• AP Biology score of 4 or 5, or 8 hrs of college level general biology
• SAT I combined math and verbal score above 1400
• A strong letter of recommendation from a science teacher in high school, preferably one who taught AP Biology
• An interview with the Admissions Committee. The admissions committee is a three-member committee consisting of the Chair of Department of Biology, the Chair of the Biology Graduate Committee, and Director of the BS/MS Program
• Students may enter the program before starting their second year as a a biology major after completing biology courses at least through General Biology II.
• Students participating in this degree also may enroll in the Honors Program

Successful continuation in the program will require:

• A 3.0 cumulative average and science course average. Failure to maintain this average will result in a one semester probation period during which time the student must improve the GPA to a 3.0
• Strong letters of commendation from each of the faculty evaluators in whose labs the students rotated during the first two years in order to begin thesis research
• Successful completion of the written and oral thesis proposal typically by the end of the student's seventh semester