Admissions

Download the full Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program Guidelines.

All prospective biomedical sciences graduate students must have earned a baccalaureate degree and completed coursework in general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics.  Applicants are also expected to have an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Applicants to either the M.S. or Ph.D. program are expected to have earned a GRE score of at least 150 on both the verbal and the quantitative sections and a writing score of at least 4.0. 

Applicants to the D.O./M.S. program are expected to have earned a minimum score of 21 on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).  Taking the GRE is not required, but it is desirable.

Applicants to the D.O./Ph.D. program are not required to submit a GRE score if they have earned a score of 27 or greater on the MCAT.  Applicants with a GRE score greater than 1,200 (total for verbal and quantitative) and an MCAT score less than 27 will also be considered.  Non-U.S. citizens must have a permanent resident visa (“green card”).   

International students for whom English is a second language are required to have earned a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of at least 550 (213 computer based or 79 internet based). A permanent resident visa ("green card") is required for non-U.S. citizens in all degree programs.

How to Apply

Initial inquiries and correspondence may be sent directly to the Coordinator of Graduate Admissions. All application materials should be sent to:

Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences
Office of Student Affairs
Coordinator of Graduate Admissions
1111 West 17th Street
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74107-1898

Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (M.S. or Ph.D.)

Applicants to the OSU Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program must submit the following to the above address:    

• An OSU Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program application.  Download the application now in PDF format. You may also download application instructions in PDF format.
• An official transcript from each college and university attended.
• Application fee.
• Test scores for the GRE, MCAT and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examinations, as appropriate.
  • GRE:  use Institution code 2478
  • TOEFL:  use Institution code 7702
• Three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the educational background of the applicant.  Comments should be made regarding the applicant’s research experience and expected motivation and productivity in research. Letters of recommendation should be addressed to Patrick Anderson at the address above.
• A Personal Statement that addresses the applicant’s research interests and the importance of a graduate degree to the applicant’s future.  Applicants are also encouraged to identify graduate faculty with whom they are interested in working.

D.O./M.S. degree program

Applicants to the D.O./M.S. degree program apply to the Biomedical Sciences M.S. degree program and College of Osteopathic Medicine simultaneously.

Application procedure:

• Apply to the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program as described above. The application fee will be waived with the submission of the D.O. application.
• Submit the D.O./M.S. Intent Form, including a “Personal Statement” that addresses research interests and the importance of the graduate degree to the applicant’s future.  Identifying graduate faculty as potential advisor is encouraged.   
• An AACOMAS application.  The deadline for submitting this application is February 1 and the application fee is listed on the AACOMAS website.  This application is submitted online at aacom.org. 
• Applicants must also submit the following to the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, Office of Admissions:
  • Supplemental application (download in PDF format) and fee.
  • Letters of recommendation, sent to OSU-COM directly from the recommenders.  A minimum of one of these letters of recommendation must address the applicant’s research experience, expected productivity in research, and motivation. Letters of recommendation should be addressed to Patrick Anderson at the address above.
    
    The applicant may choose of the two options below:
  • Option 1
    • One letter from a college or university pre-professional/pre-med committee.
    • One letter from an osteopathic physician (D.O.).
  • Option 2
    • Three letters, preferably from faculty (2 science and 1 non-science faculty).
    • One letter from an osteopathic physician (D.O.).
    • A personal interview.  All interviews are conducted on-campus with the Applicant Interview Committee and are by invitation only.  This interview is mandatory and is conducted in April.
  • A personal interview. All interviews are conducted on-campus with the Applicant Interview Committee and are by invitation only. This interview is mandatory and is conducted in April.
  • The deadline for submitting all application materials is March 1.

D.O./Ph.D. degree program

Applicants to the D.O./Ph.D. degree program apply to the Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. degree program and College of Osteopathic Medicine simultaneously.

Application procedure:   

• Apply to the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program as described above. The application fee will be waived with the submission of the D.O. application.
• Submit the D.O./M.S. Intent Form, including a “Personal Statement” that addresses research interests and the importance of the graduate degree to the applicant’s future.  Identifying graduate faculty as potential advisor is encouraged.   
• An AACOMAS application.  The deadline for submitting this application is February 1 and the application fee is listed on the AACOMAS website.  This application is submitted online at aacom.org. 
• Applicants must also submit the following to the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, Office of Admissions:
  • Supplemental application (download in PDF format) and fee.
  • Letters of recommendation, sent to OSU-COM directly from the recommenders.  A minimum of one of these letters of recommendation must address the applicant’s research experience, expected productivity in research, and motivation.  The applicant may choose of the two options below:
  • Option 1
    • One letter from a college or university pre-professional/pre-med committee.
    • One letter from an osteopathic physician (D.O.).
  • Option 2
    • Three letters, preferably from faculty (2 science and 1 non-science faculty).
    • One letter from an osteopathic physician (D.O.).
    • A personal interview.  All interviews are conducted on-campus with the Applicant Interview Committee and are by invitation only.  This interview is mandatory and is conducted in April.
  • The deadline for submitting all application materials is March 1.

Application review process

The application review process described below is used to evaluate all applications to the graduate program.  For applicants to the D.O./M.S. and D.O./Ph.D. program, the D.O. portion of the application is evaluated by the Student Selection Committee of OSU-College of Osteopathic Medicine, which has an application review process as well (not described below).        

• The Coordinator of Graduate Admissions forwards all applications to the Director of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, who then forwards the applications to the Chairman of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Committee (BSGC).  
• The Chairman distributes copies of each application to the members of the BSGC, who represent the Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Biochemistry and Microbiology, and Pharmacology and Physiology. 
• The departmental representative, who acts on the behalf of the discipline that the applicant has expressed an interest in, will inform faculty within that discipline of the application.  Discipline faculty will then have an opportunity to review the application and will inform the departmental representative of any concerns.  These concerns are then relayed to the BSGC by the departmental representative. 
• The BSGC will formally review the application in a regular or special meeting and vote to accept or reject the application for admission into the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program.  The Director will inform the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies of the status of applications to the Biomedical Sciences Graduate program.    
• Applicants accepted into the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program will receive an acceptance letter from the Coordinator of Graduate Admissions signed by the Dean of the Graduate College and the President of OSU-CHS.