions. Interviews are required and occur in late January through February. If you have not heard anything from UNC by mid-January, you likely will not be receiving an invitation to interview.

The admissions committees meet shortly after each interview weekend to determine which applicants to recommend for admission. The committees will give a small number of admissions offers following each weekend; however, just like the review process, this is a rolling process with all of the offers not fully given until mid-March. We will contact students directly to extend an offer for admissions. The UNC Graduate School will also send an official offer via email with more information about next steps. Applicants have until April 15 to inform BBSP of their decisions to accept admission or not, per the recommendation of the Council of Graduate Schools.

Once you submit an application, you are welcome to check your status including letters of recommendation at any time by logging in here. Due to the number of applications we receive, we may not be able to update this status immediately; however, an email will be sent to you when your application status has changed.

We welcome applicants with a background in a biological, chemical, or physical science. Applicants must have completed a Bachelor’s degree by the time of enrollment at UNC. A Master’s degree is not required for admission.

What are characteristics of successful BBSP Applicants?
Our top priority is to recruit a group of students with a variety of perspectives, and that each new member of our community has high potential for success in UNC’s particular research environment. There is no single “type” of successful candidate, and each application is reviewed thoroughly in its own context. Virtually all incoming BBSP students have participated in substantial scientific research and have actively sought out research opportunities and both scientific and academic challenges. We look for motivation, curiosity, perseverance, and evidence of deep research engagement. Note: Funding constraints limit the number of international students (non-citizens/non-permanent residents) in the BBSP class. Successful international applicants often have co-authored publications and/or have extensive research experience.

Students who are admitted to BBSP typically have at least 4 months of full-time research experience in academic or industry settings (the median is 18.5 months). Some students achieve this experience through part-time research experience during undergraduate or graduate studies, and others achieve this through full-time research experience during summers or as a lab technician, research scientist, lab manager, etc.

Other characteristics of our first-year students:

• Median age = 23 (range from 19 to 56)
• Median TOEFL score = 100 (range from 92 to 107)
• Median undergraduate cumulative GPA = 3.6 (range from 2.1 to 4.0)
  • Applicants on the lower end of this GPA range typically have more full-time research experience or have completed an additional certificate or Master’s program to demonstrate their preparedness for BBSP.
• 17% previously completed a Master’s degree
• 31% transitioned to BBSP directly from undergraduate

The application fee set by the UNC Graduate School is $95. Fee waivers are available through the graduate school for domestic students only. Please visit  the Graduate School’s website to learn if you qualify and apply for a waiver. We do not have any fee waivers or scholarships for international applicants.

Address the following in your statement of purpose.  Upload one document with separate sections with each section clearly labeled. Sections 1-3 must each be a maximum of 1 page, single spaced. Section 4 is optional and must be no more than ½ page, single spaced. 

1. RESEARCH STATEMENT (REQUIRED). Describe your previous research experience(s).  Explain your motivation to pursue this research, the scientific rationale for the project(s), and your role in the project(s). Summarize outcomes, challenges, and objectives. (Statements of Purpose lacking an informative description of your research experience are considered non-responsive to the instructions.) Length: 1 page maximum, single spaced
2. MOTIVATION AND GOALS STATEMENT (REQUIRED). Describe your motivation for seeking a PhD in the biomedical sciences, and what general type of research you hope to pursue in graduate school. Explain your motivation for applying to BBSP and how a UNC PhD will be a necessary step towards your career goals. Length: 1 page maximum, single spaced
3. RESILIENCE STATEMENT (REQUIRED). In graduate school you are likely to face challenges and setbacks during your studies that you must overcome to successfully complete your doctoral training. Use this section to (a) briefly describe a challenge, obstacle or experience you have faced; (b) share what you learned from this experience; and (c) explain how overcoming this challenge has shaped you as an individual and will contribute to your success as a graduate student. Include how you used your core strengths (examples might include perseverance, positivity, creativity, tenacity) to respond to and overcome this challenge. Length: 1 page maximum, single spaced
4. ADDITIONAL (OPTIONAL). Provide any additional information about yourself that you feel the admissions committee should know for context. Examples include unusual academic or personal situations, information about academic institution(s), previous challenges, etc. Length:1/2-page maximum, single spaced

BBSP requires three letters of recommendation submitted directly to the University by your recommenders. In the application, you will enter the names and contact information for your recommenders, and then they will be contacted via a separate email generated by the application system.

