Prospective Graduate Students

All required materials are uploaded through the online application system.

The following documents are required to apply to the University of Colorado Boulder Biochemistry Ph.D program:

• A C.V. or resume
• A personal statement
• Three letters of recommendation. Letters are confidential and letter writers will need to upload their letter to the online application system separately.
• Unofficial transcripts from every domestic post-secondary institution attended.
  • This includes community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs.  While credits from one institution may appear on the transcript of a second institution, unofficial transcripts must be submitted from each institution, regardless of the length of attendance, and whether or not courses were completed.  Failure to list and submit transcripts from all institutions previously attended may delay the application review process.
• TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test results if your native language is not English.
• For international applicants, please review additional requirements from the Graduate School: https://www.colorado.edu/graduateschool/admissions/international-applicants
• Detailed Graduate School admissions requirements can be found at https://www.colorado.edu/graduateschool/admissions/

Additional notes:

• The minimum undergraduate G.P.A. for graduate studies in Biochemistry is 3.0
• GRE scores are not required
• The deadline for application is November 15th

An application fee is required by the Graduate School. However, the Graduate School and Biochemistry offer a variety of fee waivers.

Eligible prospective students must qualify for a fee waiver through one of the options listed below. Unfortunatly, international students are not eligible.

Program participants

If you are affiliated with one of the programs listed below, please send proof of your affiliation to gradadm@colorado.edu after you have started an application but before you submit your application. The Graduate School will process a fee waiver for you.

• AmeriCorps (currently serving)
• Black in AI (BAI)
• Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Initiative
• Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP)
• Gates Millennium Scholars 
• Leadership Alliance
• Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program (LSSURP)
• Louis-Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
• Math Alliance Scholars
• McNair Scholars Program
• Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program
• Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Scholars Program
• Peace Corps (currently serving)
• Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP)
• SMART
• Society of Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
• Teach for America
• The Women+ of Color Project (W+OCP)

U.S. military 

If you are in the U.S. military you will receive an automatic fee waiver as a thank you for your service (active duty, veteran, previously served, and active reserve are all eligible for this automatic fee waiver).

Expected Family Contribution

The Department of Biochemistry offers application fee waivers for U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents, or DACA recipients with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) less than or equal to $5,500. To be considered for this waiver, please send proof of the FAFSA EFC score to bchmgrad@colorado.edu before you submit your application. 

For questions about the fee waiver or process, please email the Graduate Program Manager at bchmgrad@colorado.edu.

Our admissions team will begin reviewing completed applications on November 16th. The phases of the application process are:

• Application review: All completed and submitted applications will be reviewed and we will release invitations and decisions as quickly as possible. We strongly advise applicants to make sure their application is complete and associated materials received by the November 15th deadline for efficient processing and timely communication. Since recommendation letters can delay the completion of an application, we strongly advise applicants to work with letter writers to complete and summit their recommendations as early as possible. Please note: we cannot offer provide conditional admission – all applicants must complete and submit an application for review.
• Invitation to interview: Qualified applicants will be invited to interview. Our interviews may involve several sessions with faculty, the admissions team, and our graduate students. The interview process will be fully described in the email invitation.
• Offer of acceptance: Successful applicants will receive a letter of acceptance. This letter of acceptance will be emailed through the application system and include all funding details.
• Admission: When an applicant receives a letter of acceptance via the application system, they are also admitted to the University of Colorado. Applicants have until April 15th to decide to accept admission and matriculate into the program for the following fall. Admitted applicants that do not finalize their decision by April 15 may have offers revised in order to make additional offers to other qualified applicants.

We understand that prospective students often apply to several institutions for graduate school and have multiple offers to review. It is our goal to review and communicate admissions decisions as soon as possible. For specific information about your application / interview / admissions process, please contact the Graduate Program Manager at bchmgrad@colorado.edu.

The Department of Biochemistry is committed to promoting a culture of diversity and inclusion for all students, staff, and faculty. We seek to foster a supportive community of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, serving as the foundation for teaching and learning. Our vision is supported by CU Boulder’s broad initiatives aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion, and fostering a caring community of students, staff, and educators.

The graduate programs at the University of Colorado Boulder are further dedicated to recruiting and supporting diverse, talented students, employing holistic application review processes and supporting students when they arrive on campus. Important programs to help make progress on these goals are:

• Graduate Application Fee Waivers: In order to make the application process as accessible to as many prospective students as possible, please review the types of application fee waivers available from the Graduate School and the Biochemistry Department, listed under Application Fee and Waivers on this page.
• Colorado Advantage Program Opportunity for Underrepresented Students: The Colorado Advantage Graduate Preview Weekend provides an opportunity for underrepresented students to visit campus and preview doctoral programs in science, math, and engineering departments at CU-Boulder. More information about Colorado Advantage

 More on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Biochemistry

In general, all Biochemistry Ph.D. students recieve a stipend and have their tuition paid for the duration of their studies. In the first year, students receive support as teaching assistants (TA's). In the remaining years, students typically recieve support from their research group as research assistants (funding dependent on research group). Tuition is paid by the Department, research group, or through teaching assistantships.