The Graduate Program in Biological Sciences educates graduate students on the foundational areas of molecular, cellular, and organismal biology and provides in-depth training with faculty while engaging in state-of-the-art research. Our program prepares students for a variety of careers in science, which include academic research and teaching, and working with governmental agencies and the biotechnology sector. Training begins with coursework, seminars, and professional development activities and culminates with published research that is incorporated into a formal thesis. The Biological Sciences Graduate Program also values and provides training in teaching and mentorship. By the time of graduation, students in the Program have developed critical thinking skills and technical expertise while making novel discoveries through their dissertation research.
The research interests of the faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences are inherently diverse, ranging from molecules and cells to organisms and ecosystems. Specifically, the faculty have primary research interests in the areas of biological clocks, computational biology, evolution, genomics, genome maintenance, protein trafficking, vector biology, entomology, symbiosis, speciation, microbiology and microbiomes, immunology, mitochondrial function, small RNAs, synapse formation and plasticity, and development and regeneration of visual and olfactory sensory systems. Therefore, students are immersed in a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive environment while conducting disciplinary and interdisciplinary research.
Students interested in this program should apply for direct admission into the Biological Sciences Graduate Program. Students may also enter through the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program (IGP) in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, the Quantitative and Chemical Biology (QCB) program, and the Medical Scientist Training Program, and choose Biological Sciences as their home program at the end of the second semester (See IGP, QCB and MSTP sections in this catalog). Desirable backgrounds of applicants are undergraduate degrees emphasizing biology, chemistry, mathematics, or physics, but students from other disciplines are also eligible.