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Admission to IBS is based on academic background, recommendations, GPA, GRE scores, and prior research experience. Personal interviews provide critical perspectives for both students and the IBS Admissions Committee and are required. Students must also meet the requirements set by the Graduate School, including a bachelor’s degree from a four-year, fully accredited, institution of higher learning.
Students applying for admission to IBS must meet the prerequisite requirements of Biology Courses with lab components, Chemistry Courses with lab components, General Chemistry with lab components, Organic Chemistry with lab components, Physics, and Calculus.
No, all materials must be submitted directly to the Graduate School for full consideration.
Currently, the application fee for the Graduate School application is $65 for domestic students and $75 for international students. There is no additional application fee for the IBS application.
Choose your recommenders wisely. It is important to choose recommenders that are sufficiently familiar with you to address your academic preparation, abilities, and accomplishments. We are especially interested in learning more about your scientific background and your abilities in the lab.
Please have your official TOEFL (international students only) routed to Graduate School. To route your official exams, the code for UK is 1837. There is no separate department code for the IBS program; you should select "No department code available" if prompted. Please leave this blank and your score report will be routed to the Graduate School.
The IBS program no longer requires the GRE for admission.
Official transcripts from all the universities you attended must be sent to the Graduate School.
Even if you only took one course from another university and even if that course is listed on another transcript as having been transferred, you must have an official transcript from the university where you took the course sent to the Graduate School.
International Students please do not send documents other than those requested in the information above.
If the Admissions Committee decides to offer you admission, we will email that offer of admission to you immediately. When you accept our offer of admission, we will contact the Graduate School and request that you be admitted to the Graduate School and an I-20 be completed for you. It is very important to understand that the Graduate School cannot complete your I-20 until you have fully completed your Graduate School application including the fee. Also, keep in mind that our main line of communication is via email so please do check your email frequently. Graduate School will also be emailing you and will not be able to proceed with issuing an I-20 to you until you have responded to them on a number of different issues.
As soon as you receive your I-20, please make an appointment with the consulate to obtain your visa. It is very important that you do this as soon as possible since obtaining a visa can now take much longer with the new regulations in place.
* please do not contact us for your I-20 right away. We will notify you of its availability and of the date on which it will be sent to you.
For candidates who have interviewed, decisions concerning their admission are generally sent within 2-3 weeks. For all other applicants, decisions are made as the applications are reviewed.
Given the number of applications received each year, it is not possible to update applicants continuously about the status of their applications. All applicants will be notified of their admissions status as soon as possible.
If you sent an application for us to review the previous year and would like for us to consider it now, please send us an email at obe@uky.edu requesting that we reconsider your application. Also send us any updated information that you would like for us to consider, such as any new letters of recommendation, or updated transcripts. We also request that you send us a letter describing what you have been doing this past year that relates to your application to IBS.
Admission is an ongoing process. We begin processing applications in November and begin reviewing them as early as December. As positive decisions are made, applicants are notified. Applications will continue to be reviewed through March, and those who are not offered admission are notified by mid-April.
Given the number of applications received each year, it is not possible to update applicants continuously on the status of their applications. All applicants will be notified of their admissions status as soon as possible.
If you will be visiting the University of Kentucky and are interested in speaking with someone about IBS, please contact the Office of Biomedical Education at obe@uky.edu or by calling us at (859) 218-6745. We are always happy to talk with you about our program!
When you are visiting, please park in the UK Hospital Parking structure or the Kentucky Clinic Parking structure and bring in your parking ticket for us to validate!
All those admitted to the IBS program must arrive prior to the start of IBS Orientation, which begins in August. Please plan to arrive in time to move in and get settled before the start of Orientation. The first week is especially busy and you will have little time to run errands.
The current IBS stipend is $25,000 for 12 months.
There are a great number of off-campus apartments in Lexington. Most require a car, although there are a few within walking distance. Your best bet is to do a Google search for apartments in Lexington and look through the apartment complex sites. Our current students do strongly suggest that incoming IBS students check with them before signing a lease. (A list of contacts is sent to incoming IBS students each spring.)
Information on on-campus housing for graduate students is on the Campus Housing website. Please select “Graduate & Family Housing” on the site navigation bar. There are a limited number of UK graduate student apartments available. They are furnished and close to campus. In addition, although you sign a one-year lease, you can be released from that lease with a 30-day written notice. Please apply early if you’re interested. They go on a first-come, first served basis, and they are very popular.
Yes, it is still possible for graduate students to afford houses in Lexington! To explore this option, please contact us for the names of real estate agents used by IBS students in the past.