In addition to the CSULB prerequisites for entrance into a graduate program stated previously in this catalog under Graduate Degree Information, the Department of Biological Sciences requires:

A faculty member in the department must agree to serve as the thesis advisor for the student prior to their acceptance into the M.S. program,
A bachelor's degree in the biological or related sciences from an accredited institution. Students with alternative undergraduate degrees will be considered (see below),
An undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 in all completed science and mathematics courses OR in the last 40 semester units (or 60 quarter units) of completed science and mathematics courses. Students with an overall math and science GPA of at least 2.7 will be considered with a mentorship plan developed with their confirmed faculty thesis advisor. Students who do not meet the minimum required criteria for acceptance are encouraged to take post-baccalaureate courses to bring up their GPA,
Applicants without a degree within a field of the biological sciences must take the GRE Subject Test in Biology or the MCAT. A score of 50th percentile or better on the GRE Subject Test in Biology or MCAT must be achieved.
International students must provide official TOEFL scores. A minimum TOEFL iBT score of 90 is required. (No other test can be used to replace the TOEFL.) A one-page personal statement describing why the applicant wishes to obtain an M.S. degree in Microbiology at CSULB and how this relates to their career objectives,
Unofficial transcripts of all college-level academic work from all colleges/universitey attended,
Three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant's academic performance as well as research and teaching potential, and
A curriculum vitae (CV) outlining the applicant's education, professional, and research experience. Hold a baccalaureate degree with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5. (No Rounding)