Your submitted application is considered incomplete and will not be reviewed until at least two letters of recommendation have been received, so make sure you encourage your recommenders to submit their letters by the above deadlines. Applicants can monitor the status of recommendation letters via the application portal and you will receive an email when each letter is submitted. Please note: letters must be submitted via the online system; letters sent via mail will not be accepted.

Please consider sharing the information below with those who are submitting letters of recommendation on your behalf:

• The most effective references come from faculty or supervisors with whom you have conducted independent/original research. Letters jointly written by faculty with senior lab members (e.g. postdoctoral scientists, staff, senior graduate students) are welcome if they provide greater insight into your accomplishments and potential as a scientist. Letters from only senior lab members without a faculty letter have much less impact.
• Admissions committees greatly value letters that specifically describe qualities such as motivation, work ethic, resilience, persistence, initiative, intellectual contribution, and collegiality in research and academic settings.
• At least two of your recommendation letters must be submitted by the final deadline for your application to be reviewed. We will continue to accept letters after the final deadline, but be advised that admissions committees work quickly after the deadline, and late letters may not be considered.

One unofficial transcript from each university attended must be uploaded within the application. Please do not mail transcripts as part of your admission application; we use the uploaded, electronic transcripts for our review process. If you are offered admission, one official transcript for each university attended will be required.

GRE scores are neither required nor recommended for applicants to BBSP. GRE subject tests are also not required for BBSP applications.

If I submit GRE scores will they be considered?
Scores will not automatically be shared with admissions committees. We do not recommend submitting scores unless there is a substantial weakness in the application (e.g. very low grades) that you feel the scores will specifically mitigate. Test scores are not a substitute for research experience, for example. Applications who feel their application might be strengthened by inclusion of standardized test scores can submit scores and mention this in the “additional” section of the personal statement to alert the committee to their availability, if needed. Be aware that GRE scores do not factor heavily in the decision making process for UNC BBSP.

Is the TOEFL/IELTS required?
All international applicants must submit acceptable, official TOEFL scores (reported directly to school code #5816 from ETS.org) or IELTS scores (reported directly from IELTS.org, either by mail or electronically to The Graduate School). We accept no other English Language tests.

We recommend that you plan to take any required exams no later than October to allow time for scores to arrive in time for consideration for fall admission.

Standardized test scores must be official and are reportable for a period of two years from the date of the exam. Exam results more than two years old cannot be considered.

There are three exceptions, and any one of these will waive this requirement. If you believe you qualify for any of these exceptions please visit the grad school website here to learn how to claim an exception.

1. Applicants from countries where English is the sole official language
2. Applicants who have received or will receive a degree from an accredited university in the US
3. Applicants who have received or will receive a degree from an accredited university where English is the sole language of instruction

The University of North Carolina’s Institution code is #5816. UNC does not require a department code, you may leave that blank.

The required minimum total score on the exams are:

The internet-based TOEFL exam = 90
The IELTS exam = 7

A CV is required for the BBSP application. Please be sure to list all of your relevant research experiences including dates, PI/supervisor, and a brief description of the project. Also include any publications or manuscripts in preparation. For more information about preparing a CV, see this guide from UNC Career Services.

Research Areas of Interest (in the “Plans for Graduate Study” section of the application): Indicate at least one and up to five research areas that most closely match your research interests and the type of research you hope to do in graduate school. Our goal is to have your application read by faculty in the same interest areas that you list, so we use this list as a guidance during our review process.

The Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program (BBSP) is a true multidisciplinary program; BBSP students can freely choose faculty advisors among all 15 participating PhD programs. To most appropriately evaluate your application, you will be prompted in the application to indicate the general scientific area that most closely matches your future research interests during graduate school. The options are below.

1. MOLECULAR AND BASIC SCIENCES

Understanding how biological processes, cells, and organisms work. (Related research areas: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Developmental Biology, Epigenetics, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Pharmacology, Physiology, Plant Biology, and Organismal Biology)

2. HUMAN DISEASE AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE

Understanding the nature of human disease and potential advances in diagnosis or treatment. (Related research areas: Cancer Biology, Cardiovascular Biology, Nutritional Biochemistry, Oral Biology, Pathology, Stem Cells, Toxicology, Translational Science)

3. NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIOR

Understanding the structure and function of the nervous system, neurodegenerative disease, and behavior. (Related research areas: Behavior, Neuroscience, Addiction)

4. PATHOGENESIS, INFECTION, AND IMMUNITY

Understanding the biology of infectious disease and the immune system. (Related research areas: Bacteriology, Immunology, Microbiology, Pathogenesis & Infection, Virology)

5. BIOINFORMATICS AND COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY

Using computational approaches to answer biological questions, model biological processes, and mine/analyze large datasets. (Related research areas: Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Systems Biology)

6. STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY, CHEMICAL, AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

Understanding how external compounds influence biological processes and human health. (Related research areas: Biophysics, Chemical Biology, Chemistry, Drug Delivery, Drug Discovery, Molecular Medicine, Nanomedicine, Structural Biology)

Faculty of Interest: Indicate in the online application at least one and up to five faculty from the BBSP website faculty database using the format described below:
• List the faculty in order of interest.
• Please make sure to include the first AND last name of each faculty and double check that you have the correct spelling.

The application asks about research interest areas – what are these?
Information about the interest areas and the faculty with research in those areas can be found here.  Your list, along with the personal statement, help the BBSP Admissions Committees get an idea of your basic interests so we can best assign your application to faculty reviewers.

Do I need to have an idea of which PhD program I want to join before applying to BBSP?
No. Students are admitted into the BBSP for the first year of graduate study. During this year you are free to explore departments, programs, labs and courses before committing to a specific thesis lab or PhD program. We do ask for your top research interest areas on the application, but this information is only used to help us better understand your goals and does not affiliate you with any one specific department.

But I already know which PhD program I want to join!  Can I apply directly to that program?
No. If you are interested in obtaining a PhD in Biochemistry & Biophysics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Biology (MCDB Division), Cell & Developmental Biology, Cell & Molecular Physiology, Genetics & Molecular Biology, Microbiology & Immunology, Neurobiology, Oral Biology, Pathology, Pharmacology, and Toxicology & Environmental Medicine you must apply via BBSP. Many of these programs offer flexibility in their curricula, so students can explore different fields while making progress on program requirements. Interested students should contact the Director of Graduate Studies for their program of interest or check the program website for more information.

Please note: students interested in a PhD in the Biological Division of Chemistry or Pharmaceutical Sciences (Medicinal Chemistry Track or Pharmacoengineering & Molecular Pharmaceutics Track) can apply either through BBSP or through those respective departments.

What if I have a physical sciences background (e.g. physics, chemistry, math, etc)?  
We welcome applications from students with either a biological or physical sciences background, or that have a background at the interface of these disciplines. Such a background can actually be a benefit for many of our PhD programs such as Biochemistry & Biophysics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, and Medicinal Chemistry, as well as the Molecular & Cellular Biophysics Training Program.

If I am an international student or working/studying abroad, can I apply for admission to BBSP?
Yes, although due to funding constraints we are limited in the number of international students (non-citizens/non-permanent residents) we can admit each year. Successful international applicants often have co-authored publications and/or extensive research experience. If you choose to apply please also note that where you are living can affect what type of interview you would be offered.