"I would highly recommend the MCB 5th year M.S. program to any upcoming Umass graduate. The MCB program gives you a taste of what a PhD would be like and also helps build fundamental laboratory technical skills and critical thinking. Post graduation, I am a more competitive applicant for academic/industry positions and further graduate studies." - 2017 MCB M.S. Alumnus

M.S. Application Information

Only Five-College students (students from Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mt. Holyoke College, Smith College or University of Massachusetts) are eligible for admission to the M.S. degree program. Students are required to have a home laboratory PRIOR to admission, and the student's advisor must be a member of the MCB Program. Most M.S. students continue research started in their final undergraduate years. See Academic Requirements page for a typical course of study for the M.S. degree.

Graduate School information for all applicants (U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents, and non-citizens) may be found on the Graduate School website. Please use the secure on-line application to apply for the MCB Program. Please be certain to save the user name and password you create to log on, we will not be able to retrieve this information for you.

April 15 is the deadline for master's candidates:

• Application with Personal Statement
• Application Fee
• All Transcripts
• Minimum of Two Letters of Recommendation

A file will generally not be reviewed until all application materials have been received.

Master's students accepted into the Program are not guaranteed funding. Students should discuss the possibility of funding through their advisor's lab prior to applying.