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If you missed out on research experience(s) over the summer or during the school year due to COVID-19, please use the optional personal statements in your application to include information about experiences you had scheduled. This would be a good place to tell us if you were committed to attend a summer program that was then cancelled (or you weren’t able to participate for other reasons) and/or had a Spring or Fall research experience planned with an investigator that then didn’t happen because of COVID. If you participated in some virtual or other alternative activities with an investigator with whom you had planned to work, please discuss this in your application and consider asking that individual to submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf. In addition, if your research experience was limited due to the pandemic, please include information about your experiences with the laboratory components of classes that you have taken. It will be very important that one or more of your letters come from individual(s) who have worked with you in a research context, even if that experience was from your first, second, or third year. Please keep this in mind when identifying those who will provide your letters of recommendation. When requesting your letters of recommendation, please ask that they speak to your drive, motivation and scientific curiosity, particularly in the time of COVID.

Many institutions (including the University of Virginia) made the decision to move away from graded coursework in the Spring 2020 semester, and continued the practice into the 2020-2021 Academic Year. Many applicants may have taken courses those semesters that are core to their degree program and/or that are central to their future interests. Please use the optional personal statement to address your experience any of these courses. In addition, if one or more of those who will be providing your letters of recommendation is well-positioned to comment on your engagement with and/or performance in these courses, please ask them to do so.

If you encountered particular challenges during the COVID pandemic that may have affected your academic performance or research experiences, please use the optional personal statement as an opportunity to share any information that you feel may be helpful to our admissions committee as they evaluate your application. This information will not be shared beyond those faculty and staff who read and evaluate applications.

We encourage you to follow the news on UVAToday and our School of Medicine homepage. In addition, please follow our BIMS program on social media using the info from our website. If you have questions that were not addressed above, please reach out to our Associate Dean for Graduate and Medical Scientist Programs, Janet V. Cross. bims@virginia.edu.

We plan to conduct virtual interviews with exceptional applicants starting in January 2024.  In addition, we anticipate hosting an in person visit for accepted students in the spring (well before the April 15 decision date; pending the public health landscape).   We will update this space as the Fall 2023 semester progresses.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

BIMS dropped the GRE requirement in 2018. You will not be requested to submit scores to support your application.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Most international students must submit either TOEFL or IELTS scores. The TOEFL is not required of applicants who have or will have obtained an undergraduate or Master’s degree from an institution where English is the primary language of instruction. The TOEFL requirement will be waived for applicants who submit verification of institutional or program language instruction (such as a transcript or primary language certificate) as part of the electronic application.

Applicants who do not meet the exception noted above are required to record their scores from the TOEFL/IELTS exam on their application. Official scores are not necessary for the review process, but will be required if the applicant matriculates as a student.

If your scores will expire prior to July of the coming year (TOEFL/IELTS scores are only valid for two years), you should have your official scores submitted prior to their expiration. BIMS receives TOEFL scores directly from Education Testing Services (ETS). Please enter the institution code B875. BIMS does not use the department code, so you may choose any option, as it will have no effect on the review of your application. IELTS scores should be sent electronically to the University of Virginia. No department or code is needed. Official scores sent from ETS/IELTS are automatically matched to the application at the time they are received.

The minimum internet-based (iBT) TOEFL score requirement is 90 (including sectional minimums of 22 in speaking, 22 in writing, 23 in reading and 23 in listening). The minimum IELTS score requirement is 7.0 in each section.

Applicants must upload unofficial transcripts of their entire post-secondary academic record, including all undergraduate- and graduate-level coursework, as supporting documents for their application. Applicants are expected to have achieved a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their undergraduate programs.

Transcripts that are not recorded in English must include a translation into English.

It is not necessary to request and mail official transcripts as part of the application process, as unofficial transcripts are sufficient for the review of your application. If you accept an offer of admission to BIMS, you will be required to submit final official transcripts from your undergraduate institution before you can matriculate.

Official transcripts should be delivered electronically to bimsadmission@virginia.edu. If your transcripts cannot be sent electronically, please provide the following alternatives to your institution:

For U.S. Postal Service: 
Central Graduate Admission Office
University of Virginia
PO Box 401110
Charlottesville, VA, United States of America 22904

For Courier Service (DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc.): 
Central Admissions Office
Attn: Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program
1001 North Emmet Street
Room 232, Carruthers Hall
Charlottesville, VA, United States of America 22903
434-243-0209

You will be required to submit three letters of recommendation. Applicants are encouraged to obtain letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with their research experience and potential. Letters of recommendation are processed electronically through the online application system. You will be asked to provide names and contact information for each person providing a recommendation, and will have the ability to track the progression of each reference once the system invitation has been sent.

The non-refundable fee of $85 will be due when you submit your application for Fall 2024 admission.

For information concerning fee waivers that are available to domestic applicants, please visit: https://graddiversity.virginia.edu/application-fee-waiver

International applicants who are citizens of specific countries will receive an automatic fee waiver.

Applicants to the BIMS program will be asked to provide two short personal statements that describe their prior experiences, their passion for research, their motivation for pursuing admission to graduate school and their interest in the UVA BIMS program. These statements are an essential component of the application that are designed to help the admissions committee understand the applicant’s preparation, motivation and goals.

Essay prompts are as follows:

1. Please describe your passion for research, ability to overcome obstacles, and experience with managing multiple projects. Please limit your submission to between 500-1000 words.
2. Please describe your motivation to pursue an advanced degree, discuss your future career aspirations, and explain why you believe that the UVA BIMS graduate program will help you achieve your goals. Please limit your submission to 300 words.
3. (OPTIONAL) Feel free to share any additional information that you would like our admissions committee to have when considering your application. Please limit your submission to 100 words.

What about your individual background, perspective, or experiences will serve as a source of strength for you or those around you at UVA? Feel free to write about any experience or part of your background that has shaped your perspective and will be a source of strength, including but not limited to those related to your community, educational environment, race, gender, or other aspects of your background that are important to you.