MSFS Admissions
Application Deadlines
Students are admitted to the MSFS Program for the fall semester. The application deadline is January 31 for the fall semester of that calendar year. Late applications will be accepted until April 30th; however, once the maximum expected enrollment is reached, late applications may not be considered.
Please review the admissions checklist for additional details.
Application Information
Application materials are received by the graduate school, then made available to the MSFS Program Director. Please refer to the UAB Graduate School online application system for questions concerning submitting your application.
Your application is considered complete when:
- payment of the application fee is received
- the online application (including personal statement)
is completed - official transcripts are received by the UAB Graduate
School - three letters of recommendation are received by the UAB Graduate School or the MSFS Director
- standardized test scores (GRE, TOEFL for non-native English speakers) are received by the UAB Graduate School
Letters of recommendation can be completed online by the evaluator (instructions are given to the student during the online application process).
How to Apply
The application for the MSFS program can be completed on-line at the Graduate Application and Admissions page. For information about application deadlines, contact the program director, Elizabeth Gardner, Ph.D. at
Admission Requirements
Admission to the MSFS program requires the approval of the UAB Graduate School and Elizabeth Gardner, the director of the MSFS program. Application for admission can be made online through the UAB Graduate School website, or call (205) 934-8227.
Minimum admission requirements are as follows:
- Bachelor's or master's degree in chemistry or biology from an accredited institution
- A chemistry-related degree is acceptable if it includes instrumental and quantitative chemistry courses along with biochemistry or statistics (see the levelling courses information on the program requirements page)
- A biology-related degree is acceptable if it includes statistics, biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology courses (see the levelling courses information on the program requirements page)
- B.S. degree in forensics should come from a FEPAC-accredited program
- B.S. degrees in forensic science from non-FEPAC accredited programs will be evaluated individually for completed courses including at least three of instrumental chemistry, quantitative chemistry, biochemistry and genetics and molecular biology courses (see the levelling courses information on the program requirements page)
- Overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0, based on a 4.0 system, or a 3.2 GPA for the last 60 semester hours in a BA/BS program
- 3.0 GPA in all previous graduate coursework
The following criteria are also considered in the admissions process:
- evidence of scholarship
- statement of career goals
- letters of recommendation (2-3)
- professional experience