Application

Please fill out the online Primary Application Form, which contains the following sections:

• Personal Information
• Letters of Recommendation
• Authorization
• Acknowledgement

To fill out the Personal Information section, you will need your contact information, your academic history including cumulative GPA. You will also have an opportunity to upload the required supporting documents (see below).

To fill out the Letters of Recommendation section, you will need the names, institutions and email addresses for three people who will write letters of support for you. If you have participated in research, one letter should be from your research mentor. If you have worked in the biomedical industry, one letter should be from your research supervisor. These letters should address your ability to succeed (intellectual ability, determination, maturity, etc.) in an intensive two-year program that leads to entrance into a Ph.D. program. Be sure to click the waiver even if you do not agree to waive your access to Letters of Recommendation. Recommenders must send letters as attachments directly to Judy.Brusslan@csulb.edu

The Authorization section will first ask if you are a CSULB student. If yes, you will be asked if you authorize the BTD program to review your academic records.

In the Acknowledgement section, you will acknowledge that you have filled out the application correctly and to the best of your knowledge.

In the application, you will be asked to submit statement based on the prompts below. Use these statements to share who you are with the review committee.

1. Briefly describe why you aim to earn a Ph.D or M.D./Ph.D.
2. Please describe any prior research-related experience and/or the areas of research you are curious or passionate about. Describe your research question(s), experimental design and findings. (250 words maximum)
3. The Bridges to the Doctorate Program value resilience and persistence. Please describe a situation where facing challenges shaped your academic/professional goals. (250 words maximum)
4. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective or lived experience that is important to you and how it will help you contribute to our collaborative research community. (250 words maximum)

We highly recommend that you craft your statements in a text processing program (such as Word) before you begin the application, and then copy-paste your statements into the appropriate application fields.

Additional Tips

• Be yourself. This should tell your story to the committee. What about you is unique? What are you passionate about? What motivates you?
• Reflect on your experiences. Describe how your unique perspective, background and/or lived experiences influenced your motivation for research.
• Think about what points you want to express in each statement and write with clarity. Proofread prior to uploading!
   

You will be asked to upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV) in the application.

Please make sure your CV is up-to-date, and include previous research support if you have received it. The document must be in PDF format.

Please apply to the graduate programs for the Biological Sciences Department by February 15 or to the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department by April 1. These applications require a separate application to the University.

Transcripts (and GRE scores for Chemistry and Biochemistry) are included in the department applications and will be accessible to the BTD program. Thus, you do not need to send transcripts (or GRE scores) separately to the BTD program.