For admission to the program leading to a Master of Science in the
Teaching of Biological Sciences and General Science, all
application materials must be received by our office no later than NOVEMBER 1.
Admission is offered for the fall semester only. The admission requirements below are in addition to those in the Programs of Study.
The application requirements vary depending on whether or not the applicant is certified to teach in Illinois.
Applicants holding an Illinois Teaching Certificate need only meet the application requirements for the Biology MST Program.
Applicants who are seeking teacher certification in conjunction with the Biology MST program must also meet additional application requirements for the College of Education to be admitted to the teacher certification program.
Biology MST Program Admission Requirements for All MST Applicants |
Applicant Previously Certified |
Applicant Not Previously Certified |
| All Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree (or equivalent) comparable in content and number of credit hours with that granted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. |
Yes |
Yes |
| Applicants must have an overall grade-point average of 3.0 (A=4.0) for the last 2 years of undergraduate study. |
Yes |
Yes |
| Applicants must have completed a biology undergraduate majors program of study equal to or approximating that offered by the School of Integrative Biology or the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology. |
Yes |
Yes |
| Applicants must have proof of Illinois state teacher certification in Science: Biology. |
Yes |
No - See additional admission requirements for C & I below |
| Recommendation of admission to the Graduate College by the Biology M.S./M.S.T. Admissions Committee, School of Integrative Biology and School of Molecular and Cellular Biology |
Yes |
Yes |
| Applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit TOEFL scores. International applicants must have a TOEFL score of at least 613 (paper-based test), 257 (computer-based test), or 103-104 (internet-based test) to be considered for admission. The TOEFL must be taken within two years of the proposed term of entry; older scores are not valid. The Test of Spoken English (TSE) is required; applicants must receive a score of at least 60. Request that official TOEFL and TSE scores be sent directly to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The institution number is 1836 and the program code is 00 or 35. |
Yes |
Yes |
| Additional Department of Curriculum & Instruction Admission Requirements for applicants who are not Certified to Teach in Illinois |
No |
Yes |
| Approval of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education |
No |
Yes |
| Applicants must have an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (A=4.0) or better |
No |
Yes |
| Demonstration of high-level written communication (quality of writing, thoughtfulness about education, reflective thinking) |
No |
Yes |
| Evidence of formal or informal experience working with children or youth comparable to the age-level of students served in the program for which application is made |
No |
Yes |
| All applicants must pass the Illinois Certification Testing System test of Basic Skills prior to the application deadline (ICTS) |
No |
Yes |
| All applicants must pass the Illinois Certification Testing system (ICTS) test of Science: Biology prior to the application deadline and must have completed a sufficient amount of coursework in biological Science. (ICTS) |
No |
Yes |
| Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required by the College of Education prior to the application deadline. Have your Graduate Records Examination (GRE) scores sent directly from ETS to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The institution number is 1836 and the GRE program code is 00 or 0203. (ETS GRE Web Page) |
No |
Yes |
| Applicants must agree to a Criminal Background Check and fingerprinting (see explanation below) |
No |
Yes |
