biology major phd

Biology, PHD

On this page:, at a glance: program details.

• Location: Tempe campus
• Second Language Requirement: No

Program Description

Degree Awarded: PHD Biology

The PhD program in biology offers individualized courses of study tailored to students' interests that include laboratory, field and theoretical work. Flexibility in the program is achieved by requiring only one core class, which is a choice between two topics that cover the breadth of the research directions in this program.

Electives are also as flexible as possible and include areas outside of biology. The major goal is to provide students with the opportunity to create an adaptable and general degree program that allows both traditional and interdisciplinary approaches in any area of biology.

Program Faculty   PhD Students

• BIO 792 Research
• BIO 514 Statistical Models for Biology
• BIO 522 Populations: Evolutionary Ecology
• BIO 507 Advanced Evolutionary Medicine
• BIO 521 Landscape Ecology
• BIO 530 Scientific Teaching (required in first semester for students that will TA at any point in degree)
• BIO 533 K-12 STEM Education & Outreach
• BIO 539 Computing for Research
• BIO 541 SOLS Seminar Series
• BIO 542 SOLS Current Topics in the Life Sciences
• BIO 591 Society and Natural Resource Management
• BIO 591 Social-Ecological Systems & Adaptation
• BIO 591 Drylands in a Changing Earth
• BIO 591 Population Genetic Reading Group
• BIO 591 Communication for Scientists
• BIO 591 Genetics and Genomics of Behavior
• BIO 620 Research Prospectus Writing
• EVO 501 Current Topics in Evolutionary Biology
• EVO 601 Principles of Evolution
• EVO 610 Research Areas of Evolution

Application and admission information

How to apply.

Applications open September 1 for admission in Fall of the following year. The application deadline is December 1 . We accept applications for Fall semesters only. We cannot guarantee that applications received after the December 1 deadline will be considered for admission.

All applicants must apply by filling out ASU's Graduate Admissions application. All application materials must be submitted through the application or to Graduate Admissions directly. Please do not mail or email any documents to the School of Life Sciences. 

Required materials and information include the following:

• 1-2 page personal statement
• An up to date CV or resume
• The names of relevant SOLS faculty you have been in touch with who you might be interested in being supervised by
• Unofficial transcripts and English proficiency test scores (if applicable)
• The names and emails of at least 3 recommenders to write you letters of recommendation

Application review process and timeline

Following the December 1 deadline, faculty will begin reviewing applications. Applicants should monitor their My ASU priority tasks to ensure there are no missing materials in their application.

Faculty will decide which applicants they would like to invite to our Graduate Recruitment Weekends (GRWs), typically held in February. Applicants will hear from the School of Life Sciences in January if they are invited to participate in the GRWs.

Admission decisions will begin after the GRWs, and applicants typically receive final decisions by April 1.

Requirements

Minimum requirements for admission include the following:

• Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• There are other ways to demonstrate English proficiency beyond the tests, so please refer to ASU's English proficiency webpage to review how you might satisfy requirements

Desired qualifications typically seen in competitive candidates:

• Research experience and a letter of recommendation from a faculty research supervisor
• English proficiency scores that meet these teaching assistant language proficiency requirements

Please note that the GRE is not required.

Students offered admission to a PhD program in the School of Life Sciences will typically receive a funding offer as well. While individual funding offers may differ to some degree, they typically include teaching assistant and/or research assistant positions each semester (summer optional) for 5 years. These positions provide financial coverage through the following:

• A standard salary stipend paid biweekly
• Tuition remission covering enrollment in 6-18 credit hours for fall and spring semesters and 1-14 credit hours for summer semesters
• Health insurance coverage

To discover more, check out the ASU Graduate College's funding opportunities !

Degree Requirements

Curriculum plan options.

• 84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (3 or 4 credit hours) BIO 514 Statistical Models for Biology (4) or BIO 620 Research Prospectus Writing (3)

Electives (67 or 68 credit hours)

Other Requirements (1 credit hour) BIO 610 Introduction to Responsible Conduct of Research in Life Sciences (1)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) BIO 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information The program is tailored to the needs of the individual student. The plan of study is developed by the student and a supervisory committee consisting of a major professor and three additional faculty members. The electives credit hours are comprised of coursework showing breadth in biology subdisciplines, seminars and research.

An oral comprehensive examination is required in order to advance to candidacy, and a formal defense of the final written dissertation is required prior to graduation.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in biology or a related discipline from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

Applicants must submit the following:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• academic record form
• personal statement
• curriculum vitae or resume
• three letters of recommendation
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

Research experience is desired for entry into this program.

Next Steps to attend ASU

Learn about our programs, apply to a program, visit our campus, learning outcomes.

• Able to communicate the findings and originality of their research, both orally and in writing.
• Able to perform research that they have designed to address important and challenging questions in the field of biology.
• Able to review scholarly literature as they develop specialized expertise in their selected research area.

