Thank you for your interest in the Genetics, Genomics, & Bioinformatics (GGB) Graduate Program at U.C. Riverside! Our program is unique, encompassing all facets of contemporary research within genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics. We provide innovative state-of-the-art interdisciplinary training in these fields. More than 75 faculty from the following departments participate in the GGB Graduate Program.
Our faculty are not only leaders in their fields but also exceptional mentors to graduate students. This combination makes for a vibrant and productive graduate program.
Application Information
GGB Funding Consideration Priority Deadline:
The priority deadline to be considered for financial support for Fall 2025 is December 1, 2024.
General application deadline for Fall 2025 is January 5, 2025 11:59 PM PST. Application will close after this deadline.
Prospective GGB graduate students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. To be considered for financial assistance for your graduate training in the GGB Graduate Program, your application must be completed by January 5th. The GGB Admissions Committee recommends student applicants for the competitive fellowships, tuition grants, and fee grants that are supported by the UC Riverside Graduate Division.
GGB graduate students are supported in part by fellowships and grants from the UC Riverside Graduate Division. In addition, financial assistance for GGB students also includes appointments as teaching assistants or graduate student researchers. Most often, the GGB Graduate Program, Graduate Division, and a GGB faculty mentor will partner their funds to offer incoming students multi-year financial packages. The costs of graduate education and specifics about many aspects of financial aid can be found at the UC Riverside Graduate Division website on Financial Support.
Students are encouraged to take independent steps to find alternative sources of funding. Domestic students can find information about alternative funding sources through the Graduate Division. Many of the competitive national fellowships must be submitted during the first few months of graduate school. Please plan ahead. Acquiring a competitive national fellowship is a real sign of achievement.
Contacting Faculty before applying to the Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics Graduate Program is not required but it might help your chances in getting into the program if faculty know who you are. You can view the list of programs faculty here. https://genetics.ucr.edu/people/faculty
The Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics (GGB) Graduate Program accepts students with a diverse array of academic training given the breadth of our curriculum and faculty research interests. An undergraduate degree (BA or BS) from an accredited institution with a major appropriate to the proposed graduate program is required. Some International Applicants may also be required to have an M.S. Degree.
The GGB Graduate Program has separate entry requirements for applicants coming from a genetics/molecular or bioinformatics/computational background. Occasionally, students enter the GGB Graduate Program and have not taken all of the entry-level classes. In these instances, the graduate student takes the needed background class(es) in the first quarter in residence.
| Background in Genetics and Molecular Biology | Background in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or Statistics |
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| * If you are missing any of the entry requirements, you may still be eligible for admission. Please inquire. | |
Admission to the GGB Graduate Program is recommended by the GGB Admissions Committee. Admission is based on a number of factors, including academic degrees and records, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, test scores, and relevant experience. The appropriateness of the applicant's goals to the degree program and its relationship to the research interests of the faculty is also considered.
This exam is not required for admission.
Once you submit your application, the Graduate Student Services Advisor will manually waive the GRE requirement. Please ignore any automated emails regarding this exam.
English Language Proficiency Examinations
All applicants entering graduate study at UCR whose native language is not English and who have not earned an undergraduate (bachelor's or first-degree equivalent) or advanced degree (master's or doctorate) at an institution where English is the exclusive language of instruction must demonstrate English language proficiency through the following options.
If you meet one of the qualifications below, you will qualify for an English Language Requirement Waiver. The Graduate Program or the Graduate Admissions Office will review and note approved waivers on your application status portal.
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You earn a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited US college or university where English is the sole language of instruction OR
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You earn a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from an accredited international college or university that provides instruction solely in English.
- You earn a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from an accredited international college or university from the following countries: Australia, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Sierra Leone, the United Kingdom, and Canada (excluding French language universities). OR
- You earn a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from an accredited international college or university that lists English as their sole language of instruction in the IAU World Higher Education Database (WHED). OR
- Your institution notes language of instruction is English via: statement on its official transcript, a letter accompanying the transcript, or on the institution's official website.
Graduate programs require three (3) letters of recommendation. The most important aspect of letters of recommendation is that they be completed by the individuals who are in a position to analyze your academic ability and potential for success in a rigorous graduate program. Your recommender must submit the reference letter electronically as instructed in the email they will receive upon entering and saving their contact information in this section. Paper copies of letters of recommendation received in support of your application will not be accepted.
