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Eligibility & Admissions

Eligibility

Eligibility requirements for the PREP have been outlined by the National Institutes of Health. Specifically, participants must:

  • be a citizen or a noncitizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of appointment.
  • be a member of a group identified as underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences, as defined by the NIH.
  • have a baccalaureate degree in a biomedically relevant discipline from an accredited college or university awarded no more than 36 months prior to applying to PREP,
  • not be enrolled in a degree program during the entire duration of the PREP program.
  • intend to apply to research-focused biomedical doctoral degree programs (e.g., PhD) during or immediately following completion of the research education program.

Only eligible applications will be considered. For more information, please call 210-567-0957 or email us at prep@uthscsa.edu.

Admissions

The online application is free for all applicants; there is no application fee. Prospective applicants will need to submit the following information for their application to be considered by the PREP advisory committee:

  • A completed online application
  • An updated curriculum vitae or resumé documenting educational background, volunteering, and research/work experience
  • A Personal Statement that includes previous experiences/training that motivate you to pursue a doctoral degree in biomedical sciences, your strengths and weaknesses as an applicant to a PhD program, your expectations from the PREP program in overcoming those weaknesses, and any challenges that may have hindered your career goals. In your statement, provide the names of up to three program faculty members whose research is of particular interest to you.
  • Unofficial transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. At the time of matriculation into the program, applicants must have a baccalaureate degree in a biomedically relevant discipline and have a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Exceptional applicants with GPA <3.0 will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Note that official transcripts will be required to be submitted to the Registrar’s office when accepted into the program, prior to matriculation. For students currently enrolled in classes, please provide transcripts with grades. For applicants who have completed a bachelor’s degree, please include your final transcript.
  • Three Letters of Recommendation from individuals who can provide further insight on the academic, research, and professional accomplishments of the applicant and readiness for graduate school.

The applicant must be willing to submit additional information or other materials about themselves if requested by the program.

Note: The Graduate Record Examination (GRE)/MCAT/DAT is not required for admission to the PREP. However, if you have taken the test, we welcome self-reported scores as a part of your application.

Applications open on September 1 and close on April 30; applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. All application materials, including official scores and letters of recommendation must be received for evaluation. Selected candidates will be interviewed virtually by the PREP Advisory Committee. After clearance of background checks, accepted candidates will be notified.