Program Overview
The Texas A&M University Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology (IFT) is administratively located in the Texas A&M University (TAMU) School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology is composed of faculty from many TAMU departments across several colleges, the Health Science Center, and three associated laboratories. Completion of a thesis/dissertation is required for the M.S. or Ph.D. degree. Students are required to complete a core curriculum of courses in toxicology, pathology, pharmacology, risk assessment, exposure science, and statistics. In addition, electives may be chosen from a number of advanced courses providing additional training within the sub-disciplines of cellular and molecular toxicology, reproductive and developmental toxicology, behavioral and neuro-toxicology, environmental and veterinary toxicology, genetics, public health, and applied and food toxicology.
Application Requirements
Admission to the Toxicology program requires coursework in advanced biology and/or chemistry. Applicants lacking sufficient preparation may be required to complete additional coursework at Texas A&M University. Overall academic performance and a satisfactory GPA are required. The Texas A&M Office of Admissions provides comprehensive support for all graduate applicants.
MS applicants must establish a faculty mentor prior to admission. For direct admission, PhD applicants must establish a faculty mentor prior to admission.
Application Procedure
- Submit application via the central application service GraduateCAS
- Pay the application fee
- Contact the Toxicology Program Coordinator if you have any questions about your application
Application materials to the Toxicology program must include:
- Undergraduate and graduate (if available) transcripts
- Unofficial transcripts may be uploaded in the application; however, if you are admitted and intend to enroll, you must arrange for each college or institution attended to send official transcripts directly to the Office of Admissions
- Official Transcripts can be submitted through SPEEDE, PARCHMENT and National Student Clearinghouse. Institutions outside the US may send official transcripts to admissions@tamu.edu. Note: You do not need to submit an official transcript from Texas A&M University, but you may be asked to upload one in the central application service (CAS).
- 3 Letters of recommendation
- Recommendations from research advisors or professors are preferred and should address the applicant’s background, research experience, and potential for graduate studies in toxicology
- Applicant’s CV or resume
- Personal essay or Statement of Purpose expressing interest in toxicology
- This essay may be used to convey any information not included in other parts of the application and is an ideal place to discuss research experience and career goals
- Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 or limited research experience must explain this in their essay
- TOEFL or IELTS scores for International applicants. See Proof of English Language Proficiency section for details
- Other information required by the Texas A&M Office of Admissions
- Optional items
- Copies of publications and awards
- Standardized test scores may be included if they strengthen the application (send official test scores to Texas A&M University (Code 6003)
Application Period and Deadlines
IFT trainees begin studies in the Fall semester. Applications are accepted between September and February of the academic year preceding the anticipated start time in the program. We are currently recruiting for Fall 2027, applications are no longer being accepted for Fall 2026.
Applicants are encouraged to complete their applications by December 1. Completed applications from US citizens and permanent residents submitted before January 15 (priority deadline) will be considered for institutional fellowships and invitations to the annual Open House recruiting event held in February. Outstanding candidates who are US citizens or permanent residents with an interest in regulatory science and risk assessment will be considered for funding through an NIEHS-funded training grant.
The final date to submit an application and required documents is March 1. Applications not completed by March 1 will be deferred to the next year unless the applicant petitions the program as detailed below. In exceptional cases, applications may be considered for the Spring semester and a petition must be submitted to the Chair of the IFT requesting permission to apply outside of the standing application period.
Applicants are encouraged to maintain contact with both the TAMU Office of Admissions and the Toxicology Program Coordinator to ensure that all admission documents were received.
Application Review Procedures
Composition of the Admissions Committee:
The IFT admissions committee consists of the IFT Chair, co-chair, and no less than three additional faculty members. Additional members will include members of the admissions committee for the NIEHS T32 training program in “Regulatory Science in Environmental Health and Toxicology,” representatives of the IFT Executive Committee, and may also include IFT faculty at large.
Meetings of the Admissions Committee:
The Admissions Committee meets periodically, as determined by the IFT Chair, between November and April, to review completed applications, make admissions decisions, consider matching the applicants to prospective IFT faculty mentors, and make funding decisions, if applicable.
Admissions decisions:
Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis and the Committee will usually consider all applications that are complete at its next scheduled meeting. The Admissions Committee first considers whether the applicant is admissible into the MS or PhD program. All Admissions Committee members fill out a rubric for each applicant which includes but is not limited to, the following information: GPA, strengths of the applicant’s prior research experience (including any presentations, publications, or other tangible outcomes resulting from prior research), letters of recommendation and other factors. The Committee will discuss each applicant’s strengths and weaknesses, potential match with the faculty in the program, availability of funding, as well as suitability of the candidate’s career aspirations to the programmatic goals of IFT. A vote will be taken on whether to admit each applicant. A majority of affirmative votes are needed to render an admissions decision. All admitted applicants will be notified promptly by email and/or postal mail of their acceptance by the IFT and steps will be taken for the official acceptance by Texas A&M University.
Note on the international graduate student admission decisions:
No international applicant will be admitted without a clear funding plan. Therefore, in addition to the general admissions requirements outlined above, the Admissions Committee will require that a firm written funding commitment is made by a prospective faculty mentor to each international applicant (i.e., those who are not US citizens or permanent residents) who are deemed as potentially admissible by the Committee. Alternatively, documentation of a firm third-party commitment of a fellowship/scholarship already awarded (or to be awarded pending admissions decision) to the applicant that covers tuition, fees, and reasonable living expenses must be included in the application package.
Funding Decisions:
The Admissions Committee will use a weighted scoring system and rank the applicants for the relevant IFT (T32 training program funding for doctoral applicants) and/or institutional (Graduate and Professional School funding) that may be available. Consideration will also be given to the representation of trainees that contribute to diversity. Availability of funding will be communicated to each admitted applicant. The IFT will make every effort to ensure that all admitted applicants are funded, but funding is not guaranteed.
Interviews and Campus Visits
Applicants may request an informational interview with faculty. Personal interviews are not required but provide an opportunity for the applicant to become better acquainted with the toxicology program. Itineraries to meet faculty members and current graduate students can be arranged. The IFT program holds an annual 1-2 day-long open house event for admitted applicants and other interested parties. In 2026, we participated in the TAMU Life Sciences Recruitment Symposium, which took place February 4th-6th, 2026. Highly qualified admitted applicants may receive travel grants to attend the IFT Open House. Contact the Toxicology Program Coordinator for information.
Training Options
The Toxicology training program at Texas A&M University has three main elements: (i) thesis-based masters (MS) ; (ii) pre-doctoral (PhD), and (iii) postdoctoral training. This program is not based in one department, but is inter-disciplinary in nature where trainees may select faculty from twenty TAMU departments in five colleges, two divisions of the Health Science Center, and three associated laboratories.