Career Opportunities

Those who have earned a doctorate in biology are prepared for academic careers at every level, from community colleges to research universities. Their skills and knowledge are also valuable for government careers with federal and state agencies responsible for wildlife management and conservation, and for careers in industry and nongovernmental organizations.

Career examples include:

• food, agriculture and health care scientists in academic, private and industrial labs
• principal investigators in government labs and nonprofit organizations
• professors or instructors in universities and colleges
• science teachers in elementary and high schools
• wildlife, animal and conservation scientists

Program Contact Information

If you have questions related to admission, please click here to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly. For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.

• [email protected]
• 480/965-1768

Ph.D. Program in Biology

Our graduate program provides students of diverse backgrounds with the opportunity to intensely engage in research in the biological sciences and contribute to the broader scientific community.

Average time to degree: 5.3 years

Percentage of graduates in post-doctoral or permanent positions: 94%

Average publications after completion of program: 3.8 per person

Ph.D. Program

The Department of Biology introduces graduate students to diverse fields of biological science, and provides them with expert guidance to excel in research. The department is invested in training students to become excellent scientists, researchers, science communicators, and instructors. We are a diverse and global community, committed to expanding scientific career opportunities to all. Some of our graduates become academics, whereas others find careers in government, private industry, public policy, or elsewhere (see where recent graduates are now). The ability to communicate ideas and research results clearly and convincingly is key to success in any career.

Experience Biology at Georgetown University

Professors and current students share their perspectives on Georgetown’s cutting-edge biology graduate program.

Potential applicants are urged to identify and contact potential research mentors directly before applying. Please refer to the research page and the list of faculty interested in accepting students . Not all laboratories will have open positions available for a new graduate student in a given year.

Financial Assistance for PhD Students

    students who are accepted into the phd program in biology are guaranteed a minimum of five years of full funding. this funding includes:.

Stipend The stipend for PhD students in Biology is set by the Collective Bargaining Agreement between Georgetown University and the Georgetown Alliance of Graduate Employees ( GAGE ). The current stipend rate is $36,934 for the year. The stipend is paid on a 12-month contract, typically in 26 biweekly paychecks.

Tuition Waiver The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GSAS) provides full tuition waivers for all PhD students for the duration of the PhD program.

Health Insurance Health insurance is required. The GSAS provides free student health insurance to all students. The insurance covers doctor’s visits, hospital stays, and prescription drugs. Students may waive this benefit if they prefer a different plan through parents or a spouse.

Dental Insurance The GSAS provides free dental insurance to all students. The insurance covers routine dental care, such as cleanings and exams.

Yates Athletic Facility All students are eligible to use the Yates athletic facility for free. The facility has a gym, swimming pool, and fitness classes.

Parental Leave Graduate student workers are guaranteed six weeks of paid parental leave. This leave can be used to bond with a new child or to care for a sick child.

Medical Leave Graduate student workers are guaranteed six weeks of paid medical leave. This leave can be used to recover from a medical condition or to care for a sick family member.

To learn more about financial assistance for PhD students, please visit the Graduate Funding page. You can read more about what it means to do a PhD in a union-protected graduate program  here

Student Quotes

“Until you start your journey in grad school you might not know what you are missing out on. Other than the course work, grad school has been instrumental in  inculcating important life values and skills such as confidence, time management, survival, and holding personal and professional relationships in higher esteem. ”

“Studying at Georgetown has enabled me to be a lot more confident in my ability to ask questions and chart my own path in scientific research. My advisor and mentors here at Georgetown have been top quality in terms of both academic and personal support”

“Georgetown is a place with an environment conducive to learning and professional growth for prospective scientists working towards their graduate degrees and beyond. In this program, I found mentorship and training that foster the critical thinking required to answer the questions I am interested in. I found the multidisciplinary nature of the graduate student body to be engaging and supportive from the beginning of my journey.”

“The breadth of research that goes on in the Bio department really facilitates a broad understanding of biology from the life of single cells to the life of much larger organisms. It really is something unique that you don’t get at other more specific departments and has really helped me think outside of the box with my own work.”

Graduate Research Opportunities

Learn about the research programs that the department of Biology offers and find out which programs are recruiting graduate students.

Graduate Teaching Opportunities

Find out about the many opportunities that are offered to graduate students to develop teaching and mentoring skills.

Graduate Funding Opportunities

Learn about stipend funding and the additional funds from the GU Graduate School offered to help support graduate dissertation research or travel to meetings.

Department of Biology

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• Ph.D. Program

The Department of Biology offers a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Quantitative Biology with research emphasis in a number of areas including: Genome Biology & Genetics, Cell Biology, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, or Microbiology. The doctoral program is designed to train students to apply sophisticated quantitative techniques to solving basic and applied problems in biology. Students in this program will attain substantially greater quantitative skills than in traditional doctoral programs in the biological sciences, providing them with a competitive advantage in business, industry, government, and academia.

