Application Essay(s): You will be asked to write a statement of purpose (why you want to come to UCSF to do science, etc.) research experience summaries describing your individual research experiences, and a comprehensive research summary.
*New as of Fall 2026!*
BMS Personal Statement Review Program (BMS PSRP): The PSRP is a student-run initiative geared towards helping prospective UCSF BMS applicants with their personal statement. Participants will be paired up with a current PhD student and receive one round of feedback on their personal statement prior to the November 16th deadline. Applications are open September 21st to October 21st— spots are limited, so apply early!
Link to submit: https://ucsf.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3gcUleWwcjaQOWO
Letters of recommendation: We accept electronic letters of recommendation; instructions for submitting all letters are included with our online application. Three letters are required.
Resume/CV: Please upload a current resume/CV listing your publications, work and research experience.
Transcripts: We require a transcript from each institute of higher education that you have attended. High school transcripts are not required. You may scan 'official' (just not a screenshot of your transcript from your student portal) transcripts in PDF format and upload directly to the application. The Graduate Education Office requires that transcripts from institutions outside of the US be accompanied by an evaluation from an accredited evaluation service prior to matriculation. We recommend World Education Services (WES). However, you do not need to submit an official WES evaluation as part of your application unless your transcripts are in a language other than English and the grading scale is something an admissions committee member would not understand without proper translation. You can scan the evaluation into your application along with your transcript. We strongly recommend you upload your transcript into your application and not have a paper copy sent to our office. If you are unable to provide a scan of your transcript, please request them to be mailed directly to us from the originating institution. Allow several weeks for arrival by the November 15th deadline by requesting them as early as possible from the originating institution. Transcripts must be sent directly by the institution; please do not mail copies yourself. The mailing address for both surface mail and courier/overnight delivery (such as UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.) is:
Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program
University of California, San Francisco
513 Parnassus Ave., Room HSE-1285, Box 0505
San Francisco, CA 94143-0505
Test Scores: BMS no longer requires the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) as a requirement for admission. Submitting GRE scores is completely OPTIONAL. For more information about GRE scores and deadlines, see our "Applying to BMS" page.
International applicants - For information on English language requirements and TOEFL waivers, please visit https://graduate.ucsf.edu/admission/intl-admission-requirements.
Application fee: There is a $120 application fee ($140 for international applicants). Instructions for submitting the fee are included in the online application. We encourage students to seek application waivers based on financial need, participation in certain programs, and universities, and other extenuating circumstances. Unfortunately, UCSF is unable to offer fee waivers to international applicants at this time. The Graduate Education website has full information on fee waivers.
Note that fee waivers must be requested and approved in advance of the application deadline. Although the normal turnaround is 2 business days, it is helpful to do it as soon as you are initiating your application (up to 3 months in advance of the deadline). Fee waivers are not seen by the BMS admissions committee and have no impact on your application.