Application Information

This program considers applications on a modified rolling admission basis. Some decisions will be sent out following each review*, but the class will not be filled until all completed applications have been reviewed.

Please note the following deadlines:

1) In order to be considered during the first review, ALL MATERIALS must be received by 9:00 am on Monday, February 26, 2024.
2) In order to be considered during the second review, ALL MATERIALS must be received by 9:00 am on Monday, March 25, 2024.
INTERNATIONAL applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their application by this second review date (March 25, 2024) in order to ensure immigration arrangements are completed in a timely manner.
3) In order to be considered during the third review, ALL MATERIALS must be received by 9:00am on Monday, April 22, 2024.
4) In order to be considered during the final review, ALL MATERIALS must be received by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. May 15th is the final deadline. No new materials will be accepted after May 15, 2024. Updates to previously submitted materials are always accepted.

Application instructions for undocumented and DACA students

*Please note: Early submission of the application does not guarantee an early decision. The earliest decisions may be received by mid-March. Acceptances, denials, and waitlist notifications following the final review will be received by late-June.

 

Application Requirements

Prior to applying, please review this information, as well as the information on Rackham’s Preparing to Apply webpage.

All applications are processed through Rackham Graduate School.

For templates and other helpful materials available to download, please visit this page.

**Make sure you choose “Master of Science in Physiology” and NOT “Molecular & Integrative Physiology Ph.D.”**

1. Standardized Test Scores

We employ a holistic application review process, and while a standardized exam score is not required, it adds another data point that might be beneficial during the review of your application. If you have ever taken the MCAT, GRE, DAT, PCAT, PA-CAT, or OAT (or are registered to take one or more of these tests), we request that scores from all attempts be self-reported on the application, and official score(s) submitted to the program.

Scores can be self-reported on the Rackham application, but official scores should be submitted to the program. Requesting Test Scores: GRE, DAT, PCAT, PA-CAT, and OAT users – request score reports be sent to Institution Code 1839; MCAT users – request score reports be sent to the Post-Bacc program: “Univ. of Michigan M.S. Program in Physiology.”

Please note: If you are planning to take or retake the MCAT, GRE, DAT, PCAT, PA-CAT, or OAT, do not rush to take one of these exams for the sole purpose of applying to our program.

2. Minimum competitive Science GPA = 3.0 Coursework Track / 3.5 Research Track 

Calculated Science GPA is self-reported on the application; if available, please share a copy of your AMCAS/AACOMAS/ADEA AADSAS/CASPA/PharmCAS/PTCAS/OptomCAS GPA calculation pages as a PDF.
To manually calculate your Science GPA, include courses in Biology (e.g., anatomy, introductory biology, biophysics, biotechnology, botany, cell biology, ecology, entomology, genetics, histology, immunology, microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience, physiology), Chemistry (e.g., biochemistry, general or inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, thermodynamics), Math (e.g., applied mathematics, mathematics, statistics courses elected in any department [e.g., psychology, economics, sociology, engineering, etc.]) and Physics (e.g., astronomy, physics) on a 4.0 scale. AMCAS-calculated BCPM (biology, chemistry, physics, math) GPA is acceptable. 
~Applications are holistically reviewed. While preference will be given to students with GPAs that meet or exceed these minimums, applicants with significant upward trends in their recent undergraduate academic performance and/or post-baccalaureate coursework in science will be considered.

3. Minimum competitive Overall GPA = 3.0 Coursework Track / 3.5 Research Track  

GPAs are self-reported on the application; any and ALL transcripts must be sent to Rackham Graduate School, indicating Program 00395 – M.S. Physiology.
~Applications are holistically reviewed. While preference will be given to students with GPAs that meet or exceed these minimums, applicants with significant upward trends in their recent undergraduate academic performance and/or outstanding post-baccalaureate coursework in science will be considered.

4. All transcript(s) from military, two- and 4-year institutions 

Unofficial copies are accepted for application; however, an official copy from your bachelor’s degree-granting institution is required for matriculation.

5. Academic Statement of Purpose.

The Statement of Purpose should be a concise (approximately 500 words), well-written statement about your academic and, if applicable, your research background your career goals, and, specifically, how the University of Michigan’s M.S. Program in Physiology will help you to meet your professional and educational objectives. Please include an explanation for ALL incompletes, withdrawals, and grades of C- or below on any transcript in this essay, as this information is very helpful when reviewing your application. Upload to your online application.

6. Personal Statement.

The Personal Statement should be a concise (approximately 500 words), well-written statement about how your background and life experiences-including cultural, geographical, financial, educational and/or other opportunities, and/or challenges-have motivated your decision to pursue your intended profession. Please tell us if you are unsure as to which specific health- or science-related profession you intend to pursue. Upload to your online application.

7. Optional essay.
This optional essay (approximately 500 words, not included in the Personal Statement word count) should answer the following questions:
Have you overcome or are you currently impacted by challenges or obstacles in your life that you would like to describe in more detail? These opportunities for personal and/or professional growth might include lived experiences related to your family background, financial background, community setting, educational experiences, and/or other life circumstances. Since we find context to be particularly helpful in evaluating your application materials, please share any facets of your lived experiences that you feel might provide relevant insights for our application review committee members.

Include this optional essay after the end of your personal statement.

Tell us if this optional essay is not applicable to you by providing a sentence after the end of your personal statement.