Recommender Guidelines
- At least two of the three letters should be requested from professors in your major subject if you are in progress to complete or recently completed your bachelor's degree or its equivalent. Those letters may highlight course work or research completed.
- If you have been enrolled in or completed a graduate program, a minimum of one letter must be from your program's research or program advisor in that graduate program. If you do not have an advisor, a letter from a faculty member who taught you in a graduate level course is acceptable.
- If you wish to submit a letter from an employer, please contact the graduate program advisor to determine if this will be acceptable.
- You may submit no more than five letters in total.
Tips:
- All letters of recommendation must be submitted in English.
- If you wish to waive your right to inspect the letters of recommendation, mark the appropriate response. Only enrolled UCR students are permitted to inspect letters of recommendation for which they did not waive their right to access. The earliest you may inspect any letters you did not waive your rights, is after the third week of classes in your first quarter as a graduate student at UCR.
- Letters of recommendation cannot be released to the applicant, even if rights are not waived, nor be forwarded elsewhere.
- Applicants using Interfolio's online portfolio service may have their letters uploaded to our online application by providing the unique email address. To do so, please visit the Interfolio Help Article on where to find that email address. If you have questions, you may contact Interfolio at help@interfolio.com or call (877) 997-8807.
The following documents will be required for your graduate application.
Academic Statement of Purpose: Goals and Qualifications
Your responses to the following specific questions will aid the selection committee in evaluating your preparation and aptitude for graduate study at UCR. ALL applicants are required to submit this form. Please note that your statement should not exceed a 3,000 characters (including spaces) limit.
Please state your specific interests with respect to the program to which you are applying. The following information should be included in this statement:
1. Your intended area of specialization, career objectives, and research interests and experience.
2. A brief occupational resume if any significant period has elapsed since you were last enrolled in an academic institution.
3. Academic awards, prizes, honors, fellowships or other distinctions you have received.
4. Work experience or activities pertinent to your graduate goals.
5. If pertinent to your proposed field of study, please list your publications and any scholarly or professional organizations in which you hold membership.
Applicant Statement of Personal History
ALL applicants are required to submit this statement. Please note that your statement is limited to 3,000 characters (including spaces). YOU MAY NOT USE YOUR PERSONAL RESUME or CURRICULUM VITAE AS A RESPONSE TO THESE QUESTIONS.
Please note that the Personal History Statement should not duplicate the Statement of Purpose.
In an essay, discuss how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Please include any educational, familial, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey; how you might contribute to social or cultural diversity within your chosen field; and/or how you might serve educationally underrepresented segments of society with your degree.
Who is Eligible?
US Citizens, Permanent Residents, and Undocumented (AB540, DACA, or both) applicants who:
- Demonstrate financial need/financial hardship OR
- Be a current or recent participant in certain graduate preparation programs that qualify for a fee waiver
Waiver Deadlines
- Waiver requests need to be submitted a minimum of 5 business days prior to the graduate program’s posted application priority deadline. Complete requests will be processed within 2-3 business days by our office.
- The Graduate Admissions Office will be closed December 23, 2024 - January 1, 2025. Any requests received on or after December 19, 2024 will not be processed until the week of January 2, 2025.
Financial Hardship
Financial hardship fee waivers for the 2025-26 academic year will open at 8:00 a.m. (PST) on October 1, 2024. Complete the Financial Hardship Fee Waiver form to waive the $135 application fee. A limited amount of fee waivers are available and processed on a first-come, first-served basis. A fee waiver can only be applied to one application.
For the 2025-26 application cycle, the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) will be replaced by the Student Aid Index (SAI).
Eligibility Criteria 2025-2026
- Federal Aid - U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and Dream Scholars with a Student Aid Index (SAI) of $4,000 or less.
- Financial Hardship - Not exceeding the Gross Income Maximum based on your Household size provided in the below table. Household size is determined by the number of people you report or claim on your income tax forms for the previous year. If you are claimed as a dependent, your household size is determined by the total number of people claimed on your tax form (IRS 1040). A copy of this form must be submitted for eligibility verification. If you are independent and have no earned income, you must document how you supported yourself for the past year and why you do not have sufficient funds to pay the application fee.
