Structural Biology & Biophysics Program @ Duke University

Program Application FAQ's:

1) What are the prerequisites for admission?

Students are expected to have taken at least 4 of the 5 following:  chemistry through organic and physical, physics through electricity and magnetism, mathematics through calculus, biology courses (such as intro cell biology, genetics, etc.), and laboratory research experience.  Competitive students lacking some of this undergraduate training will be expected to remedy this prior to or during their first year in the program;   for instance, some of our physical-science-based students will need to increase their familiarity with biology.  Because our core curriculum relies heavily on rigorous mathematical treatment of biophysical phenomena and techniques, a significant grounding in the physical sciences is necessary for meaningful completion of the Structural Biology and Biophysics Program.

2) What are the GRE Institution and Department codes?

The Duke Institutional Code is R5156. The department/major field code does not matter because all applications go through the same office in the Graduate School.

3) What is the application deadline?

The Duke Graduate School's deadline for a reduced application fee of $65 is November 15th. Although the Graduate School's "Priority Deadline" is December 15th, the SBB Program will accept applications submitted by December 31st.

4) What are the minimum GRE scores or grade point average (GPA) required for admission?

You can view the statistics from previous admissions here. As can be seen from these statistics, we are highly selective. However, we have no cut-offs for quantitative measurements of achievement. A GRE score below 550 does not preclude admission of a student with an otherwise strong application. Likewise, when a GPA below 3.2 is found along with good GRE scores and strong letters of recommendation, transcripts are examined to determine which courses account for the low GPA and when during the student's undergraduate career the low grades were received. Uniformly high grades in the last two or three terms can compensate for low grades received earlier in an applicant's undergraduate career.

5) Is financial aid available?

Yes. Most SBB graduate students receive stipends for the entire time they are in graduate school. The uniform stipend for academic year 2007 - 2008 is $25,000, which goes very far given Durham's low cost of living. Tuition and most fees are usually also covered by the University. Unfortunately, funds available to cover stipend, tuition and fees for non-US citizens or permanent residents are extremely limited, which makes the competition among foreign student applications much higher than for domestic students.

6) What is the most important part of my application?

Your research experience. This is evaluated by scrutiny of your statement of purpose; list of publications and abstracts; and your letters of recommendation. Strong course work and recommendations that show your potential for research are valuable.

7) Where do I send my application and/or supporting documents?

All submissions are now to be done online. Apply online (Duke site)

Graduate School Enrollment Services Office
127 Allen Bldg., Box 90065
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708-0065
919/684-3913

Further information about the Structural Biology & Biophysics Program can be obtained by E-mail (SBB@biochem.duke.edu) or telephone (919)-681-8825.