General Information

• Only students who intend to pursue a Ph.D. degree full-time are accepted into the program. Admission into the MCB program is based on appraisal of each applicant's prior academic record, letters of recommendation, involvement in research or other activities which indicate a strong commitment to graduate study.

• It is typical that entering graduate students will have had at least one year each of physics, and mathematics (calculus) and two years of biology and chemistry (general and organic) although relevant material will be covered in the MCB core course during the first year of graduate study.

• It is the long-standing policy of Dartmouth College to actively support equality of opportunity for all persons regardless of race or ethnic background, and no student will be denied admission or be otherwise discriminated against because of race, color, gender, religion, age, national or ethnic origin.

• The MCB program receives more than 500 applications each year and enrolls between 30 and 35 students each August.

• Applications to MCB are reviewed by an MCB graduate admissions committee, composed of MCB faculty and student representatives.

• We do not release information about our current students such as GPA or research interests (average or actual).

• The MCB academic year is arranged by terms - Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer - and requires attendance on campus for all four terms.

An overview of required materials and a link to our online application is listed in the Deadlines and Required Materials. Applications for students wishing to start in Fall 2025 will become available in early September 2024.

For more information, including FAQ's, please check out these links: MCB Program FAQs, Admissions information, General Admission FAQs, and Funding information.

To be in competitive range, we recommend the following, though MCB has no cutoffs and all applications are reviewed wholistically:

• GPA: 3.0 or above
• TOEFL (for International applicants):  Internet exam 100 or above, computer-based 250 or above
• IELTS:  7.0 or above (in place of TOEFL)
• Duolingo: 130 or above (in place of TOEFL or IELTS)

The Admissions Committee will review each application and then contact those applicants to be interviewed.  Our in-person interview weekends are January 16-19 and January 23-26, 2025. Applicants residing outside of the US may be contacted in January for virtual interviews January 29-31, 2025.

The MCB Program is enriched and strengthened by students and faculty from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Prospective MCB students attending SACNAS, ABRCMS, and other scientific conferences are encouraged to stop by the Dartmouth booths to meet representatives and find out more about us.

Applicants are welcome to directly contact the MCB Program (MCB@dartmouth.edu) or visit the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies Diversity Page for more information regarding opportunities at Dartmouth. Dartmouth is a long-standing member of the Leadership Alliance and we are proud to continue providing educational opportunities that welcome and are enhanced by all forms of diversity.

Students are strongly encouraged to contact either the MCB Program or the Office for Visa and Immigration Services (OVIS) at Dartmouth for advice.

International students can find assistance in obtaining proper documentation through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

A very helpful site, with information on applying to graduate schools as well as traveling to the U.S., is EducationUSA. There, you will also find locations of the EducationUSA advising centers near you.

Up-to-date information can also be found at the following locations:

U.S. Visa information

U.S. State Department Travel information