Frequently Asked Questions for Prospective Students

Georgetown University offers a variety of graduate training opportunities in the biomedical sciences, including master’s, Ph.D., dual degree programs and certificates.

Applicants to BGE programs may apply for a variety of merit-based aid, based on academic credentials, prior service activities and other qualifications. Some of our awards have deadlines based on when you submit your enrollment application, so you should browse merit-based aid opportunities while working on the enrollment application.

If you are a student at one of BGE’s international institutional partners including in China, India, and Taiwan, you may be eligible for additional scholarships.

Biomedical Graduate Education requires that applicants submit their entire application, including all recommendations, via the online application system.

Checklists indicating the status of your admissions application can be found on the online application system. The checklists are posted the day after the application is submitted, and application materials received are logged daily. Online recommendations are automatically updated to a status of “received” when submitted by the recommenders.

Application requirements may vary by program. Visit the program‘s website for program-specific requirements.

General Requirements

• Online application
• 4-year bachelor’s degree
• Grade point average of 3.0 or higher
• Nonrefundable application fee
• Academic statement of purpose
• Transcripts
• 3 letters of recommendation
• GRE/MCAT score (if applicable)
• TOEFL/IELTS score (if applicable)
  TOEFL: Georgetown Univ. Code for BGE: 5244
  IELTS: Georgetown Univ. Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
• COVID-19 Response

Yes. You will be required to self-report your grade point average(s) (GPA) for undergraduate and (if applicable) graduate coursework in the Self-Reported GPA section of the application. The GPA represents the combined GPA of all credits applied toward the primary degree. All applicants will provide the self-reported GPA for their primary undergraduate degree. Those who have attended a graduate program will need to calculate a second GPA for the graduate degree.

Instructions on how to calculate your GPA can be found in the online application system.

Applicants applying to more than one program must submit separate applications, supporting documents and application fees for each program. Each application is processed, reviewed and acted on independently by each program.

The application process begins with the Georgetown School of Medicine. The M.D./Ph.D. program requires only an application to the Georgetown School of Medicine. A separate application to the Ph.D. program of interest is not required. For more information about the M.D./Ph.D. program, visit the School of Medicine M.D./Ph.D. program page.

Master’s Programs: Interviews are generally not required, but some master’s programs recommend InitialView for international applicants. Find program-specific requirements on the program‘s website.

Ph.D. Programs: A formal interview is required. Programs will contact applicants directly about the interview process.

M.D./Ph.D. Programs: Formal interviews are required for a select pool of applicants. Applicants will be contacted by the program.

Not all programs have supplemental applications. Check the program‘s website to find supplemental application requirements and information.

Biomedical Graduate Education follows the application fee set forth by the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

If you get an error message when trying to submit your payment, the most common reason for this error is that the address an applicant enters does not exactly match the address of their credit card. Make sure that the address is correct and matches their address on file with your bank and/or credit card company. In addition, we recommend logging out and back in again and trying to use a different browser (suggested browsers). Additionally, sometimes when there is an error, a bank statement will show the charge as pending, but the charge does not go through. If you continue to have an issue with your application fee payment, please contact our office and we can assist you further.

To be considered for the Early Application Fee Waiver, the applicant must:

• Be applying to an eligible BGE master’s program³ or graduate certificate program.²
• Meet the admission requirements for your program. Visit BGE How to Apply and your program’s Admissions page to review requirements.
• Successfully complete the following sections of the online Georgetown Grad Application: Personal Information, Program, Academic Statement of Purpose, Background and Experience, Academic History, Self-Reported GPA, Input the contact information for each letter provider for letter of recommendation requirements (please see program’s How to Apply page for program specific requirements), Proficiency in Languages (if applicable), Self-Reported Test Scores (if applicable).
• Submit the Early Application fee waiver request form (new window) on or before October 15, the Early Application deadline, and before you submit your program application.^1,4

