Admission
Graduates of accredited colleges and universities are eligible to apply for graduate study at Occidental. Preference is given to applicants with superior preparation and achievement. Graduate students are admitted subject to the general regulations of the College.
Applications for the master of arts in biology are available in the Graduate Office.
Applications and all admission credentials for graduate study must be received by March 1 for students applying to begin study during the summer session or the fall semester, and by October 1 for students applying to begin study during the spring semester.
Students seeking admission to the M.A. program must have significant successful experience in the discipline to be ready for graduate study. Evidence of readiness includes undergraduate grades, completion of an undergraduate major or minor in the discipline, successful completion of a significant amount of coursework at or above the advanced undergraduate level, and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general and subject test scores. Consultation with the department chair is recommended before completing the application, particularly for students who have not completed an undergraduate major in the discipline.
Completed applications must include the following:
- A completed application form, including a statement of objectives for graduate work.
- Application fee of $60. (This fee is waived for current and former Occidental students.)
- Official transcripts of all academic work at the college or university level, including previous graduate work.
- Letters of recommendation from three persons. These should include, if possible, one letter from a professor in the applicant’s major field of undergraduate study.
- An official report of test scores from the Graduate Record Examination General Test.
- An official report of test scores for the Graduate Record Examination Subject Test in Biology.
- For applicants whose native language is not English, an official report of test scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language. (This requirement is waived for current and former Occidental students.)
Applications for the Master of Arts in biology must be submitted directly to the Graduate Office.