Admissions

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.

• 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 below from the Graduate School and the Biochemistry Department, below.  
• 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

• Application Deadline: December 1

  • Before You Apply:

    • Prepare to have three letters of recommendation written on your behalf. Recommendation letter writers will need to upload their letter to the online application system.

    • Write a personal statement

    • Be prepared to upload 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.

    • Be prepared to submit a TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test results if your native language is not English.

    • The minimum undergraduate g.p.a. for graduate studies in Biochemistry is 3.0

    • If you are an international applicant, please review additional requirements on the Graduate School website for international applicants: https://www.colorado.edu/graduateschool/admissions/international-applicants

    • GRE scores are not required

    • Review the Graduate School Admissions Requirements for additional, detailed application-specific information https://www.colorado.edu/graduateschool/admissions/apply

    • Review available application fee waivers and submit inquiries or proof before submitting your application.

    • To apply, please review the above requirements and click "Apply Now".

The Graduate School offers application fee waivers for participants in the following programs. If you are affiliated with one of these programs, please send proof of your affiliation to gradadm@colorado.edu before you submit your application, and the Graduate School will process your 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)

Please note: 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.)

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 5500. To be considered for this waiver, please send proof of the FAFSA EFC score to bchmgrad@Colorado.edu before you submit your application. If there are questions about the fee waiver or process, please email the Graduate Program Manager at bchmgrad@Colorado.edu.

Our admissions team will start reviewing completed applications December 2. The invitations to interview will be sent out in January and the invited applicants will interview in February. The phases of the application process are:

• Application review: All completed and submitted applications will be reviewed and we will release decisions or invitations as quickly as possible. We strongly advise applicants to make sure their application is complete as close to the December 1 deadline as possible 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 soon 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. We will describe the interview process in the email invitation.
• Offer of acceptance: Applicants that have successfully passed the interview process will receive a letter of acceptance. This letter of acceptance will be emailed through the application system and include 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 15 to decide to accept admission and matriculate into the program for the following fall. If admitted applicants do not finalize their decision by April 15, we may revise our offers of acceptance in order to make additional offers to other qualified applicants.

It is our goal to review and communicate admissions decisions as soon as possible because we understand that applicants may apply to several institutions for graduate school and have multiple offers to review. For more information about the application / interview / admissions process, please email the Graduate Program Manager at bchmgrad@Colorado.edu.

• Are graduate students paid a stipend?

  In general, all graduate students receive support as teaching assistants in their first year, and as either teaching or research assistants for the duration of their studies (funding dependent on research group). In addition, tuition is paid by the Department at the out-of-state rate for the 1st year (for non-Colorado residents) and thereafter at the in-state rate (for US citizens, permanent residents, and DACA recipients). International student tuition is fully covered at the adjusted rate set by the Graduate School, as part of the teaching or research assistantships. For further details please contact the Biochemistry Graduate Program Manager at bchmgrad@colorado.edu
• Are there any funds or resources available for incoming graduate students?

  
  • Incoming students receive a Graduate Student Startup Scholarship at the beginning of their 1st term. The funds are credited to the student’s bill and is applied to mandatory fees. Once the fall fees are processed, the remaining balance is refunded to the student.
  • Housing Resources 
  • Childcare Resources
  
• What type of undergraduate coursework is required for a Biochemistry PHD?

  See our undergraduate programs page to see suggested undergraduate course requirements. Keep in mind, they are just that, suggested. We have accepted students who have undergraduate majors in Biology, Chemistry, Genomics, MCD Biology, Bioinformatics, Chemical Engineering and many other majors. Lab research is also highly considered for admission and this research can be paid or unpaid.
• Do applicants need to secure a position in a lab before applying to graduate school?

  No, applicants do not need to secure a position in a lab before applying. 1st year Biochemistry graduate students participate in four 8-week lab rotations starting in the fall semester. Students are allowed to rotate in labs outside of the Biochemistry department by contacting those professors and obtaining permission to rotate into their lab, then communicate this decision to the Graduate Program Manager.
• What do you look for in a statement of purpose and how long should it be?

  The statement of purpose needs to be long enough to answer the following questions: 1) Why are you seeking a PhD in Biochemistry?; 2) Describe your prior research experience.; 3) What topics or fields are you interested in studying?; 4) What kind of research do you want to do and how is that research represented in our  program?
• Can I transfer any credits from another school?

  Students may qualify to transfer up to ten credit hours for their Ph.D. graduate studies. These credit hours cannot have been used toward their undergraduate degree. The transfer credits will be evaluated after the student has been with the department for one semester, and the student must be in good standing. 
• On average, how long does it take for students in your program to complete a PhD?

  On average 5.5 years 
• Where do your alumni end up after graduation? Does your program offer any internships or career opportunities for students who wish to explore a variety of careers in science?

  Our Biochemistry alumni go on to work in a broad spectrum of jobs. The majority go into academia, where they teach and conducting research, and industrial scientific research. Many have gone on to become consultants, patent law, business, and pharmacology.
• Does the Department of Biochemistry offer a MS degree?

  No, currently the Department of Biochemistry does not have a Master’s degree program.