Admissions

Ideal BCB candidates should have an undergraduate degree in a biological, physical, mathematical or computational science.

To apply for the PhD program, go to the BBSP website. This is a new joint recruitment and admissions mechanism that encompasses all biological and biomedical graduate programs at UNC, including BCB.

Applicants must provide a statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation, official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended, GRE scores ,and TOEFL scores for foreign applicants from the last five years.

Promising candidates will be invited for an on-campus interview and recruitment weekend as part of the BBSP program. This event allows applicants to interact with current BCB students, learn more about faculty research opportunities, and visit Chapel Hill. This will involve one-on-one faculty interviews, talks/posters given by current students, and social events where both students and faculty have an opportunity to interact informally with all the prospective students.

The application deadline is December 11 for matriculation in the fall.

Applicants will be notified by March 15 as to whether their application has been accepted or rejected. Those that are offered admission will have until April 15 to accept or decline.

BCB also offers a certificate in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology to PhD students in affiliated departments. Students interested in obtaining the graduate certificate can apply at any point prior to their fourth academic semester.

Students interested in applying to the certificate program, should submit the following to the Program Administrator:

Statement of Purpose indicating interest in the program
Resume/CV
Letter of support from UNC Faculty mentor explaining how participation in BCB will benefit the student
Copy of UNC Graduate School application (obtained from home program student services manager)

Applications will be reviewed in October and April. Funding for certificate students is limited and will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

To participate in the certificate program, applicants must first be accepted into one of the many PhD programs affiliated with BCB:

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Biochemistry and Biophsyics
Biomedical Engineering
Cell and Developmental Biology
Cell and Molecular Physiology
Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology
Microbiology and Immunology
Curriculum in Neurobiology
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Pharmacology
Curriculum in Toxicology

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Biology
Chemistry
Computer Science
Mathematics
Physics and Astronomy
Statistics and Operations Research

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Biostatistics
Environmental Sciences and Engineering

SCHOOL OF PHARMACY

Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products

SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY

Dental Ecology

Financial Support

All first-year students receive full financial support from BBSP which includes a competitive stipend, health insurance, tuition, and fees. After the first year, students are supported by funds from their thesis advisors.