Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences accepts applications for PhD training each fall. Our application is now open. The deadline is December 2, 12 noon ET. Please have all materials, including letters of recommendation, submitted by that final deadline.

Our PhD curriculum allows you the flexibility to choose from multiple areas of research focus upon which to build a foundation in knowledge, and to complete three lab rotations during your first year to gain research experience. This gives you plenty of opportunities to find a mentor for your time in graduate school. If you are committed to training in neuroscience, please apply through the NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science portal.

Admissions Timeline

Application opens: August 1, 2024
Virtual Open House: October 2, 2024, at 12:00 noon EST
Application Advice Session: November 13, 2024, at 12:00 noon EST
Application deadline: December 2, 2024, at 12:00 noon EST
Interview invitations sent: December 2024
Interview sessions: January to February 2025
Admissions decisions: March 2025
Program start date: August 2025 (exact date varies year to year)

Admissions Overview

To apply, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a college or university of recognized standing, with a strong background in biological, chemical, physical, or mathematical sciences. We have no minimum GPA requirement and welcome all academic majors. We look for a proven track record in science and previous research experience, which should be showcased in your personal statement and letters of recommendation. We do not accept Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) scores.

Generally, evaluation for admission to our open program is based on the following criteria:

• research experience
• academic achievement
• letters of recommendation
• scientific potential

The following components make up the application for the PhD program:

• an undergraduate transcript
• a personal statement
• three recommendation letters
• a resume or CV
• an application fee is $100

The personal statement should address the following: meaningful research experience(s) that has motivated you to apply to this summer program, immediate and long-term goals, and life experiences that have contributed to your potential.

Applicants can request fee waivers directly within the PhD application portal.

You may submit applications to other NYU schools while applying to the Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences PhD open program. Please note that each application has a separate fee.

Required Exams

We do not require, and will not accept, the GRE or GRE subject test scores.

We no longer require proof of English proficiency. There is no need to submit TOEFL or IELTS test scores.

International Applicants

We welcome international applicants. We evaluate all applicants using the same measures and accept candidates regardless of their nationality. You do not need to provide an evaluation of your transcript if it is in English. However, if your GPA was calculated on a scale other than the 4.0 scale used in the United States, please provide an evaluation that shows the conversion of your score into one on the 4.0 scale. If your GPA was calculated on a scale of 1 to 100, you do not need to provide an evaluation.

You are welcome to use any trusted organization to evaluate your transcript. We are most familiar with World Education Services, Educational Credential Evaluators, or SpanTran (through our evaluation portal).

Applicants with Disabilities

We’re committed to providing all students with equal educational opportunities and seek to provide a hospitable working and learning environment for qualified individuals with disabilities. We encourage prospective students to apply regardless of disability. Accommodations and services are provided through NYU’s Moses Center for Student Accessibility.

Submitting Your Online Application

All application materials should be submitted through our application system, which is now open. While there is no need to apply early, please make sure all of your letters and materials are submitted by the deadline.

You can check the status of any missing items directly within the system. Please be sure to check periodically, as applications will not be considered complete and ready to review unless all letters of recommendation have been received. You are able to send reminders to your requested recommenders through our application system as well.

All applicants will receive an email indicating that their status has changed through our application portal.

PhD Candidate Interviews

After an initial screening, selected candidates are invited for virtual interviews with our research faculty and students.

When selecting candidates to interview for the PhD program, the admissions committee values research experience, so please highlight that in your application. It will also help to let us know what research areas you are interested in, so if you are invited for an interview, we can match you with suitable faculty members. We have provided a tool for you to search our training faculty by research areas.

Please note that we receive approximately 1,700 PhD applications per year, though the numbers vary from year to year. We invite about 320 applicants to interview for our PhD program. Invitations to interview go out in December and interviews take place between January and February.

At this time, we do not offer campus tours for applicants.

Admissions Decisions

PhD program admissions decisions are released in March. We typically accept less than half of those who are invited to interview, with a target of about 45 students per class.

Contact Admissions

Our office is located in Manhattan at 550 First Avenue in room 410 of the Medical Science Building.

If you have questions about the admissions process or the PhD program, call 212-263-5648 or email Vilcek-Info@NYULangone.org, or use our chat box.