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Household Size |
Gross Income Maximum |
|---|---|
| 1 | $26,355 |
| 2 | $35,770 |
| 3 | $45,185 |
| 4 | $54,600 |
| 5 | $64,015 |
| 6 | $73,430 |
| 7 | $82,845 |
| 8 | $92,260 |
Required Documentation
- Federal Aid - Provide a copy of your letter from a financial aid officer at the institution you are currently attending or a 2024-25 Student Aid Report (SAR) generated from your current FASFA. The document must include your Student Aid Index (SAI).
- Financial Hardship - Attach a copy of your most recently filed Federal Income Tax Return. Please provide IRS Form 1040 if you are not claimed as a dependent or a copy of the Federal Income Tax Return on which you are listed as a dependent. Please remove your Social Security Number by blacking the numbers before providing these forms to our office.
Graduate Preparation Program
If you are a current or recent participant in any of the eligible graduate preparation programs, you may qualify for an application fee waiver to one graduate program at UC Riverside. For those who visited our booth at ABRCMS and SACNAS, you will receive an email with further instructions on how to request your application fee waiver.
Fee Waiver Request
Only U.S. Citizens and U.S. Permanent Residents may request a waiver for the application fee. If you are currently in a graduate program or recently completed one and your graduate preparation program participation was from your undergraduate program, you are not eligible for a fee waiver.
- Complete the first three sections of your online application.
- Complete and submit the fee waiver request form. Further instructions on proof of participation required are provided in the that form.
Please refer to your online application for the required deadline submission or program's noted priority deadline posted on their website. Make sure to submit the Application Fee Waiver Request form a minimum of 5-7 business days prior to the appropriate deadline. Our office will not be able to process a fee waiver without the submission of the request form and saved application.
Eligible Graduate Preparation Program
- Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP)
- American Political Science Association Ralph Bunche Summer Institute Program (APSA RBSI Scholars)
- Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD-NIH)
- CAS Summer Research Program for Underrepresented Minorities and Women
- Cal Poly Pomona Bridges to Doctorate Program
- California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) Bridge Program in Physics, Astronomy, Computer Science, and Computer Engineering (Cal-Bridge)
- California State University (CSU) Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholars Program
- California Diversity Forum (The California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education)
- California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP)
- College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) STEM Pathway Program
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT)
- Gates Millennium Scholars Program (GMS)
- The National GEM Consortium (GEM)
- Guardian Scholars Program
- Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) - NIH Programs
- Institute for Recruitment of Teachers (IRT) Fellows
- Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
- Math Alliance: F-Gap
- Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC)
- Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS)
- Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF)
- McNair Scholars Program
- Mentoring Summer Research Internship Program (MSRIP)
- National Association of African-American Honors Programs (NAAAHP)
- NIH Bridges to Doctorate Program (CSU Fresno or Northridge)
- NIH Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP)
- Northwestern Causeway Postbaccalaureate Certificate Program
- Questbridge Scholars
- Research Initiative for Science Enhancement (MBRS RISE)
- Rutgers Summer Institute for Diversity in Philosophy
- Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) @ UC Irvine
- UC Historically Black Colleges and Universities Initiative (UC-HBCU)
- UC Leadership through Advanced Degrees (UC LEADS)
- UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) Reciprocity
If you don't see your program, please contact grdadmis@ucr.edu to see if the program is eligible. At this time, we do not offer fee waivers for AmeriCorps or Peace Corps.