The  University Catalog  contains all UTA admission requirements for the Department of Biology Ph.D. program.

How to Apply

First, read the general instructions for applying to the graduate program and download the checklists available on the Office of Graduate Studies webpage:  www.uta.edu/admissions/graduate/apply

International applicants have specific requirements, and a separate admissions checklist, available here: https://www.uta.edu/admissions/apply/international-graduate  

Additionally, the Department requests that applicants fill out the following questionnaire as part of the application package:  https://common.forms.uta.edu/view.php?id=2034157   Students are accepted into our Ph.D. program as either direct admit or rotation students. 

Direct admit: To qualify as a direct admit, an applicant must secure the backing of a faculty member before applying, mention their faculty support in their letter of intent, and ask that their faculty member reach out to Dr. Mark Pellegrino ( [email protected] ).

To secure the support of a faculty member before applying, begin by visiting our Biology faculty page: https://www.uta.edu/academics/schools-colleges/science/departments/biology/faculty - research/faculty , review the research focuses of the labs, and contact individual faculty members to discuss your research interests. Explain how your interests align with their lab and inquire if they would consider having you join their lab as a new Ph.D. candidate.

Rotation program: Applicants would choose this option if they are unsure which area of research interests them. Please indicate your interest in the rotation program in your letter of intent. Applicants admitted into the program will perform three rotations in three separate labs. At the end of the rotation period, applicants are placed in a home lab under the guidance of a Rotation Program Committee. Applicants will select their rotation labs only after being admitted into the Ph.D. program. Please note that applications to the rotation program are only considered for the Fall semester . For more information about the rotation program, please contact the chair of the Rotation Program Committee, Dr. Mark Pellegrino ( [email protected] ).

ALL APPLICATIONS ARE REVIEWED ON THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULE:

Questions? Please contact : [email protected]  

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in the Department of Biology must apply to either the “B.S. to Ph.D. track” or the “Ph.D. program”, with the corresponding prerequisites:

B.S. to Ph.D. track:  A bachelor's degree in biology, or a bachelor's degree in some other discipline with at least 12 hours of advanced level coursework (junior or senior level courses) in biology. This is the Ph.D. track designed for students with a B.S and without master’s degree, which tends to be the majority of applicants.

Ph.D. program:  This track is for students that already have a master's degree in biology, or at least 30 hours of graduate level coursework in biology. A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale), as calculated by the Graduate School, is expected. An applicant's GPA in science courses will be taken into consideration. If an applicant has a master's degree, the GPA from their master's degree will also be considered. For applicants with up to 30 hours of graduate coursework but no master's degree, the GPA from those hours will be also be taken into consideration.

GRE:   The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is no longer required for admission. 

Application, scores, and transcripts:   Your online application will include instructions for uploading transcripts, test scores, and any other required materials. 

International students:  Students whose native language is not English must provide a score on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) of at least 45, a minimum score of 23 on the Speaking portion of the TOEFL iBT exam or a minimum score of 7 on the Speaking portion of the IELTS exam. See the following website for complete details:  https://www.uta.edu/admissions/apply/international-graduate

Letters of recommendation:  Three letters  of recommendation are required for admission to the program. Ideally one or two letters should come from professors or instructors who can speak to your academic abilities; others may come from employers or other individuals who can comment on your work ethic and potential for graduate study. Letters should be emailed directly from the letter writer to [email protected] . If you have questions regarding letters of recommendation, please email [email protected] and include your UTA ID #, provided within your online application.

Letter of intent:  Please email a Letter of Intent to [email protected] and include the following information:

• Your full name and UTA ID #.
• Indicate that you are seeking the Ph.D. degree in Quantitative Biology
• Tell us which research track or types of research you are interested in. Examples include: Genome Biology & Genetics, Cell & Developmental Biology, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, or Microbiology
• Provide names of any specific faculty member(s) that you are interested in working with if you have particular preferences. Note, however, that it is also OK if you are not sure what faculty member you are interested in working with (which is common), in which case, we will use your research interests above to help match you with potential faculty research mentors. We also encourage you to reach out to faculty members directly by email to discuss the potential for research in their lab, and if you have contacted any, please put this information in your letter of intent.
• How do you decide on which lab to conduct research in for your PhD? - Some students have a clear idea of their research interests, others may not. Both situations are common and our PhD program can account for both types of students, and students can decide on a single lab upfront to conduct research (direct admission) or decide to rotate in multiple labs during their first year, and decide which of these they will do their PhD work in in the second year. Our diverse department enables a broad range of research opportunities.
• Identify if you wish to be admitted directly to a single faculty member’s laboratory (and identify this faculty member), or indicate that you are interested in potentially rotating in multiple labs (2-3 labs) in the first year to make this decision. If interested in a lab rotation, please also indicate which faculty members’ labs are of interest, and if you have been in contact these faculty. More information about Rotations is provided below.
• Your Letter of Intent should also include details of your experience, training, any research experience you may have had, and motivations that you believe make you a strong candidate for success in a PhD program. You may also briefly discuss the long-term professional goals that motivate you to work towards a PhD. This is also an appropriate place to clarify details of your academic and work experience to date.

