The Department of Biology and Marine Biology receives numerous applications for entrance into our graduate programs in biology and marine biology from very highly qualified candidates like you.
Our programs have become more competitive over the years and, while some applicants will be turned down on the basis of their records, a number of extremely good students will also be turned down for admission for other reasons.
We would like to reduce the number of highly qualified candidates who are rejected, and feel that an explanation of our admission procedures may aid in this endeavor.
All completed applications are sent by the Graduate School to the Department of Biology and Marine Biology for evaluation.
The first step in this process is the establishment of a composite score for each applicant, based upon objective criteria, letters of recommendation and research and pertinent work experience.
The composite score is used by the College of Science and Engineering, the Graduate School and the Biology and Marine Biology faculty as a preliminary screening of students. Students with a low composite score may still be admitted under extenuating circumstances and with the fervent support of a faculty member.
This process leads to the second, and perhaps more critical, part of the admission procedure. All scored applications are made available to the faculty of the Department of Biology and Marine Biology.
No student is admitted to the graduate program unless he/she is accepted by a faculty member in the department.
Those faculty interested in taking on new graduate students will peruse the application files in search of well-qualified students with compatible research interests. Compatibility of research interests is of paramount importance here.
A faculty member can only assess whether or not you would be willing to work in his/her laboratory based upon your statement of interest and the areas you indicate on the interest checklist that is part of the online application.
The checklist is a very important factor in admission, so please be careful in filling it out. Faculty are alerted to the interests of new applicants based upon this checklist.
For example, a student may state that he/she is only interested in working on marine mammals.
As you can see from the research areas, the faculty in the Department of Biology and Marine Biology have diverse interests. If you are very specific in the delineation of your research interests, you are limiting yourself to only a few faculty members.
If those faculty members with similar interests have a full complement of graduate students already, then the applicant will be rejected on space considerations regardless of his/her composite score and qualifications.
Chances of admission are higher for applicants who would be willing to work in a broader range of areas.
One of the best strategies you can use to aid admission to the programs is to contact one or more faculty directly, either by e-mail, phone or letter.
This will allow you to better understand the sorts of research projects going on in that laboratory, and will allow the faculty member to assess your level of interest in his/her work. Such contact will also allow you to find out which of the faculty have room in their labs for additional graduate students.
The GRE is currently waived as a requirement due to the pandemic. The Biology subject GRE is not required.
The Master of Science in Marine Biology is a graduate program designed to offer students advanced training and research experience in the biology sub-disciplines as they apply to marine organisms or ecosystems.
Core courses include biological oceanography, physiology, ecology and molecular biology. The expectation is that students entering the program have a solid background in the major sub-disciplines (e.g. ecology, genetics, etc.) within biology.
The Master of Science in Marine Science is an interdisciplinary program that includes training in both the Biological and Physical Sciences. Core courses include biological oceanography, chemical oceanography, marine geology and physical oceanography.
Students may do research with a mentor or mentors from the faculties of biology and marine biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences, or mathematics. Students entering this program may have an undergraduate background in any of the contributing disciplines.
You should e-mail Dr. Steve Skrabal to request information regarding the Master of Science in marine science program. You may also visit the Master of Science in marine science website for information.
While course offerings vary widely from campus to campus, a curriculum containing the following should adequately prepare you for graduate course work:
UNCW's institutional code is 5907. If you are graduating from a university in the United States, you do not need to submit TOEFL scores.
The Department of Biology and Marine Biology offers teaching assistantships to students enrolled in the Biology Master's and Marine Biology Master's and Ph.D. programs based on the continued availability of funding. Students must request these assistantships (see application), and selection will be based on an evaluation of academic records, recommendations, experience, and relevant criteria.
Teaching assistantships are currently valued at $13,000 for the 9-month academic year for Master's students and $21,000 for the 9-month academic year for Ph.D. students but are paid over 10 months. The deadline for applying, if you wish to have a teaching assistantship, is February 15.
Additional stipends, including summer support, and research assistantships are also available through grant funds awarded to graduate faculty members. Details about requirements and duties associated with these sources should be discussed with the individual graduate faculty member.
Information on scholarships available can be found on the Graduate School's webpage.
For information regarding Financial Aid and for an application, please visit UNCW's Financial Aid webpage.
You first should set up appointments with those graduate faculty members with whom you might be interested in working. In addition, the Admissions Office gives campus tours Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., except on holidays. Persons interested in taking a tour should register online.
While it is not mandatory that one have a degree in biology, an examination of the admission criteria (see Admissions FAQs) clearly indicates that extensive background in the biological sciences is required.
You can go to the Graduate School website and apply online. There is a $75 non-refundable application fee.
No. Applicants may self-monitor their application status using the Graduate School's How to Check your Graduate School Application Processing Status page.
Gmail users: Please see the special note regarding spam/junk mail folders.
When your application is complete, the Graduate School will forward it to the Department of Biology and Marine Biology. At that time, it will be given a composite score based on four criteria:
In order to be accepted into the graduate program, you must be sponsored by a graduate faculty member. Applicants should not just rely on being contacted by a faculty member, but should also take the initiative to contact faculty members with whom they might wish to work.
Students who are not selected by a faculty member for a position in their lab will not be accepted into the program.
My application was received, but the faculty member I am interested in working with is not taking new students. Can my application be resubmitted for next semester?
Yes, your application may be resubmitted for the following semester.
A year off should not affect your application, particularly if you have gained some experience in the field during that year.
Your eligibility is based on your GPA, letters of recommendation, and research and work experience.