Microbiology, MS

Applications open September 1 for admission in Fall of the following year. The application deadline is November 15. We accept applications for Fall semesters only. We cannot guarantee that applications received after the November 15 deadline will be considered for admission.

All applicants must apply by filling out ASU's Graduate Admissions application. All application materials must be submitted through the application or to Graduate Admissions directly. Please do not mail or email any documents to the School of Life Sciences. 

Required materials and information include the following:

• 1-2 page personal statement
• An up to date CV or resume
• The names of relevant SOLS faculty you have been in touch with who you might be interested in being supervised by
• Unofficial transcripts and English proficiency test scores (if applicable)
• The names and emails of at least 3 recommenders to write you letters of recommendation

Following the November 15 deadline, faculty will begin reviewing applications. Applicants should monitor their My ASU priority tasks to ensure there are no missing materials in their application. Admission decisions will begin in March, and applicants typically receive final decisions by April 1.

Minimum requirements for admission include the following:

• Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• International applicants must satisfy university minimum requirements for English proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, PTE). There are other ways to demonstrate English proficiency beyond the tests, so please refer to ASU's English proficiency webpage to review how you might satisfy requirements.

Desired qualifications typically seen in competitive candidates:

• Research experience and a letter of recommendation from a faculty research supervisor
• English proficiency scores that meet these teaching assistant language proficiency requirements

Please note that the GRE is not required.

There is a unique process for eligible ASU undergraduate students to apply to an accelerated BS/MS program in the School of Life Sciences, involving a two-phase application process students initiate when they have about 75 credit hours of their bachelor's completed. Please see details about accelerated BS/MS programs and our application process by reviewing the Accelerated Bachelor's and Master's of Science webpage.

In the School of Life Sciences, there is no funding guarantee for students admitted to a master's degree. If admitted, master's students are able to request teaching assistant positions each semester. However, positions may only be assigned on a first come, first serve basis pending position availability. Research assistant positions are uncommon for master's students but ultimately depend on the student's faculty research supervisor. Teaching and research assistant positions for master's students come with a salary for the semester assigned, but do not include tuition or health insurance assistance.

Given the lack of position guarantee, master's students should ensure they understand the tuition costs they will be responsible for. Tuition varies depending on a student's residency status. To review anticipated tuition costs, please utilize ASU's tuition estimator.