Answers to common questions related to PhD programs at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis are provided on this page.
Access the Application Management system on Indiana University's Graduate Education website.
Students must pay an application fee, submit their personal statement, CV/resume, educational documents, letters of recommendations, department questions and upload their English Proficiency documents.
The priority deadline is Nov. 1, and the final deadline is Dec. 1.
Yes, the most impressive applications are from students who have in-depth research experience. An example of a great research experience would be a research project outside of a class lasting eight weeks or longer in which the applicant thinks about the project, asks questions, designs and conducts experiments, and interprets data. This type of research would be deemed independent because critical thinking is involved from start to finish even though it is likely to be supervised by a faculty mentor, postdoc or senior graduate student. Presenting your results at a conference or publishing an abstract or paper would also be to your advantage.
There are no formal course requirements for the IBMG program, however students are expected to have a strong background in the sciences. The committee looks for protein biochemistry, cell biology and molecular biology, as well as 300 and 400 level science courses on the transcript. Courses and associated lab experiences that provide a good background for graduate course work include, but are not limited to: biology, physics, chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, cell biology and genetics. Obtaining a bachelor’s degree in a science major is a step in the right direction. In all cases, the admissions committee expects a B or better in the coursework. A grade of C+ or lower should be addressed in the personal statement.
Yes, you can submit scanned copies of your education documents and test scores as part of the application.
While we ask about faculty and research areas of interest as part of the application, you do not need to secure a faculty mentor before applying. If admitted, we provide several opportunities during the first eight weeks of class to meet faculty with openings in their labs (reception, ice cream social, luncheons, etc.). Admitted students then complete three eight-week-long rotations (one during the fall semester then two during the spring semester). At the end of the first year, students select a lab and one of the doctoral degrees.
Applicants are notified immediately via email when there has been a status update. All interview decisions will be made by Dec. 15, and admissions decisions will be made by March 1.
Our IBMG program provides a living stipend of $38,000, tuition and mandatory fees, and health and dental insurance throughout your course of study. This is offered to all incoming students that are eligible to work within the U.S. or on a valid visa, as long as the student is full-time, making progress towards the degree (as determined by their research committee) and adequate progress in the coursework (GPA at or above 3.0).