MS in Biological Sciences - General Option from UMass Lowell Entry : Fees, Deadlines, Admissions and Scholarships

UMass Lowell Master of Science in Biological Sciences, General Option is an on-campus graduate degree in Lowell with full-time and part-time study, starting in Fall 2027. The current pathway lists 30 credits, so nine-credit full-time enrollment normally spans four semesters; applicants need a bachelor’s degree and broad science preparation. Fall 2027 tuition is unpublished; 2026-27 tuition and mandatory fees were US$34,717 (INR 33.13 Lakhs), as a prior-cycle reference.

The course develops advanced biological knowledge through lectures, laboratory courses and professional communication, with coursework-only, project and thesis paths. Its General Option permits focus across cellular, organismal, ecological, evolutionary, molecular or physiological biology. It best suits applicants who can define a scientific focus while retaining flexibility across research areas.

• The GRE is not required, allowing applicants to prioritise subject preparation, references and a focused statement of purpose.
• The programme is STEM-designated, creating a longer potential US work-authorisation window when the issued Form I-20 confirms eligibility.
• Full-time students may pursue research, but they must secure faculty agreement because admission does not guarantee placement in a laboratory.

Also Check: UMass Lowell admission requirements

UMass Lowell MS Biological Sciences Fees and Living Costs 2027

Fall 2027 tuition remains unpublished after checking the programme, graduate tuition, international expense and scholarship pages on 29 October 2026. Verify the target fee on the official fee page. The table therefore uses the published 2026-27 international rate only as prior-cycle planning context.

All INR conversions in the article use a conversion rate of US$ 1 = INR 95.42 as of 29 October 2026. Rates fluctuate daily, verify before applying.

Source: UMass Lowell 2026-27 graduate tuition schedule and the current Biological Sciences application route, checked 29 October 2026.

The 2026-27 annual total assumes nine credits in each main semester, while credits above nine can add charges. Because the General Option permits coursework, project or thesis plans, actual semester loads can change billing. Indian applicants should obtain an advisor-approved sequence before estimating the balance due each term.

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Cost of Living in Lowell for MS Biological Sciences Students

UMass Lowell’s 2026-27 international estimate combines room and board, books, personal expenses and other living costs into US$19,942 (INR 19.03 Lakhs) annually. The university does not publish a separate graduate breakdown for these components, so none should be treated as an individual rent or food allowance.

The published 2026-27 tuition and living estimates total US$54,659 (INR 52.16 Lakhs) for one academic year. Repeating that annual amount for two years gives US$109,318 (INR 1.04 Crore), a calculated prior-cycle planning illustration rather than a Fall 2027 price. Applicants should replace both annual figures when UMass Lowell publishes the 2027-28 schedule.

ROI reality: The prior-cycle two-year illustration exceeds INR 1 Crore before travel and visa charges, so the unpublished 2027-28 rate is a material borrowing risk.

UMass Lowell MS Biological Sciences Admission 2027

Admission requires a bachelor’s degree plus preparation in biological sciences, chemistry, physics, calculus and statistics. UMass Lowell publishes no course-specific GPA minimum, so transcript relevance and evidence of readiness matter more than an invented percentage threshold.

Fall 2027 applicants must submit a statement of purpose, two recommendations, transcripts and any required English score. The statement may be two pages and should connect prior laboratory, quantitative or field experience to a defined General Option focus.

The department may assign prerequisite work after reviewing prior preparation, which can affect both study load and completion timing. Applicants without statistics or calculus should therefore map named undergraduate courses to the five preparation areas before submission.

English Language Requirements

Applicants whose national language is not English must provide an accepted proficiency result unless the stated US-study waiver applies. The current programme application publishes the following minimum scores for the Fall 2027 route.

• Indian applicants taking TOEFL after 21 January 2026 should confirm how UMass Lowell interprets its published 79 minimum because the page names no scale.
• The published waiver requires at least two full-time academic semesters at a US university, so English-medium study in India is not a listed waiver.
• IELTS, PTE or Duolingo avoids the unresolved TOEFL scale issue while preserving the same programme application timeline.

Check Out: UMass Lowell graduate programmes

Tip for Indian students: A relevant bachelor’s degree alone is insufficient when calculus, statistics or laboratory preparation is missing, so map every prerequisite to transcript evidence before applying.

UMass Lowell MS Biological Sciences Application 2027

The Fall 2027 application is open, and the programme’s priority deadline is 10 January 2027. UMass Lowell also publishes Spring admission, giving applicants a second target when research fit or credential evaluation is incomplete.

Target-cycle dates: the official page states dates without a cutoff time or timezone, so no reliable IST conversion is possible. Submit through the official Biological Sciences application route before the listed calendar date, because the portal timestamp controls receipt.

Applications received after a priority date may receive case-by-case review only when space remains. The university publishes no interview schedule or decision date, so applicants should not build visa timing around an assumed turnaround period.

Application Strategy for the General Option

A strong application should show how broad biological preparation supports one coherent direction within the flexible General Option. The statement should also distinguish a coursework plan from a project or thesis intention, because each route creates different faculty and laboratory dependencies.