8. Three letters of reference evaluation required

Within the three required letters, at least two should be written by course professors; one letter must be submitted from a science lecture or laboratory instructor. If you have been away from an educational setting for more than 2 years, please contact us if you have difficulty meeting these letter requirements. Reference letter services and medical/dental or other health professions school letters of reference are accepted, provided these letters match our requirements. Please note: health-professions committee cover letter will not suffice unless full letters from all contributors to this letter are included. Rackham’s Letters of Recommendation Submission Options

9. A curriculum vitae (CV) using our required template

It is very important that you download and follow the specific requirements of our template. Upload documents to the online application.

10. Determine and indicate your intended track, Research or Coursework, on the application. If both tracks are of interest to you, or you are concerned you might not be as competitive for the Research Track, please select both tracks.

  • Research Track: Research Track applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree prior to beginning the M.S. Program.
    If you indicate “Research Track,” you must also indicate your top five requested mentors (from the Mentors & Projects page) on your online application.
  • Coursework Track: Coursework Track applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree prior to beginning the M.S. Program.

11. We require the following courses to be completed prior to joining the M.S. Program in Physiology:

  • Introductory Biology (at the health-professions level) lecture and laboratory (2 semesters or equivalent)
  • General/Inorganic Chemistry lecture and laboratory (2 semesters or equivalent)
  • Organic Chemistry lecture and laboratory (2 semesters or equivalent)
  • Physics lecture and laboratory (2 semesters or equivalent)
  • English or Intensive-writing Course(s)

If you plan to apply to a professional school program during or after our program, there are certain pre-requisite courses for those programs which we cannot provide (e.g., behavioral sciences, medical terminology, non-statistics math). Each professional school program has its individual requirements. If you have questions, please talk to your pre-professional advisor and/or the program of interest. 

See the following links for examples:

12. Information for applicants who are concurrently applying to Medical, Dental, or other professional schools/programs and hoping to matriculate in the summer following completion of the M.S. Program:

Coursework Track: In order to be awarded an M.S. degree in Physiology, Coursework Track students register for Fall and Winter full-terms and the Spring half-term. All Coursework Track students begin the program in the Fall term. Students must complete the Capstone Project in the Spring half-term, which ends in June. Planning to enter a program that begins prior to the end of June will require communication with the program directors, if you desire to complete the M.S. degree requirements. We will work with students whose graduate programs begin in June to ensure timely completion of our program's requirements. Students MUST successfully complete the Capstone Project in order to earn their M.S. Degree.

Research Track: In order to be awarded an M.S. degree in Physiology, Research Track students typically register for Fall and Winter terms and Summer half-term, which ends in mid-August. Students work in the laboratory during the Spring half-term, but do not pay tuition for that half term. Research students must complete a minimum of 10-11 months in a laboratory (with typically 1 additional month to write and present their final project) to be awarded the M.S. degree. If a student arranges to start in their laboratory prior to the Fall term, they may be able to finish the program earlier. Examples of early start dates for research are July 1 (may then be finished by mid-June) or August 1 (may then be finished by mid-July). 

Office of the Registrar’s Academic Calendars

Application Process

*Review the Application Requirements before beginning the Application Process.*

It is recommended that all applicants seeking federal financial aid complete the FAFSA application prior to submitting their application. 

  1. All applications are processed through Rackham Graduate School.
  2. Register as a Prospective Student with Rackham Graduate School.
  3. Review our Application Checklist.
  4. Fill out the Application Form through Rackham Graduate School and upload required documents.
    **Make sure you choose “Master of Science in Physiology” and NOT “Molecular & Integrative Physiology Ph.D. (PIBS)”**
  5. Required documents include your Personal Statement, Academic Statement of Purpose, and Curriculum Vitae (CV); you must follow our CV template.
  6. Submit the Application Form PRIOR to May 15th. Access to the form closes following that date.
  7. If you are submitting one or more test scores, please ensure that our program receives your Standardized Test Score report(s) from the issuing test reporter.
  8. These reports must be received prior to review of your application.
  9. Ensure that the program has received all Letters of Reference Evaluation.
    These letters must be received prior to review of your application.
  10. Ensure that Rackham Graduate School has received ALL of your undergraduate transcripts. “In Progress” transcripts are accepted during the review process.
    Upload all additional transcripts as a single pdf file (from military, two- or four-year institutions) to your application or send to [email protected]. These transcripts must be received prior to review of your application.

 

Upon receipt of all of your application materials: 

  • Your application will be added to the queue for review.
  • Your application will be reviewed with a group of other applications and discussed by the Admissions Committee.
  • A decision on your application may be made at this meeting or an application decision may be deferred for further consideration at a subsequent Admissions Committee meeting.
  • If the Admissions Committee recommends you for admission/matriculation consideration to our program, you will be contacted at the email address listed on your application to schedule a virtual interview with a member of the Admissions Committee. Interviews are by invitation only.
  • When applicable, Research Track applicants are initially accepted into the Coursework Track. They should NOT reach out to any identified mentors until contacted by the program to do so. These students will interview with at least 3 potential mentors (either in-person or virtually). When a mutual match has been identified, the student will be officially admitted to the Research Track.
  • After acceptance, ensure that a FINAL and OFFICIAL transcript is sent to the Rackham Graduate School from your undergraduate degree-granting institution. Final, official transcripts must show that your degree has been conferred and be sent directly from the degree-granting institution. 

**In previous years, decision notifications have been sent out as early as March and as late as August. For this reason, it is recommended that all applicants complete the FAFSA application prior to submitting their Rackham application.**

Link to important resources and documents for applicants to download (Dropbox)