Although a standardized exam score is not required for admission to our program, this information adds another data point that might be beneficial as we review your application. If you have ever taken the MCAT, we request that scores from all attempts be self-reported on the application, and official score(s) submitted to the program.

Yes, as long as you have fulfilled the same prerequisites that are required for entry into professional school.

No. Our alumni represent themselves well in their health profession’s programs, and, through their successes, this program has developed a strong reputation.

Our alumni have been accepted to more than 100 programs: Please see Map of Post-Program Acceptances. Many of our recent alumni are currently applying to additional health professional programs.

MS Program estimated cost of attendance based on 2022-2023

• Michigan Resident Master's Student Tuition and mandatory fees: $30,746.48
• Michigan Nonresident Master’s Student Tuition and mandatory fees: $61,419.48

Please visit the Registrar’s Office page for additional information.
 

The program does not provide any direct financial aid; however, prospective and accepted students will have access to the information and resources at the University of Michigan Office of Financial Aid.

It is recommended that you submit a FAFSA at the same time as, or before, submitting your program application.

This MS program is full-time; attending part-time is not an option. While we have no control over student work or extracurricular schedules, taking on too many extracurricular activities is strongly discouraged. This program is designed to be highly intensive and demanding, so our graduates can demonstrate to professional school admissions committees their ability to handle challenging biomedical material in the context of a high workload. Furthermore, students accepted to the Research Track will likely be expected to spend some evening and weekend hours in the laboratory since biomedical research rarely fits neatly into an 8-5 schedule.

Due to the rigorous nature of the MS Program curriculum, we do not recommend being employed more than 10 hours a week. Employment or research commitments cannot interfere with attendance in any scheduled class. Likewise, employment cannot interfere with time in the laboratory or class attendance for Research Track students.

You must follow the specific instructions by adhering to the checklist of required application materials for the MS Program in Physiology. Select your letter of reference writers wisely. The writers should explain their relationship with you within the context of your educational/employment/volunteer endeavors. If applicable, letter writers should address how you overcame or showed resilience in personal or academic challenges. The Statement of Purpose should be a concise, well-written statement about your academic background and research background, if applicable; your career goals; and, specifically, how the University of Michigan’s MS Program in Physiology will help you to meet your professional and educational objectives. Please include an explanation for all incompletes, withdrawals, and grades of C- or below on any transcript in this essay, as this information is very helpful when reviewing your application.

Your Personal Statement should be concise and well-written, and provide how your unique background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational, or other opportunities and/or challenges, etc. have motivated and confirmed your decision to pursue your intended profession. If you are still deciding between two or more professions, please share that information within this essay.

Your optional essay should answer the following questions:
Have you overcome or are you currently impacted by challenges or obstacles in your life that you would like to describe in more detail? 

These opportunities for personal and/or professional growth might include lived experiences related to your family background, financial background, community setting, educational experiences, and/or other life circumstances. Since we find context to be particularly helpful in evaluating your application materials, please share any facets of your lived experiences that you feel might provide relevant insights for our application review committee members.

Office of the Registrar’s Academic Calendars

Coursework Track: To be awarded an MS degree in Physiology, Coursework Track students register for Fall and Winter full terms and the Spring half-term. All Coursework Track students begin the program in the Fall term. Students must complete the Capstone Project in the Spring half-term, which ends in June. Planning to enter a program that begins before the end of June will require communication with the MS Program Directors if you desire to complete the MS degree requirements. We will work with students whose graduate programs begin in June. Students MUST complete the Capstone Project to earn their MS Degree.

Research Track: To be awarded an MS degree in Physiology, Research Track students typically register for Fall and Winter terms and Summer half-term, which ends in late August. Students work in the laboratory during the Spring half-term but do not pay tuition for that half-term. Research students must complete a minimum of 10-11 months in a laboratory (with typically 1 additional month to write and present the final project) to be awarded the MS degree. If a student arranges to start in their laboratory before the Fall term, they may be able to finish the program earlier. Examples of early start dates for research are July 1 (may then be finished by mid-June) or August 1 (may then be finished by mid-July).

Class size typically ranges between 25-30 students in each cohort to provide individualized attention, ensure access to laboratory space and research resources, and build an interactive, collegial community.

• Of our current and previous students: 42% have been graduates of the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor.
• 67% have been Michigan residents. (No preference is given to Michigan residents.)

The average incoming metrics have been:

• undergraduate GPA is 3.45
• undergraduate science GPA is 3.30

*We review applications based on a holistic model and give significant weight to statements/essays, letters of evaluation, and curriculum vitae (CV).

The academic Statement of Purpose should cover prior work and academic experiences that speak to why you are interested in applying to our program, how you have prepared for it, and how our program will help you achieve your future goals. Discrepancies in the work or academic record should be directly addressed, notable successes or failures should be mentioned, and other relevant experiences should be shared. 

The Personal Statement should address your important non-academic qualities (although, yes, there is some overlap) - creativity, work ethic, group and team experiences, seminal life experiences, personality traits, and outside interests/hobbies, and reason(s) for your short- and long-term goals such as why medicine? why a PhD? why dentistry? why PA? why healthcare if you are currently unsure as to which career path in the health professions or research you aspire to pursue?

Yes, you may submit letters that were written for Medical or other health professional school admission. Please review the instructions on how to submit letters of recommendation on the Rackham website. If you submit a committee letter, please direct the individual who uploads this type of letter to include/upload ALL individual letters they received on your behalf.

We cannot answer whether it is possible for you, specifically, to achieve a strong GPA in our program, since we cannot accurately predict how challenging this program will be for you or how academically successful you will be if you are accepted. We can say that we have many students applying, and we will accept only those students we think can succeed. It is anticipated that if those students work hard and adapt their time management and study strategies, when applicable, then strong grades will follow. We will assist you to further your education and help you prepare for a place in the professional workforce.

The U-M Medical School Molecular & Physiology Department is among the top 2 Physiology programs in the nation. This rigorous 1-year program offers a challenging curriculum that is taught by medical school faculty. Based on the schools and programs where our current MS students and alumni have been accepted, our program is positively viewed by admissions team members at health professions schools and PhD programs.

No, we do not.