What is the letter of intent used for:

• The letter of intent is used to help the department link interested candidates with potential research professors/labs, and serves as an opportunity for the applicant to make a personal argument for why they believe they will be successful in conducting a PhD based on their experience and motivations. Your letter will be forwarded to the faculty members you indicate, but you are encouraged to also contact those faculty members directly (e.g., by email) to determine if they are accepting new students. It is therefore useful to also visit the listed  faculty pages  to find faculty research that you might be interested in and contact those faculty members.

PhD Funding:  Ph.D. students are guaranteed 5 years of financial support in the form of Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs), funded by the department, or Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs), funded by grants to individual faculty members. Many students are supported by a mixture of these two assistantships throughout their PhD. All Ph.D. students enrolled full-time and receiving an assistantship also receive reduced-cost in-state tuition regardless of residence, and a major portion of these tuition costs are supported by the assistantships.

Checking the status of your application:   You can check your application and admissions status through the MyMav student portal, where you can also review if you have any missing items needed to complete your application.   CHECK YOUR STATUS IN MYMAV . To confirm receipt of letters of recommendation, first check with your recommenders before contacting  [email protected] .  Please include your UTA ID #, available via MyMav, in any correspondence with the Biology Department.

Lab Rotations

The UTA Biology Department encompasses numerous laboratories that conduct research on a remarkably broad range of topics, and choosing a lab and research topic can be difficult. About half of entering students join a single lab as a direct admission. The other portion of students decide to rotate in multiple labs their first year. If several labs are of interest to you, consider signing up for lab rotations your first semester. Our lab rotation option allows you to experience multiple labs before making a final decision. However, please be sure to reach out to at least two potential rotation faculty to be sure they are able and interested in taking students for rotation. In your letter of intent (see  How To Apply  above), inform the Biology Department which labs are of interest to you (list up to three labs), and note which faculty have agreed to host you as a lab rotation student if you are accepted.

• If you decide to enter the PhD program as a rotation student, you can do ½ semester rotations in two host labs to get a sense of the research being conducted prior to making a final decision on which lab you will conduct your PhD research in.  
• For those students opting for a lab rotation, your letter of intent will be forwarded to the faculty members you indicate, but you should also contact those individuals directly to determine if they are taking new students and have the resources to support your research. During your first semester you will join/rotate through up to three labs in which you are interested and that are currently recruiting students. If no fit is found during your first semester, you have the option of rotating through additional labs in your second semester. Please visit the listed faculty pages to find faculty research that you might be interested in and contact those faculty members to set up a rotation. We feel confident that you will find an exciting and dynamic dissertation lab to join.  

BIOLOGY GRADUATE HANDBOOK [PDF]

The Biology Graduate Handbook is currently under revision. Up-to-date information regarding the PhD in Biology is available in the UTA Graduate Catalog . Questions regarding the Biology graduate program should be emailed to [email protected] .

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Location : Life Sciences Building, Room 337, 501 S. Nedderman Dr., Arlington, TX 76019 Mailing address : P.O. Box 19498 Phone : 817-272-2872

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Doctoral degree requirements, general philosophy of the ph.d.  program.

Biology is the most diverse of all the disciplines in the natural sciences. Consequently, the allied fields to which the various subdisciplines in Biology share natural affinities differ. For example, molecular biology makes connections with physical chemistry, biomechanics with engineering and physics, and ecology and evolutionary biology with statistics, mathematics, geology, and atmospheric sciences. The goal of the Biology Doctoral Program is to train young scientists who:

• excel at research and teaching in their own subdisciplines;
• demonstrate competence in fields allied to their subdisciplines; and
• display a breadth of knowledge in Biology as a whole. 

Trajectory through the program

• At the beginning of your Ph.D.: you will be assigned a temporary advisor (typically the sponsor of your admission).
• Before registering for the first semester: discuss with your advisor which courses you should take. As a first-year student, you are encouraged to interact with other faculty in your research area to ask them about courses you should take before the preliminary exam—these faculty may very well become members of your Ph.D. committee.

The philosophy of the department is that you need not spend a great deal of time in coursework.  You should take only the courses that fill gaps in areas that will be needed in your research, and spend most of your time starting your research.