Notes and Conditions

1. The application fee waiver must be processed before you submit your program application. We will process your fee waiver request and inform you if it has been approved or denied, at which point you may submit your program application. If you have already paid the application fee, we cannot give you a refund.
2. If you are applying to multiple BGE programs in the same admission cycle, only one program application can receive a fee waiver.
3. Applicants who are using PostbacCAS to apply to the Special Master’s in Physiology and/or the regular M.S. in Physiology are not eligible for the BGE application fee waiver.
4. Fee waiver requests will be processed Monday through Friday during normal business hours, with the exception of holidays and breaks when the university is closed. Allow up to 3-10 business days for your request to be processed.

If you have any questions, please contact bgerecruitment@georgetown.edu.

Applicants who have participated in various programs and organizations may be eligible for a fee waiver.

To be considered for the Affiliation- and Recruitment-Based Application Fee Waiver, the applicant must:

• Be applying to an eligible BGE program.^2,3
• Be affiliated with one of the programs or organizations listed below.
• Fill out the Affiliation- and Recruitment-Based Application Fee Waiver Request Form (new window). The request and any applicable supporting documentation must be received at least 14 days before your program’s application deadline, and before you submit your program application.^1,4
• Meet the admission requirements for your program. Visit BGE How to Apply and your program’s Admissions page to review requirements.
• Complete the following sections of your graduate application before submitting your fee waiver request: Personal Information, Program, Academic Statement of Purpose, Background and Experience, Academic History, Self-Reported GPA, Input the contact information for each letter provider for letter of recommendation requirements (please see program’s How to Apply page for program specific requirements) Proficiency in Languages (if applicable), Self-Reported Test Scores (if applicable).
• Select the qualified affiliation(s) under the application details section in the online Georgetown Grad Application.
• Provide documentation (e.g., a verification letter or certificate of completion) in the fee waiver request form that verifies your participation in one of the programs below within the past two years:
  • American Cancer Society – Diversity in Cancer Research (DICR) Internship Program
  • American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)
  • AmeriCorps
  • Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS)
  • Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar
  • Bonner Foundation
  • Careers Opportunity Research/NIMH (COR/NIMH)
  • Federal Academic Alliance
  • GeorgeSquared (G²) ABS Certificate to M.S. Pathway
  • Graduate Student Mentorship Initiative (GSMI)
  • Institute for Recruitment of Teachers (IRT)
  • Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD)
  • Jackie Robinson Foundation
  • Jesuit Volunteer Corps
  • Leadership Alliance Summer Research Early Identification Program
  • Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
  • Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellows Program
  • Meyerhoff Scholars Program
  • Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC)
  • Minority Biomedical Research Support Program (RISE)
  • National Association of African American Honors Programs (NAAAHP)
  • NIH Blueprint Program for Enhancing Neuroscience Diversity through Undergraduate Research Education Experiences (BP-ENDURE)
  • NIH Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP)
  • Peace Corps
  • Posse Foundation
  • Quad Fellowship by Schmidt Futures
  • Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program
  • Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
  • Teach for America
  • UNCF (United Negro College Fund) Scholarship Recipients

Notes and Conditions

1. The application fee waiver must be processed before you submit your program application. We will process your fee waiver request and inform you if it has been approved or denied, at which point you may submit your program application. If you have already paid the application fee, we cannot give you a refund.
2. If you are applying to multiple BGE programs in the same admission cycle, only one program application can receive a fee waiver.
3. Applicants who are using PostbacCAS to apply to the Special Master’s in Physiology and/or the regular M.S. in Physiology are not eligible for the BGE application fee waiver.
4. Fee waiver requests will be processed Monday through Friday during normal business hours, with the exception of holidays and breaks when the university is closed. Allow up to 3-10 business days for your request to be processed.

If you have any questions, please contact bgerecruitment@georgetown.edu.

