Prospective Students
Notice: Application deadline has changed to November 15th
Notice: Application deadline has changed to November 15th
Thank you for your interest in joining the department of Integrative Biology—or, as we like to call it, IBIO—for your graduate studies. Here, you will find information on degree tracks, steps required for applicants, research centers and faculty research foci, as well as information on funding available to students.
Program Overview
Our graduate program generally includes 50-60 enrolled students at any given time. Each student is admitted to the graduate program under the sponsorship of a faculty member(s) whose research interests match those of the applicant. It is not typical for an IBIO student to do rotations, with most students immediately joining the lab of their sponsoring faculty member.
We expect applicants will carefully review the research interests of faculty accepting graduate students and contact prospective graduate advisors approximately 1 to 4 months before the application deadline (November 15th) to inquire about possible sponsorship.
Students can satisfy the degree requirements for Integrative Biology alone or obtain a joint degree with one of MSU’s interdisciplinary graduate programs.
Finding an Advisor
To assure consideration of your application, you must contact faculty members whose interests match your own. Do this before you apply. Be prepared to send a curriculum vitae and a statement of your research interests and career goals. Faculty can advise a limited number of graduate students simultaneously, so it may not be possible to sponsor a new student even if that applicant is very accomplished. However, you do have an opportunity to convince that faculty member(s) why you would be a good addition to the lab.
Interdisciplinary Programs
Many of our faculty members have a strong interdisciplinary component to their research programs and maintain collaborations with scientists in other MSU departments. Students can satisfy the degree requirements for Integrative Biology alone or obtain a joint degree with one of MSU’s interdisciplinary graduate programs, and/or obtain Graduate Certificate(s). It is common for our graduate students to complete the requirements of one or more of the interdisciplinary graduate programs. Depending upon the program, this may lead to a single dual major degree or an additional degree (e.g. a master’s degree in another field). IBIO students can dual major with any department on campus, with the approval of the committee and both departments.
Dual Major & Dual Degree Programs
Financial Support
Many of our graduate students receive some form of support to cover living expenses and tuition during their studies. The two most common types of support are
- Teaching Assistantships—Students assist in teaching a course or lab for approximately 20 hours per week.
- Research Assistantships—Students work full-time on scientific research. Funding is provided by grants to the individual student or to their advisor.
Doctoral students are guaranteed 5 years of support, and Master of Science Plan A students are guaranteed 3 years of support. Master of Science Plan B students are not guaranteed financial support but are eligible for graduate assistantships if available.
Besides living expenses and tuition, you will need funds to cover research costs. Funds are often available from faculty research grants, but you are encouraged to apply for research funding once you start the graduate program. Learn more about financial support for our graduate students. We also encourage you to discuss funding options with your prospective advisor(s).
Prerequisite Courses
Completion of the following undergraduate course requirements are strongly recommended for all students applying to the Department of Integrative Biology. While every effort should be made to be completely prepared prior to matriculation, if an applicant has not fulfilled one of these prerequisites it does not prevent their application from moving forward but it may be necessary to correct such shortcomings while at MSU. These decisions are made once the student and their advisor have evaluated their background and direction of research.
|
Course Area |
Prerequisite Course Level |
|---|---|
|
Mathematics |
Math through first-semester calculus, plus one additional calculus or statistics course. |
|
Chemistry |
Chemistry through first-semester organic chemistry, plus additional organic chemistry or biochemistry course. |
|
Physics |
One semester of college-level physics. |
Prepare to Apply
Application Deadline: November 15th
At Michigan State University, applications to graduate programs are submitted through the University’s Graduate School and then reviewed by the academic department. Below are the steps you should follow to prepare for your application to the Graduate Program in Integrative Biology.
- Review the list of recruiting faculty to determine what laboratories best match your research interests
- Before applying, contact prospective faculty advisors to see if they will accept new students for the next year. Consider scheduling a virtual meeting or a visit to campus to discuss your research interests with your prospective advisor(s) and other members of the department.
- Line up strong letters of support and prepare strong application statements (Personal Statement and a Research Statement; see below for application materials).
Though all applications are reviewed, applications without sponsorship from an Integrative Biology faculty member are typically not competitive. When the application review process begins, IBIO faculty are surveyed for their endorsement of applicants to their lab. Make sure to contact prospective faculty advisors prior to applying.
To be considered complete, your application must include:
- Personal Statement, detailing your interest in applying to graduate study in the Department of Integrative Biology and your future professional goals
- Research Statement, providing a brief account of any research that you may have already done, briefly summarizing objectives, methods, results or other pertinent training. Elaborate on current research interests and how that fits into the lab you plan on joining
- CV
- Official Transcript(s)
- Three (3) letters of recommendation
Application Review Criteria
While the exact metrics and weighting used for evaluating applications can vary from year to year, the IBIO graduate admissions committee considers four major criteria when judging applications:
- Potential and preparedness for producing impactful research,
- Evidence of an active and independent ability to develop scientific concepts and spearhead their career,
- Evidence of coursework preparation, research, and achievement in the field, and
- Demonstrated contributions to and leadership in scientific citizenship, public outreach, and community enrichment.
For the 2025-2026 admissions cycle, applications were reviewed using this rubric.