• During the first three semesters: take up to three tutorials with different faculty members in the department. The tutorial requirement is waived as soon as you declare an advisor. Tutorials may involve laboratory work, directed reading in the primary literature, greenhouse or field studies, mathematical or computer modeling, or any other activity that would assist you in identifying a suitable dissertation topic. Other goals of the tutorials are to expose students to the diversity of faculty research interests in their specialty and to help them to identify an appropriate advisor and dissertation committee. 
• By the end of the 3 rd semester, you must choose an advisor and the advisor must convene an initial meeting of the dissertation committee. Dissertation committees will consist of at least four faculty members, one of which will represent your minor (see below). The goals of the initial meeting are to assess the novelty and feasibility of your proposed dissertation topic, to ascertain whether you need to take any additional courses to demonstrate preparedness for the preliminary exam, and to decide the format of the written dissertation proposal (see below).  If you fail to meet with your committee before the end of the 3rd semester, the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) will notify you in writing, and will discuss with you and your advisor ways to resolve any difficulties. 
• Preferably by the end of the 4 th semester, but certainly by the end of the 6 th semester, you must pass an oral preliminary examination to establish candidacy for the Ph.D. One week prior to the exam, you must present a written essay describing your proposed dissertation research to your committee. The exam itself will cover the specific research areas addressed in your proposal, but will also test your depth of knowledge in your area of specialty and your breadth of knowledge in Biology as a whole.
• When the dissertation research is completed, you will present the written dissertation to your committee two weeks prior to the dissertation defense (the dissertation also has to be submitted to the Grad School two weeks before the defense). You are also required to present your results in a seminar. You are expected to complete the degree requirements as soon as possible, but students making progress toward their degree will be considered to be in good standing through the 12 th semester. 

You are required to declare a minor at the time of the initial meeting with your dissertation committee. At least one member of the dissertation committee must represent the minor field, and will be charged with assessing your knowledge in the minor during the preliminary exam.  The goal of the minor is to ensure that you acquire a breadth of knowledge beyond your immediate specialty, either in a different area of Biology or in an allied field. Dissertation committees have the freedom to determine the specific nature of the minor, to tailor it to your needs, but minors are subject to approval by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Affairs Committee.

The minor may:

• lie entirely outside Biology (e.g., Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Chemistry, Engineering, Atmospheric Sciences, Geology);
• require the student to acquire knowledge about a group of organisms that differs from those on which the student’s dissertation research focuses; or
• represent a biological subdiscipline that is distinct from the student’s own subdiscipline.  For example, a student whose advisor is in the Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology sub-department might choose Developmental, Cellular, and Molecular Biology (DCMB) as a minor, with appropriate representation by a DCMB faculty member on the preliminary exam and dissertation committees. A student in ecology might choose evolutionary biology as a minor.

Scholarly productivity

To become recognized as independent scientists and to have an impact on their fields, graduate students must communicate their findings to their colleagues. Therefore, all students are strongly encouraged to begin submitting the results of their research to refereed journals as soon as possible (ideally well before the dissertation is completed). In order to give their committee members an opportunity to comment on them, manuscripts that are intended to be included in the dissertation will be given to all committee members at least two weeks prior to submission. You should submit copies of papers accepted for publication to the Director of Graduate Studies, to be included your file. 

You will be required to serve as a teaching assistant for two semesters. Teaching is not simply a mechanism to provide financial support to graduate students. Rather, it is an integral part of your professional development as both an educator and a researcher.

Annual evaluation of student progress

• After your 1 st year you will meet with your committee annually.
• In your 2 nd year, your first committee meeting serves as the annual committee meeting.
• In your 3 rd year, your Preliminary Exam will serve this purpose if you take it in the Fall.

You MUST have an annual progress meeting with your committee each Fall, UNLESS:

• you are in your 1 st or 2 nd year;
• you are in your 3 rd year and are taking your prelim this Fall (not Spring, and not in your 2 nd year); or
• you are defending your dissertation this year.
• Prior to November 15, you are expected to present to your committee a written report on the progress made over the previous year, and on any difficulties encountered, as well as a plan for completing the dissertation.
• Before the end of the final exam period in December, your advisor will then convene a meeting of the committee to discuss the progress report with you.
• By January 1, your advisor must send a letter to the Director of Graduate Studies summarizing this discussion, providing the committee’s evaluation of your progress, and recommending whether you should receive continued financial support from the department. The progress report you submitted to your committee should be attached to this letter. All faculty members not on your committee will also be able to submit to the Director of Graduate Studies any written commentary on the student’s performance (e.g., as a student or teaching assistant in a course taught by that faculty member).  
• After January 1, the Director of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the Graduate Affairs Committee as needed, will review the written materials to determine whether you shall be granted departmental support for the following academic year. You will receive a letter from the DGS if any remedial measures need to be taken. Your written progress report, your advisor’s letter to the DGS, any letters from faculty not on your committee, and any letters from the DGS will be placed in your folder as a record of your annual progress and evaluation. 

