Our Ph.D. program in Biological Sciences is designed to prioritize your growth and success as a researcher. We offer a diverse range of specializations, fostering novel research that significantly contributes to your chosen field. Your achievements will be recognized through publications in peer-reviewed journals, presentations at prestigious national or international conferences, and the successful defense of your dissertation.
With personalized mentorship from our dedicated faculty and a supportive environment, we ensure that you receive individual attention for your research. You’ll also benefit from a close-knit community of around 30 graduate students, providing ample opportunities to build connections, form collaborations, and develop professionally and personally.
Our program has a proven track record of graduates securing post-doctoral positions at prestigious institutions and faculty roles at colleges and universities. We're excited to support your journey and the contributions you’ll make to the scientific community.
Learning Outcomes
- Scientific knowledge and application: Students will design, execute, and evaluate the data derived from experiments that probe a significant scientific question.
- Communication: Students will communicate scientific concepts and experiments with clarity, coherence, and correctness.
- Demonstration of skill and products: Students will demonstrate skills and products (publications, awards, grants) that allow for career progression to dost-doctoral, teaching, or industrial positions.
Ph.D. Requirements
Program Overview
Required Courses for the PhD
|
REQUIRED |
Credits |
|
BIOL 574 Ethics in Biotechnology/ Biology BIOL 645 Advanced Cell & Molecular Biology I BIOL 647 Advanced Cell & Molecular Biology II BIOL 695 Intro to Graduate Research I BIOL 696 Intro to Graduate Research II BIOL 646 Advanced Topics (Three OR Six) BIOL 680 Graduate Research in Biology BIOL 690 Seminar |
1 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 1 cr. 16 cr. 2 cr. max |
|
ELECTIVES |
Credits |
|
BIOL 505 Microbial Genetics BIOL 513 Developmental Biology BIOL 515 Mammalian Physiology BIOL 516 Comparative and Environmental Physiology BIOL 522 Animal Behavior BIOL 524 Immunology BIOL 526 Pathogenic Microbiology BIOL 527 Microbial Ecology BIOL 529 Microbial Physiology BIOL 532 Applied & Environmental Microbiology BIOL 536 Environmental Ecology BIOL 540 Evolution BIOL 544 Plant Biology, Biotechnology, Genomics BIOL 555 Cardiovascular & Respiratory Physiology BIOL 557 Reproductive Physiology BIOL 560 Endocrinology BIOL 566 Terrestrial Field Biology BIOL 568 Human Genetics BIOL 569 Signal Transduction BIOL 570 Lab I: Experimental Biology BIOL 571 Lab II: Cell & Molecular Biology BIOL 572 Lab III: Cell & Systems Physiology BIOL 575 Neurobiology BIOL 592 Stream Field Biology BIOL 651 Special Topics BIOL 667 Advanced Molecular Biology CHEM 501 Biochemistry I |
3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 2 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 1-3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. |
Financial Support Information
Biology Ph.D. students are supported with financial assistance, ensuring a seamless academic journey. As part of our commitment to your success, we provide a full tuition waiver along with either teaching assistantships or research assistantships. Our teaching assistants play a vital role in the undergraduate laboratory sections, where they excel at delivering oral instructions, overseeing laboratory activities, creating test materials, and administering and evaluating examinations. To further alleviate financial burdens, students receive a competitive annual stipend of $27,500, enabling them to focus on their studies and research. We prioritize your academic progress, and students in good standing are typically supported for five years, with opportunities to apply for 1-2 years of additional support.