Domestic (US Citizens, Permanent Residents, and Undocumented* Applicants)
Application Fee: $135
International Applicants
Application Fee: $155
*AB540, DACA, or both
| 3 points | 2 points | 1 point | |
| A. Academic Preparation | |||
| Applicant has the academic preparation in Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics (GGB), and related fields needed to succeed in GGB's course and research work. | Applicant’s undergraduate cumulative GPA is greater than 3.5. | Applicant’s undergraduate cumulative GPA is between 3.0 and 3.5. | Applicant’s undergraduate cumulative GPA is below 3.0. |
| Applicant has completed all prerequisite coursework. | Applicant has completed most prerequisite coursework. | Applicant has not completed most prerequisite coursework. | |
| Grades in past science and/or GGB-related coursework are universally very strong (mostly A grades). | Grades in past science and/or GGB-related coursework are acceptable (A or B grades). | Grades in past science and/or GGB-related coursework are not strong (mostly B, C or lower grades ). | |
| Strong letters of recommendation are included from past instructors in science and/or GGB-related coursework. | Good letters of recommendation are included from past instructors in science and/or GGB-related coursework. | Letters of recommendation from past instructors are weak or not included. | |
| B. Research Experience | |||
| Applicant demonstrates the ability to creatively perform research in Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics (GGB), or related fields at the undergraduate and/or MS level. | Applicant has regularly and consistently been involved in research activities as an undergraduate or MS student. At least one strong letter recommendation is from a current or past research supervisor. | Applicant has participated in research occasionally as an undergraduate or MS student, as documented in letters of reference. At least one recommendation is from a current or past research supervisor. | Applicant has not participated in research or participated only for a short time (e.g., one or two terms) as an undergraduate or MS student. A letter from a current or past research supervisor is absent. |
| Applicant has made extensive contributions to GGB-related research areas as an undergraduate or MS student. This is documented by one or more of the following: authorship on peer-reviewed publication(s), or letters of reference from past research supervisor(s), or other elements of the application materials. | Applicant’s past research experience did not result in publication authorship. Previous contributions or creativity are documented explicitly in letters of reference from past research supervisor(s), or in other elements of the application materials. | Because applicant has little or no research experience, no past contributions and/or creativity are documented in the application materials. | |
| C. Program Fit | |||
| Applicant’s research interests align with the research programs and interests of GGB Program faculty. | Applicant's research interests strongly align with one or more GGB Program faculty in an experimental or computational field, or both. | Applicant’s research interest are only moderately aligned with GGB Program faculty research activities. | Applicant does not express interest in specific GGB Program faculty research. |
| Letters of reference advocate for the applicant’s alignment specifically with GGB Program faculty research interests. | Letters of reference are positive in a general sense, but do not address the applicant’s alignment specifically with GGB Program faculty research interests. | Letters of reference provide evidence that the applicant’s interests do not align with GGB Program faculty research interests. | |
| At least one GGB Program faculty express strong interest in the applicant. | GGB Program faculty express moderate interest in the applicant. | GGB Program faculty are not interested in this applicant. | |
| D. Communication | |||
| Applicant demonstrates the ability to communicate clearly with faculty and peers. | Applicant demonstrates strong knowledge of the literature, either through their personal statements or through the reference letters. | Applicant demonstrates evidence of knowledge of the literature, either through their personal statements or through the reference letters. | Applicant demonstrates little or no evidence of knowledge of the literature. |
| The personal statements of the applicant provide an articulate narrative for why the applicant is seeking admission to the GGB Program. This narrative includes strong reasoning and logical organization of clear arguments. | A borderline personal statement may include a narrative for why the applicant is seeking admission to the GGB Program. However, this narrative may lack strong logical organization of clear arguments. | An unacceptable personal statement does not include an explanation of why the applicant is seeking admission to the GGB Program, and lacks logical organization and reasoning. | |
| Reference letters document very well-developed oral and written communication skills. | Reference letters document well-developed oral and written communication skills. | Reference letters do not document well-developed oral and written communication skills. | |
| E. Diversity and Inclusiveness | |||
| Contributions to diversity and disadvantaged background. | Two or more of 3 criteria apply: Applicant (1) clearly describes how their research interests contribute to diversity and inclusion; (2) is a first-generation student or comes from a disadvantaged background; or (3) has made many contributions to diversity. | One of 3 criteria apply: Applicant (1) clearly describes how their research interests contribute to diversity and inclusion; (2) is a first-generation student or comes from disadvantaged background; or (3) has made many contributions to diversity. | None of the 3 diversity criteria apply to the candidate. |
| Overcoming adversity. | Application materials document evidence of overcoming adversity. | Applicant materials document limited evidence of overcoming adversity. | Application materials document no evidence of overcoming adversity. |
| Scoring: Each admission rubric category (A-E) will receive a numerical score from 1.0 to 3.0. Partial sores between 1-3 can be assigned to applicants who meet the specified requirements partially. Candidates will be ranked by the sum of the 5 scores. | |||
We recommend that you contact the Graduate Student Services Advisor, Anthony Dominguez, if you have questions about the admissions process or the GGB Graduate Program.
Please mail your application materials to:
University of California, Riverside
Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics Graduate Program
900 University Avenue
1140 Batchelor Hall
Riverside, CA 92521