QSB Entrance Requirements

COURSEWORK

• Applicants must have earned, or will have earned at the time of enrollment, a U.S. bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution or its international degree equivalent.
• Applicants may be considered for admission before finishing their undergraduate degree, but they must complete this degree before enrolling at Northwestern.
• Applicants are expected to have majored in biological sciences (e.g. biology, biochemistry, neurobiology, molecular biology). Although it may be possible to use one to two elective courses to address a specific deficit, the QSB program is not designed to be an initial exposure to biology. Standard pre-med requirements for chemistry and math are required.

RESEARCH

• The admissions committee views previous laboratory research experience as a critical element of the application. We ask students to include a description of their research experiences in their statement of purpose.

TEST SCORES

• For international students whose country’s native language is not English, and who have not received either a bachelors or graduate degree from an accredited institution where the language of instruction is English, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, or the Michigan English Test (MET) is required 
  • The minimum scores for admission are 90 for the TOEFL or 7.0 or higher for the IELTS. 
  • The exams must not have been taken more than two years before the intended quarter of entry. For example, if you are applying for Fall 2022 entry, test scores must be no older than September 2020.
  • Rules regarding English language tests set by The Graduate School are detailed here (https://www.tgs.northwestern.edu/admission/application-procedures/help-applicants/faqs.html)

APPLICATION

• All students must submit an application to The Graduate School. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning in February, with the application period closing mid-May.