Thinking about applying to the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Immunology at the University of Iowa? Below you’ll find answers to common questions about eligibility, funding, application requirements, and the admissions process. If you don’t see your question addressed here, we encourage you to reach out to us—we’re happy to help

Do I qualify to apply to the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Immunology?

The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Immunology follows the University of Iowa Graduate College admissions requirements. 

Should I contact faculty in advance of applying to the program?

No, it is not necessary to contact faculty before applying to the Program. The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Immunology does not direct admit students into a laboratory. Rather following admission, our first-year students participate in three laboratory rotations approximately 10-12 weeks in length. At the end of your first year, you and a laboratory mentor will come to an agreement about joining their lab for the remainder of your PhD studies.

What type of funding is available for students in the Program?

All students in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Immunology are appointed as Research Assistants and are paid a stipend. Full tuition and mandatory fees are paid by the program the first year and the laboratory PI after that. Graduate Research Assistant positions are renewed annually while you remain in good standing with the Program and Graduate College. Additionally, The University of Iowa Graduate College provides a variety of internal fellowships that can support your studies. You can find information about funding opportunities at https://immuno.grad.uiowa.edu/funding. Eligible students (U.S. citizens and permanent residents) who have completed their first year of studies are also encouraged to apply for the Immunology T32 training grant funded by the NIH (T32AI007485).

What type of funding is available for international students?

International students receive the same funding as domestic students. However, they are not eligible to apply for the programs NIH T32 training grant.

I have a financial hardship, can I receive an application fee waiver?

We understand the unfortunate circumstances and hardships that many applicants face. To determine if you qualify for an application fee waiver visit this Graduate College website. You may also visit the Big Ten Academic Alliance website to see if you qualify for a fee waiver through their program. The University of Iowa Graduate College policy does not provide application fee waivers for international students. However, if you do not qualify for a fee waiver, the Program does reimburse application fees to those students (including international students) that are invited to participate in and complete an official admissions interview for our program after our review of applications, unless federal U.S. sanctions prohibits the payment.

I am an international applicant and my first language is not English, what are your English proficiency requirements and do I qualify for a waiver?

The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Immunology follows the University of Iowa Graduate College Admissions English proficiency requirements. The University of Iowa accepts TOEFL iBT/TOEFL iBT Home Edition, IELTS, and DuoLingo scores. The Graduate College Admissions web page shows the minimum score, how to send the score, and waiver eligibility requirements.

I am an international applicant living outside of the United States, will I have participate in an on-campus interview?

The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Immunology is not able to provide travel to international applicants living outside of the United States. Instead, international applicants living outside of the United States will participate in virtual interviews through Zoom. Applicants will still meet with faculty and current Immunology students. Applicants may also be asked to participate in a pre-screening interview which is not an official interview.

Before applying I would like to know the probability of being accepted.

Out of fairness to all applicants, we do not examine informal applications instead, the Admissions Committee waits until all applicants can fairly be compared after their formal applications occur. Application pools vary each year and therefore we are unable to provide an estimate of the likelihood any applicant may be admitted prior to reviewing all applications.

Do you have a GRE requirement?

The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Immunology does not require a GRE score for application or to be admitted.