Committee Meetings, Exams, and Defenses during Summer

Scheduling committee meetings, preliminary exams, and dissertation defenses during the summer is strongly discouraged, because faculty members typically have research or other travel plans that must take precedence during this time. Summer meetings, exams, and defenses can only be scheduled by agreement of all members of the committee. In accordance with Graduate School regulations, such meetings can only be held while the summer semester is actually in session, and the student must be registered for the summer semester.

Note: A downloadable version of the information above is available:

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Doctor of Philosophy in Biology

The Doctor of Philosophy in Biology curriculum spans the spectrum of subdisciplines of the biological sciences. The program is grounded in coursework involving current biological concepts and culminates in the defense of a dissertation describing novel and quality research conducted independently by the student. PhD graduates in Biology are highly competitive for positions in academic settings, industry, and international research facilities.

The PhD program in Biology offers students two distinct degree tracks that allow students to obtain broad, foundational training in modern biology while also affording a focused, specialized research experience: (1)  Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology (EEO)  and (2)  Cell, Molecular, Health, and Disease Biology (CMHD) .

EEO students typically identify a faculty mentor prior to or during the application process based on their personal research interests. CMHD students may apply to work with a specific faculty mentor, but all students participate in lab rotations during the first year before matching with a mentor’s lab.

Please review the interactive document below for a summary of the program, our faculty, research, and facilities. For more specific information, refer to the current  Biology Graduate Handbook  for important information on additional requirements related to teaching, seminar requirements, comprehensive oral exam, and grades. Finally, please see details about the  admissions  process.

Department of Biology

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Graduate Admissions

Helpful guides for applying to the biology phd program, tips for applying to the cmob track, tips for applying to the eco/evo track.

The PhD program trains students for careers in research and teaching. In addition to a wide range of courses, the PhD program offers informal but intensive instruction in laboratories and seminars, characterized by close contact between students and their faculty advisors. Biology is one of fourteen home programs  in the  Biosciences,  which span the School of Medicine and the School of Humanities and Sciences.

How to Apply

For the 2023-2024 PhD application season, application processes will be run through existing Biology (School of Humanities & Sciences)  and the Oceans Department(Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability). 

Previously part of the Biology Department , Hopkins Marine Station is now part of the Oceans Department within the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability (SDSS).  Several faculty took appointments in Oceans, while others chose to stay in Biology; still others have joint appointments.  Additionally, several faculty members in Ecology/Evolutionary Biology now have joint appointments within Biology and SDSS. Based on these changes, the following information will provide further guidance for the application process. 

• Faculty with 100% appointments in Biology, will only recruit through Biology.  The Biology application will be used.
• Ecology/Evolutionary Biology faculty with 50/50 appointments in both Biology and SDSS will recruit students through either Biology or Earth Systems Science .  If you are interested in working with Ecology/Evolutionary faculty with joint Biology/SDSS appointments, you should reach out to them directly regarding the appropriate application track to choose. 
• 100% Oceans faculty will only be recruiting students through the Earth Systems Science application.
• Oceans faculty appointed 50/50 in Biology and SDSS (Oceans Department), will recruit students through either Biology or Earth Systems Science .  If you are interested in working with Oceans faculty with joint Biology/SDSS appointments, you should reach out to the individual faculty members you hope to work with regarding the appropriate application and track to choose. 

Faculty Affiliated with the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability

Oceans Department:

Fio Micheli 100% 

Jeremy Goldbogen 100%

Giulio De Leo 100%

Larry Crowder 100%

Steve Palumbi 50% Oceans/50%Biology

Barbara Block 50% Oceans/50% Biology

*Note Chris Lowe will remain 100% in Biology

Ecology/Evolution

Liz Hadly 50% SDSS/50%Biology

Rodolfo Dirzo 50% SDSS/50%Biology

Tad Fukami 50% SDSS/50%Biology

Kabir Peay 50% SDSS/50%Biology

Chris Field 50% SDSS/50% Biology

Gretchen Daily 50% SDSS/50% Biology

Application and Deadline

Stanford Biology PhD Program applications are made through Graduate Admissions . The application deadline for Autumn Quarter 2024 matriculation is December 5, 2023 at 11:59pm pst.  The application for the Autumn 2024 cohort will be available in September 2023.  Please review the Graduate Admissions website prior to starting your application. Applications are considered for admission in Autumn Quarter only. 

Application Status

To check your application status,  click here to Visit Your Status Page .  

Requirements

• U.S. Bachelor's degree or its foreign equivalent
• Stanford Graduate application
• Non-refundable application fee of $125 (or fee waiver found here ) 
• Statement of Purpose
• Three Letters of Recommendation (a maximum of four letters will be accepted)
• Transcripts - Unofficial transcripts from all universities and colleges you've attended for one year or more must be uploaded to the online application.  Graduate Admissions only requires admitted applicants who accept the offer of admission to submit official transcripts that shows their degree conferral. Please do not send or have sent any official transcripts to us at this time.
• TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language (required for non-native English speakers)
• A current Curriculum Vitae/Resume

Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Join dozens of  Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences students  who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as  Knight-Hennessy Scholars  (KHS). KHS admits up to 100 select applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of your PhD studies at Stanford. Candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment. If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 11, 2023. Learn more about  KHS admission .

