Doctor of Philosophy in Biology

The Department of Biology offers programs leading to the Ph.D. degree with research emphasis in: Biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, Ecology, evolution and behavioral biology, Parasitology. Developmental biology and neurosciences. The Department of Biology provides graduate students with an introduction to graduate-level biology across diverse fields of biology. Students will receive expert guidance in research, training in becoming effective communicators in science and a foundation in teaching pedagogy. Some of our graduates will become academics, whereas others will find careers in government, private industry, public policy, or elsewhere. Your ability to communicate both ideas and research results clearly and convincingly is key to your success no matter what career you enter. We foster interactions between graduate students and faculty as well as within the community of graduate students themselves.

Our graduate program is designed to provide students with a broad introduction to graduate level topics in diverse areas of biology. Our courses are intended to broaden and deepen your thinking in biological concepts, research, and quantitative hypothesis testing. Additionally, students participate in independent study with individual faculty. Since most course requirements are usually completed in the first year, students will have time to engage fully in individual research projects by the second year.

Applicants must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or the equivalent from a competitive university or college is required, although most students who are admitted have GPAs of 3.5 or higher. Strong performance in undergraduate science and math courses is also imperative. Applicants must take the GRE general test (or MCAT) to be considered for admission.

Other English Language Requirements: a minimum score of TOEFL is 600 (paper-based test) or 250 (computer-based tests).