List your postsecondary institutions in your application, and upload a transcript for each institution. Applicants are required to list/upload to the application copies of official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended where more than 15 credits of coursework were completed and/or where program prerequisites were completed (any number of credits). This gives the admissions committee a more complete picture of your academic preparation for graduate study.

You must upload electronic or scanned copies of your transcripts (as detailed below) to the online application system. Do not order official transcripts to be sent directly to us from your institution(s) until you receive an official offer of admission. Applicants who are offered admission will be required to submit official transcripts for verification prior to enrolling.

An acceptable transcript upload is a copy of an official transcript produced by the institution. This includes:

• Scanned copies of paper transcripts issued by the institution. Request an official transcript to be mailed to you from the institution’s registrar office. When you receive the transcript, open it, scan it, and upload it to the online application system.
• Electronic transcripts issued by the institution (not a download from your institution’s web portal). Make a request through the institution’s secure transcript service (e.g., eScrip-Safe, Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, Transcript Network, Transcript Plus) for an official electronic transcript be sent to you by email/electronic delivery. Open the transcript, save it as a PDF, and upload it to the online application system. For secure encrypted PDFs, you should print, scan and upload the document.

Transcript formats we do not accept include:

• Screenshots or photos
• Downloads of the “student’s view” from your institution’s website

Examples of acceptable and unacceptable transcripts for applications submission:

International transcripts: Some programs require a credential evaluation for international credentials. Please check your program to see if this is a requirement.

Applicants who use World Education Services (WES) ICAP evaluations, which should include course-by-course evaluation of post-secondary/university coursework, verification of transcripts documents, and (if applicable) degree documents should type in “Georgetown University” as the institution and for the School/Division select “Biomedical Graduate Education” as the recipient.

Please note: unofficial WES reports are not acceptable. 

Applicants who use the Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) Course-by-course evaluation should select “Georgetown University, Biomedical Graduate Education (BGE) – Office of Admissions” as the institution and recipient.

Applicants may use other credential evaluation services that are members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Upload the course-by-course evaluation of postsecondary/university coursework, including grade point average calculation, upper-division course designation, verification of transcripts documents, and (if applicable) degree documents directly to the application. If the evaluation does not include a copy of the transcripts that were evaluated, you must upload the transcripts from the institution and the credential evaluation as one document.

Please note: unofficial WES reports are not acceptable.

Transcripts not in English: These documents must be accompanied by an English-language version provided by the academic institution. If your institution does not provide English-language copies, you are responsible for providing a certified or notarized translation along with a copy of the original transcripts.

Applicants may upload an evaluation from a credential evaluation service. This must include course and grade information. If not included in the evaluation, the transcript from the institution must be included as well. Both the evaluation and original transcript should be submitted in the application as one document.

If you are experiencing technical issues with uploading your transcript, please contact the BGE Office of Admissions by email at BGEAdmissions@georgetown.edu for assistance.

Note: Applicants who are offered admission will be required to submit official transcripts for verification prior to enrolling.

International transcripts: Some programs require a credential evaluation for international credentials. Please check your program to see if this is a requirement.

Applicants who use World Education Services (WES) ICAP evaluations, which should include course-by-course evaluation of post-secondary/university coursework, verification of transcripts documents, and (if applicable) degree documents, should type in “Georgetown University” as the institution and for the School/Division select “Biomedical Graduate Education” as the recipient.

Please note: unofficial WES reports are not acceptable.

Applicants who use the Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) Course-by-course evaluation should select “Georgetown University, Biomedical Graduate Education (BGE) – Office of Admissions” as the institution and recipient.

Applicants may use other credential evaluation services that are members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Upload the course-by-course evaluation of postsecondary/university coursework, including grade point average calculation and upper-division course designation, verification of transcripts documents, and (if applicable) degree documents directly to the application. If the evaluation does not include a copy of the transcripts that were evaluated, you must upload the transcripts from the institution and the credential evaluation as one document.

