a bachelor’s degree in biology or a related field from an accredited college or university; a grade point average of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale; two letters of recommendation; an essay describing the area of biology of interest for graduate study, professional goals and motivation for graduate study in biology; and written acknowledgment from a Department of Biological Sciences faculty member agreeing to serve as the student’s major advisor, if the student is accepted. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all applicants whose native language is not English: minimum scores are 550 for the paper-based test, 213 for the computer-based or 79 on internet-based test. IELTS 6.5