Iowa State University

We currently are accepting applications for admission to the BCB program in Fall 2009, which is our next student enrollment period. To receive full consideration, all BCB program application materials must be received by January 15, 2009.

Program Summary - Phone Conference PDF

Financial Support

Admission Criteria

Information for Prospective Students attending ISU

Program Summary

The Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program (BCB) at Iowa State University is an exciting Interdepartmental Graduate Major which offers outstanding opportunities for graduate study toward the Ph.D. degree in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. The BCB program involves more than 60 nationally and internationally known faculty - biologists, computer scientists, mathematicians, statisticians, and physicists - who participate in a wide range of collaborative projects. Iowa State University was awarded a $3 million National Science Foundation Training Grant in Computational Molecular Biology and has established several new research centers including a Center for Bioinformatics and Biological Statistics and a Center for Plant Genomics. The NSF-IGERT Training Grant which was renewed in 2005 for five years, and the new centers, provide funding for graduate assistantships, new faculty, and new facilities for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology research.

Nearly 60 graduate students in the BCB Program have the opportunity to conduct research in all major research areas of computational molecular biology, including genomics, structural genomics, functional genomics, and computational systems biology, with access to some of the most modern experimental platforms.

General information about the BCB program is available throughout our website including information on our BCB faculty and their research interests as well as links to homepages for individual faculty and research groups.

First-year students receive graduate research assistantships and participate in research rotations in three or more laboratories to gain experience in both "wet" and "dry" lab environments. A listing of faculty currently interested in having students rotate through their lab is maintained on our rotations page and includes a brief description of potential rotation projects for each laboratory. BCB students also have the opportunity to work as interns with industrial partners. In the second year, students initiate an interdisciplinary thesis research project under the guidance of two mentors, one biological scientist and one mathematician/computer scientist/statistician. One mentor serves as the student's "major professor" and the other as the "co-major professor." Joint mentoring is viewed as a critical component of the interdisciplinary BCB training program.   top

Financial Support/Fellowships

Standard stipend. All graduate students admitted to the BCB program are supported by graduate assistantships. Yearly stipends range from $22,000 to $30,000 depending on the assistantship or fellowship received. Credits to pay for tuition and health care coverage are included with an assistantship. First-year students are guaranteed a 10.5 month research assistantship. After this time, BCB students are typically supported by either research or teaching assistantships.

Special competitive fellowships also are available for both U.S. and international BCB students who are admitted to the BCB program. For example, outstanding candidates admitted to the BCB program in Fall 2009 or 2010 will be eligible for a Miller Graduate Fellowship which provides an award up to $5,000 per year for 3 years on top of existing assistantship awards. BCB staff will nominate students for these fellowships. Read about the Miller Graduate Fellowship and other special fellowship opportunities here.

Current students also can apply for special fellowship opportunities that become available.

NSF fellowships. U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible for fellowships from Iowa State's National Science Foundation Training Grant in Computational Molecular Biology (NSF-IGERT). Fellowships have a duration of one to two years and provide a stipend of $30,000 per year. In addition, tuition, fees, and health insurance are paid for the duration of the fellowships. Funds for textbooks and scientific journals, computer software and hardware, short courses, internships, travel, and related expenses are also available. All eligible applicants to the BCB program will automatically be considered for an NSF fellowship. Additional information can be found at the NSF training grant website.   top

Admission Criteria

A limited number of student positions are available in the BCB program. In an effort to admit the best-qualified candidates with the greatest potential for success, our Admissions Committee considers many factors in evaluating applications for admission. These include previous academic training (courses taken and grades received), quality of schools attended, statement of professional goals, research experience and publications, and letters of recommendation, as well as GRE and TOEFL scores. We especially encourage applications from women and minorities.

Admission to the BCB program is highly competitive. The raw GRE scores of PhD applicants admitted typically have averaged 780 for the Quantitative portion, 580 for the Verbal portion and 5.0 in the Analytical Writing portion; TOEFL scores for admitted international applicants have averaged approximately 620 for the paper based and 260 for the computer based.

We invite and encourage prospective applicants to review the admission criteria outlined below for assistance in determining whether to apply.

Degree Objective and Timeline. The Bioinformatics and Computational Biology graduate program is designed to provide doctoral (Ph.D.) level training. The coursework, research and thesis required for the Ph.D. degree typically can be completed in five years. In special circumstances (such as when a student has a prior Ph.D. degree), students may be admitted as M.S. candidates.

Undergraduate Work. A four-year university degree (the equivalent of a bachelor's degree) is required. Successful applicants typically have an undergraduate degree in molecular biology, computer science, mathematics, statistics, physics or a closely related discipline. Strong computational, mathematical or statistical training is desirable. However, all exceptionally well-qualified applicants who present strong evidence of research potential will be considered for admission.

Academic Performance. Applicants should have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) comparable to at least a "B+" average or 3.30 out of a possible 4.00, and rank in the top quartile (25 percent) of their graduating class. Strong performance in relevant science, computer and math courses is especially valued.

Examinations. The general Graduate Records Examination (GRE) is required (requirement waived for applicants who hold a Ph.D.). The raw GRE scores of PhD applicants admitted typically have averaged 780 for the Quantitative portion, 580 for the Verbal portion and 5.0 in the Analytical Writing portion. Subject GREs are not required. International applicants must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Successful BCB applicants typically score over 620 paper based, 250 computer based or 100 on the Internet based TOEFL exams.   top

Applying to the BCB Program

To apply, please submit an application which is available

• on-line OR
• by downloading either a Word or PDF version of the application.

Also, submit the following materials to the BCB Program Office address below by January 15 to complete your application:

• 3 Recommendation letters with a Confidential Report form; (download this form as a Word or PDF file.)
• Photocopies of Transcripts (in English);
• Photocopy of GRE scores and TOEFL scores;
• Statement of professional goals;
• Resume;
• Statement of previous research experience and publications.

Contact Us

If you have questions, please contact us by email at bcb@iastate.edu

Co-Major, Concurrent and Transfer Applications
For current Iowa State University graduate students

Application checklists and forms for current Iowa State University graduate students who wish to apply for co-major, concurrent or transfer admission to the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology graduate program can be downloaded..

• Co-major checklist and application (Word)
• Concurrent checklist and application (Word)
• Transfer checklist and application (Word)