Transcripts not in English: These documents must be accompanied by an English-language version provided by the academic institution. If your institution does not provide English-language copies, you are responsible for providing a certified or notarized translation along with a copy of the original transcripts.

Applicants may upload an evaluation from a credential evaluation service. This must include course and grade information. If not included in the evaluation, the transcript from the institution must be included as well. Both the evaluation and original transcript should be submitted in the application as one document.

If you are experiencing technical issues with uploading your transcript, please contact the BGE Office of Admissions by email at BGEAdmissions@georgetown.edu for assistance.

Note: Applicants who are offered admission will be required to submit official transcripts for verification prior to enrolling.

Applicants who are offered admission will be required to submit official transcripts for verification prior to enrolling.

We cannot accept electronic transcripts sent as email attachments directly from applicants as official. Please do not send electronic or paper copies of your official transcripts before receiving an offer of admission.

Mail official transcripts to:
Georgetown University
Biomedical Graduate Education
Office of Admissions
SE 106 Medical and Dental Building
3900 Reservoir Road NW
Washington, DC 20057-1411

Official electronic transcripts:

Please send official electronic transcripts to BGEAdmissions@georgetown.edu. Official transcripts should only be sent after receiving an offer of admission. Official electronic transcripts must be sent directly through your institution’s secure electronic delivery service (e.g., eScrip-Safe, Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, Transcript Network, Transcript Plus).

You need to request your official GRE test score through ETS (Educational Testing Services) and use the Georgetown University Code for BGE: 5244.

You can send in your MCAT score through your AMCAS (American Medical College Application Services) application or email the MCAT score report directly to BGEAdmissions@georgetown.edu.

All applicants are required to demonstrate a level of proficiency in the English language sufficient to meet the admission requirement of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Proficiency can be demonstrated by the receipt of a bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or from a university where English is the language of instruction. (Please note that applicants receiving degrees at universities in U.S. territories, such as Puerto Rico, are required to submit the TOEFL or IELTS unless the language of instruction at the institution is English).

If your transcript does not clearly state that the language of instruction is English, then please upload supporting documentation on institutional letterhead along with your transcript.

TOEFL: You need to request that ETS (Educational Testing Services) send your TOEFL scores to Georgetown University.  To request scores, use the code: 5244. The minimum TOEFL score for admission is 80 (Internet-based test) and 550 (paper test).

IELTS: Official score reports should be sent electronically by the testing center to Georgetown University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The minimum IELTS score for admission is 7.0.

Yes. ETS has announced that the GRE and TOEFL exams can now be completed online for those impacted by the closure of testing centers. For more information and registration details visit the following ETS pages: TOEFL  and GRE.

Applicants are notified of their admissions decision via the online application system.

Financial aid award(s) will be available for viewing in MyAccess under the Financial Services tab.

Applicants who have been accepted for admission are required to officially accept their offer through the online application system and submit a $500 nonrefundable deposit to secure their seat. Confirming intent to enroll with individual programs, whether in writing or verbally, is not sufficient.

Please visit the University Registrar Certifications page to access the university’s Certificate of Enrollment Request Form.

To request a deferral of admission, follow the instructions on our How to Apply page under Deferral Request.

You would need to submit your outstanding documents (as detailed in the admissions letter) to the Office of BGE Admissions by the set deadline shown on your admissions letter. 

Official transcripts should only be sent after receiving an offer of admission. Official electronic transcripts must be sent directly through your institution’s secure electronic delivery service (e.g. eScrip-Safe, Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, Transcript Network) to BGEAdmissions@georgetown.edu. We cannot accept electronic transcripts sent as email attachments directly from applicants as official. Please do not send electronic or paper copies of your official transcripts before receiving an offer of admission.

Mail official transcripts to:
Georgetown University
Biomedical Graduate Education
Office of Admissions
SE 106 Medical and Dental Building
3900 Reservoir Road NW
Washington, DC 20057-1411

Please contact your program and review the New Student Checklist and Current Students page.