Application Instructions - Biotechnology
Biotechnology MS - Application Instructions
Research Experience
- Applicants must provide a brief statement with lab or research experience. The statement is limited to 2,000 characters.
Campus
- Select your first and second campus choices. Be advised that although we will make every effort, we are unable to guarantee your first campus choice. Applicants will be notified of campus on the admission offer.
Required supplemental items are applied to an application AFTER application submission. Log into your BioRaider.com account and scroll down to see the supplemental items and status of those items. All required supplemental items must be received before an application is considered complete. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Applicants should selected referees who can address the applicant's desire for a career in research and suitability for the academic program. Letters submitted outside our online recommendation system are strongly discouraged.
After an admission offer is made, accepted by the applicant and the placement guarantee fee paid, applicants must upload proof of ability to pay tuition/fees and living expenses before the I-20 and official admission letter can be processed. Applicants should be prepared to supply these documents within two weeks of an offer acceptance.
These documents include:
- Bank Statement from an account belonging to the applicant showing a minimum of $33,561. The document must be in English. Amounts must be in USD or equivalent available balance.
- If the applicant has a financial sponsor, we also require a bank statement from an account belonging to the sponsor as well as a letter from the sponsor or Financial Affidavit stating their intent to financially support the applicant. The sponsor's bank statement must be in English and show an available balance in USD or equivalent at the same minimum amount as stated above. The sponsor letter accepting financial responsibility must be signed and an electronic signature is not valid.
- Applicants with a spouse and/or children must provide proof of an additional $7,500 USD for the spouse and for each child.
- Applicants with scholarships awarded by their home countries, such as Saudi Arabia Cultural Mission, must still submit the required financial documents. We are unable to accept the SACM or other provisional financial guarantee as proof of funding. In order to meet the admission requirement you will need to show proof of personal funding.
- Delays in providing the required documents may impact an applicant's ability to begin the degree program for the term selected. The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences reserves the right to withdraw an admission offer if the required documents are not provided within 30 days of the offer acceptance.
Research Assistantships are not available for the first two semesters of the program. Research Assistantships in the amount of $25,000 usually begin June 1 following the first two semesters in the program and the RA ends upon graduation. Students who opt for an industry internship will make salary arrangements, as well as start and end dates with the company hosting the internship.
Students awarded an RA must complete a job application and successfully pass a criminal background check. Research Assistants are 50% employees of TTUHSC and are paid monthly on the first of each month. The monthly salary amount is $2,083.33 BEFORE taxes and other deductions are subtracted by payroll, with the last month of RA employment pro-rated to the graduation date.
Tuition and fees are set by the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents each year, generally in the summer prior to the new academic year. Expect to pay approximately $2,000 each semester for Texas residents and others awarded a competitive scholarship. Costs provided are estimates only and may not represent the true cost of tuition/fees. Non-Texas resident tuition rates are significantly higher and applicants should consult the Student Business Services website below to determine exact tuition/fees cost.
It is imperative that students who are awarded a Research Assistantship follow instructions provided regarding the job application and criminal background check. Delays in completing the job application, accepting the job offer, and completing the criminal background check will impact the RA start date.
Students with a Research Assistantship are eligible for Texas resident tuition rates and some fee waivers. More information is available on the Student Business Services website.
The Texas Tech University System Board of Regents requires all students to have health insurance, and are required to provide proof of health insurance each year. Students who have failed to carry insurance and have suffered illness or injury resulting in high medical bills have often been financially unable to continue their education. Unlike free medical care in some countries, medical care in the U.S. is very expensive.
- A student health insurance plan is available through Academic Health Plans/Unicare. Information regarding cost and coverage is available on the Student Affairs Health page.
- A mandatory medical services fee is required of all master's and certificate students. This fee is available as an opt-in for those with a research assistantship. While this fee does not meet the health insurance requirement, physician visits are available at a low cost co-pay. For more information regarding services provided by this fee, please visit the Student Health Brochure page.
- Research Assistants are eligible for group insurance plans offered by the State of
Texas for employees. See the 2019-2020 ERS Summary of Benefits.
To calculate benefit enrollment costs, Research Assistants should look at the information listed under part-time employees, graduate students/teaching assistants, post-doctoral and adjunct faculty.
More information is available on the Student Health Services website
To calculate benefit enrollment costs, Research Assistants should look at the information listed under part-time employees, graduate students/teaching assistants, post-doctoral and adjunct faculty.