Biology PhD Program General Information

Diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging.

The Department of Biology recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision. The Department of Biology welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. Review of applications is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, and admissions essays in order to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and potential contributions to their field.Please see the websites below for more resources.

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• Inquiries about the PhD in Biology should be directed to  biologyadmissions [at] lists.stanford.edu (biologyadmissions[at]lists[dot]stanford[dot]edu)

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Ph.d. biology.

Our PhD program accepts students possessing Bachelors or Masters degrees who are planning a career in science. The purpose of our PhD program is to prepare highly qualified scientists who have excellent up-to-date training in the fields of biology or bioinformatics, who are actively involved in scientific research, are capable of making significant contributions to their scientific field, possess all the necessary skills for effective oral and written communication with colleagues, and can successfully compete in the job market for postdoctoral and research scientist level positions in academia and science-related industries.

We currently have approximately 100 PhD students in the Biology PhD program of the School of Biological Sciences. Of recent PhD graduates, 70% are currently employed as postdoctoral researchers in academia, 9% as government scientists , 9% as industry scientists , 4% as instructors , and 9% are enrolled in further professional training . The average number of journal publications is 3.9 per student and the average number of presentations at conferences around the world is 4.3 per student .

Areas of concentration:

• Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior   including population and evolutionary ecology; community ecology; aquatic chemical ecology; ecological genomics; sensory ecology; evolution of development, behavior, and sociality; biological oceanography; environmental microbiology; theoretical ecology.
• Molecular and Cell Biology   including eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell biology; molecular physiology; molecular biophysics and structural biology; animal, plant, and microbial molecular genetics; human genomics; molecular evolution.

Quick Facts

• Stipend and tuition waiver offered.
• Fellowships available.
• Duration of program depends on research progress. Ph.D. candidates typically defend their thesis at the end of the 5th or during the 6th year.
• 18 credit hours of coursework.

General Inquiries

• Chung Kim Academic Program Coordinator Email  | 404.385.4240 | EBB 2009

Ph.D. Program Overview:

• Stipend: $35,500 per year
• Year 1 Focus:  Coursework / Lab Rotations / Teach
• Year 2 Focus:  Coursework / Thesis Research / Qualifying Exams
• Year 3 Focus:  Thesis Research
• Year 4 Focus:  Thesis Research
• Year 5 Focus:  Thesis Research, Writing and Defense

The PhD in Biology is a research-based degree involving deep immersion in a topic within biology with mentoring from an advisor and thesis committee with expertise in the field of study. Coursework is typically completed within the first 2 years (18 credit hours). Students who have previously earned an M.S. degree or taken graduate courses elsewhere can negotiate up to 9 transfer credit hours upon entering our program. Selection of a thesis advisor is made in discussion with our faculty and/or via lab rotations during the first year, and the composition of the thesis committee is established by the student by the end of the first year.

PhD students in the School of Biological Sciences are each supported by a stipend and do not pay tuition, only modest   fees   each semester. Stipend support comes from teaching or research assistantships which complement research training towards the PhD. Whether PhD stipends are earned from research or teaching assistantships after the first year is decided in consultation with a student's thesis advisor and the graduate committee. Our base PhD stipend is $35,500. Several fellowships are available which can supplement the PhD stipend.

Further Funding

Please take some time to review our   funding opportunities and fellowships .

Choosing between the Masters and Ph.D. Program

Our graduate program is primarily focused on the PhD which prepares students for careers in scientific research and employment in academia, industry, or government. We encourage potential applicants to the PhD program to directly contact individual   faculty   members whose research may appeal to them to discuss research interests and future opportunities. Students who are not yet sure of their interest in scientific research or are interested in other kinds of professional development should consider the M.S. degree in   Biology   or  Bioinformatics . Admission decisions are made by our graduate committee (composed of Biology faculty) in consultation with all of the faculty in the School of Biological Sciences.

Georgia Tech provides application fee waivers to advance diversity, recognize outstanding undergraduate achievement, and engage prospective students in recruitment events where Georgia Tech is affiliated. Such fee waivers are currently available only to domestic applicants.

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• Aquatic Chemical Ecology Center
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• PhD in Biology

The goal of the Biology Department is to train students at the highest level in one of three broad subfields within modern biology: Cell & Molecular Biology, Neurobiology, and Ecology, Behavior, Evolution & Marine Biology. Upon completion of the PhD, students should be prepared for postgraduate training and to eventually assume teaching and/or research positions in academia, industry, government, or nonprofit agencies. The PhD is a research degree and normally necessitates at least five years of academic study, including summer work.