• Start the required NACES credential evaluation early because UMass Lowell will not process international degree records without a completed equivalency review.
• Ask two referees to evidence laboratory, quantitative or field performance that directly supports the proposed biological focus.
• Identify faculty alignment before choosing a thesis or project route because programme admission does not reserve a research position.
• Complete all required materials before 10 January 2027 because later Fall review depends on remaining programme capacity.

The US$50 (INR 4,771) application fee is due with the application, while official transcripts follow after acceptance. GRE scores add no required value for this course, so applicants should spend their effort resolving prerequisites and writing a specific two-page statement.

Also Check: MS in Biology universities in the USA

Application tip: Submit a complete Fall 2027 file by 10 January, but contact research faculty earlier when a thesis or project is central to course fit.

UMass Lowell MS Biological Sciences Scholarships 2027

Fall 2027 scholarship terms are unpublished because the live international award page still identifies 2026-27. Applicants can verify the cycle on the official scholarship page, while using the older terms only to understand the funding mechanism.

Prior-cycle funding context: the table reports the 2026-27 Graduate International Excellence Scholarship and does not project its value into 2027-28. UMass Lowell publishes no separate application for this award under those prior terms.

The earlier award required recipients to confirm enrollment within 21 days, or the scholarship could be revoked. Because neither the 2027-28 value nor deadline is published, applicants should avoid subtracting any award from their Fall 2027 budget.

Assistantship Funding

UMass Lowell publishes a limited number of teaching assistantships and faculty-arranged research assistantships for full-time graduate students. Applicants should mark assistantship interest in the admission form and contact the Biology graduate coordinator or relevant laboratory faculty as early as possible.

• Teaching and research assistantships require full-time enrollment of at least nine credits per semester when awarded.
• The published assistantship floor is GPA 3.000 on 4.0, approximately 70% to 75% or CGPA 7.5 to 8.0 on 10 for Indian planning.
• A full assistantship publishes a taxable stipend plus an out-of-state tuition and operating-fee waiver, but it does not confirm every international fee is covered.
• Research assistantships depend on an individual investigator’s funding, which makes faculty alignment a funding decision as well as an academic choice.

The university makes the final Indian credential equivalency decision, so the approximate GPA range is not an admission conversion. Assistantship availability and stipend amounts are also not published for the Fall 2027 Biology cohort, which prevents a reliable net-cost calculation.

Scholarship reality: Fall 2027 award values remain unconfirmed, so build the funding plan on gross cost and treat any scholarship or assistantship as a later reduction.

UMass Lowell MS Biological Sciences Salary 2027

UMass Lowell publishes no General Option cohort salary, offer rate or sector mix. The closest official evidence is a university-cited Lightcast benchmark for master’s-level biology work across New England, which is market evidence rather than a graduate outcome.

External market benchmark: the university’s current Biology recruitment page cites Lightcast Jobs in New England, 2025. The figure below cannot establish what UMass Lowell graduates earn or how quickly they find work.

Source: UMass Lowell’s Biology recruitment page citing Lightcast, Jobs in New England, 2025.

The same source reports 244,509 regional jobs, 23,765 annual openings and 14.4% projected growth. These figures indicate labour-market breadth, but they do not identify General Option employers, research roles or entry-level pay.

Gross earnings can differ substantially from take-home pay because role, location, benefits and federal and Massachusetts taxes change the result. Applicants should test a realistic role salary in current federal and state tax calculators before estimating loan capacity.

Return on Investment for the General Option

The cost case remains uncertain because Fall 2027 tuition is unpublished and course-specific employment outcomes are absent. The flexible curriculum can support research or applied work, but applicants must turn that flexibility into a focused skills and laboratory plan.

• The US$109,318 (INR 1.04 Crore) prior-cycle illustration requires a funding buffer, so update the loan model after 2027-28 fees appear.
• The US$85,000 (INR 81.11 Lakhs) benchmark is external market evidence, so validate salaries for specific target roles before borrowing against it.
• A thesis or project can strengthen research evidence, but laboratory placement is not guaranteed, so secure faculty alignment before valuing that route.
• STEM eligibility can extend work-authorisation planning, but applicants should target degree-related employers and verify the exact Form I-20 code before enrollment.

ROI reality: The course is financially defensible only when a focused research or applied-biology plan justifies the six-figure prior-cycle budget without assuming the market median.

USA Visa for UMass Lowell MS Biological Sciences Students 2027

Indian students normally need F-1 status for full-time on-campus study after UMass Lowell issues the Form I-20. The visa application fee is US$185 (INR 17,653), while the I-901 SEVIS fee is US$350 (INR 33,397). Graduates may use OPT (Optional Practical Training). This work authorisation permits up to 12 months of degree-related employment after study.

• The programme is STEM-designated, enabling a potential 24-month STEM OPT extension after standard OPT when the Form I-20 and employer meet federal conditions.
• An H-1B employer must pay the higher applicable actual or prevailing wage, so no single national salary threshold applies to Biology graduates.
• F-2 status can cover a spouse or unmarried child under 21, but F-2 dependants cannot work in the United States.
• The degree creates no automatic permanent-residence route because employment category, sponsorship, priority date and visa availability determine any timeline.

Read More: post-study work options in the USA

Visa reality: STEM designation can create up to 36 months of potential OPT, but only degree-related work and the issued Form I-20 support that plan.