BSHS in Molecular Diagnostic Sciences (Blended): Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

GW SMHS does not admit first-time college freshmen or provide general education courses; therefore, students are expected to enroll at another institution of higher education for at least one semester during an academic year following their high school graduation, and prior to transferring into GW.

To apply for the BSHS in Molecular Diagnostic Sciences (Blended), you’ll need:

  • Completed application
  • Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 and science GPA of 2.5. (For GAA applicants a cumulative GPA of 2.75 is required on the GW-GAA partner transcript.  If additional transcripts exist, a cumulative GPA that includes all institutions must be a minimum of 2.7).
  • Resume/CV
  • Personal statement
  • One letter of recommendation (letter of recommendation is waived for GAA applicants)
  • Students residing beyond 25 miles outside of the Washington, DC metropolitan area and/or who wish to complete the clinical practicums in their area of residence must have identified an acceptable, accredited (i.e., TJC, CAP, etc.) clinical laboratory willing to provide the clinical instruction. A Clinical Site Verification (CSV) form must be filled out by the laboratory manager/director or the education coordinator of the facility and submitted to the appropriate program clinical coordinator for approval. 
  • Applicants must have at least 45 credits from a regionally accredited college or university, which include the coursework specified below:
Prerequisites Credits
English Composition (composition I & II) 6 credits
College Mathematics (algebra, statistics, or higher) 3 credits
Humanities 3 credits
Social Sciences 6 credits
Biology (lecture and hands-on lab) 8 credits
Chemistry (lecture and hands-on lab) 8 credits

If you have an associate degree from a participating D.C., Maryland, Virginia community college, you may be eligible for guaranteed admission to this program. Review the list of participating institutions.

Transfer credit may include dual enrollment coursework.  It may also be considered from Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate Credit (IB) credit as well as the College Level Examination Program (CLEP exams).  Please refer to GW Undergraduate Admissions for information on maximum credits, minimum scores, and GW course equivalents for AP and IB credits.

Our dedicated staff is here to support you. If you have a question we don’t cover here, please email BLS_admissions@gwu.edu.

International Applicants

This program is not eligible for a student VISA. Applicants who are interested in one of our degree programs may consider the fully online Molecular Diagnostic Sciences or Medical Laboratory Sciences options. 

Applicants who are not U.S. citizens, but who are otherwise eligible to study in the United States are required to submit official test scores for Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Pearson’s Test of English (PTE) Academics, or the academic International English Language Test System (IELTS). The following are the minimum scores for admission consideration:

  • TOEFL: 250 computer-based or 100 internet-based; GW’s school code for the TOEFL is 5246
  • PTE: overall score of 68
  • IELTS: overall band score of 7.0, with no individual band score below 6.0

Applicants who are not U.S. citizens, but who are otherwise eligible to study in the United States may be considered for admission without submitting the above scores if:

  • You are a citizen of a country where English is the official language
  • You hold a bachelor’s degree from a country where English is the official language and language of instruction
  • You hold a bachelor’s degree from an institution accredited by a U.S. regional accrediting agency

All international transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) member evaluation agency. Please review the NACES website regarding the evaluation process.  

International Applicants

Our programs are not eligible for student VISA's. Applicants who reside in another country must secure a site in that country that is accepted by GW’s Biomedical Laboratory Sciences Department (accredited by an organization) during the admission phase. International applications without an approved site during the application phase in their home county or resident country are not eligible to apply. These applicants are not eligible for a simulated lab experience, SLE.  

Applicants who are not U.S. citizens, but who are otherwise eligible to study in the United States are also required to submit official test scores for Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Pearson’s Test of English (PTE) Academics, or the academic International English Language Test System (IELTS). The following are the minimum scores for admission consideration:

  • TOEFL: 250 computer-based or 100 internet-based; GW’s school code for the TOEFL is 5246

  • PTE: overall score of 68

  • IELTS: overall band score of 7.0, with no individual band score below 6.0

Applicants who are not U.S. citizens, but who are otherwise eligible to study in the United States may be considered for admission without submitting the above scores if:

  • You are a citizen of a country where English is the official language

  • You hold a bachelor’s degree from a country where English is the official language and language of instruction

  • You hold a bachelor’s degree from an institution accredited by a U.S. regional accrediting agency.