Students who wish to apply for admission to our graduate program for the 2024-2025 academic year are not required to take the GRE or MCAT or submit a GRE or MCAT score report as part of their application package. The applications with GRE or MCAT scores will not be given greater weight than those that do not include scores.

The application deadline for Fall 2024 admission is April 22, 2024. All application materials including letters of recommendations are due by this date.

• Complete and submit the UCLA Online Graduate School Application by the April 22nd deadline. You will be asked to create an account, and we strongly recommend writing down your password. Select the Fall 2024 admission term, and Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology MS.
• Applicants are expected to have completed a Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field or have taken at least four upper division core courses in a STEM field. The program requires a minimum GPA of 3.3 in upper division undergraduate coursework. For University admission an overall scholastic average of a B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better is required, or its equivalent if the letter grade system is not used, and in any post-baccalaureate study.  In addition, it is preferred, but not required, that applicants have some exposure to a research experience, such as active or remote participation in a laboratory-based undergraduate research project, or in a discovery-based laboratory science course.
• All applicants will also submit a statement of purpose outlining past research experience, a description of their areas of potential research interest, and the names of at least one to three prospective faculty members with whom the applicant would like
  to perform thesis research. Applicants are strongly encouraged to communicate directly with faculty in whose laboratories they are interested in conducting research prior to applying to the program.
• Names and email addresses of three recommenders are required. Recommendations should come from either professional and/or academic references. Specific instructions concerning letters of recommendation are described in the online application. Note that recommenders should be given enough time to upload letters by the April 22nd deadline.

For information concerning the faculty and their research interests check out the faculty section of this site. Applicants are encouraged to communicate directly with the faculty prior to the application process. For a complete outline of degree requirements, see Program Requirements for UCLA Graduate Degrees available in the program office and accessible on the Graduate Education website.

FUNDING

A sample budget for graduate programs is available on the Graduate Division fees and living expenses webpage. Specific charges for tuition and fees and non-resident supplemental tuition are listed on the Registrar’s fee page.

Student financial support funds at UCLA are provided to graduate students in the form of grants, fellowships, traineeships, teaching assistantships, and graduate student researcher appointments. Applicants to the MCDB Master’s degree are admitted with no offer of financial support from the department. Students are encouraged to seek both need-based and non-need based funding sources offered by UCLA. Information and resources regarding aid may be found through the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office. Support based solely on need is also provided, in the form of work-study and loans.

MCDB Master’s students will be required to complete one quarter as teaching assistants in department-approved courses, as part of program requirements, but we encourage students to consider additional quarters of teaching assistantships as a means of financial support.