Applicants to the PhD program must have completed a bachelor’s degree in biology or a closely related field. We favor applicants with both strong academic records and a demonstrated aptitude for research.

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate academic mastery in one of three areas of Biology: Ecology, Behavior & Evolution; Neurobiology; or Cellular & Molecular Biology.
• Attain research expertise, including grant writing experience, and complete original research that advances a specific field of study within one of three broad subject areas represented in the department: Ecology, Behavior & Evolution; Neurobiology; or Cellular & Molecular Biology.
• Attain teaching experience and expertise in one of three broad areas of Biology: Ecology, Behavior & Evolution; Neurobiology; or Cellular & Molecular Biology.
• Attain the skills and qualifications needed for employment in an academic, government, or private sector position related to the life sciences.

Course Requirements

Students must complete 64 units with a minimum grade point average of 3.0; at least 32 of these units must be accrued from lecture, laboratory, or seminar courses. Students with prior graduate work may be able to transfer course units. See the GRS Transfer of Units policy for more details.

• 2 terms of Progress in Research Seminars (1–2 units each, select from CAS BI 583, BI 584, BI 579, BI 580, NE 500, NE 501)
• 1 term grant-writing course (2 units, usually CAS BI 581 or BI 671)
• 1 term pedagogy course (1 unit, BI 697)
• 1 quantitative course (3–4 units, selected from a list of courses)
• Additional courses vary by specific track and student interests

Cell & Molecular Biology

• CAS BI 735 Advanced Cell Biology
• CAS BI 753 Advanced Molecular Biology
• CAS MB 721 Graduate Biochemistry
• Three electives
• Research units

Neurobiology

• CAS BI 755 Cellular and Systems Neuroscience
• CAS BI 756 Systems and Behavioral Neuroscience or BI 741 Neural Systems: Functional Circuit Analysis
• Four electives

Ecology, Behavior, Evolution & Marine Biology

• Six electives

Language Requirement

There is no foreign language requirement for this degree.

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination must be completed no later than six terms after matriculation. In most graduate curricula in the department, this consists of a research proposal—often in the form of a grant application—which the student submits to their committee and subsequently defends in an oral presentation. In the Cell & Molecular Biology and Ecology, Behavior, Evolution & Marine Biology curricula, this is preceded by a comprehensive written examination testing the student’s general background from coursework.

Dissertation and Final Oral Examination

Candidates shall demonstrate their abilities for independent study in a dissertation representing original research or creative scholarship. A prospectus for the dissertation must be completed and approved by the readers, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Biology Department Chair. Candidates must undergo a final oral examination in which they defend their dissertation as a valuable contribution to knowledge in their field and demonstrate a mastery of their field of specialization in relation to their dissertation. All portions of the dissertation and final oral examination must be completed as outlined in the GRS General Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree . The results of the dissertation must be presented at a department colloquium.

Teaching Requirement

The department requires a minimum of two terms of teaching as part of the Doctor of Philosophy program. During the first term of teaching, students are required to enroll in our first-year seminar course, CAS BI 697 A Bridge to Knowledge. The course provides guidance and training on pedagogy and other aspects of graduate school.

MS for PhD Students (Two Options)

Option one: A PhD student who has advanced to candidacy (as demonstrated by passing the PhD qualifying exam) and has completed 32 units of graduate-level coursework (not including research) may apply to the graduate school for a Master of Science (MS) degree in Biology. This must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies within the Biology Department. The student’s major professor will receive notification of this application process.

Option two: A PhD student who has taken the PhD qualifying examination but has not advanced to candidacy based on a failing grade on the examination may still receive a master’s degree. This student may receive a Coursework MS degree provided they have completed 32 units of coursework (not including research units). Alternatively, this student may receive a Scholarly Paper or Research Thesis MS degree if the written portion of the qualifying examination is adapted to ensure it is of sufficiently high quality for an MS degree and approved by a majority of the qualifying exam committee and the Director of Graduate Studies.

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Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) is an area of study within the Division of Medical Sciences, a unit based at Harvard Medical School that coordinates biomedical Ph.D. activities at the Longwood Medical Area. The Ph.D. Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) offers training in the biosciences, built outward from core training in contemporary genetics, biochemistry, and molecular, cellular, and mechanistic biology. BBS provides a rigorous, nimble biomedical education, equipping trainees with tools to bring about scientific breakthroughs and to launch entrepreneurial paths in academics, industry, and education.

Biological and Biomedical Sciences

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Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)  is an area of study within the Division of Medical Sciences, an administrative unit based at Harvard Medical School that coordinates biomedical PhD activities at the Longwood Medical Area. Students who study in BBS receive a PhD in medical sciences. Prospective students apply through the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS). In the online application, select  “Division of Medical Sciences” as your program choice and select "Biological and Biomedical Sciences" in the area of study menu.

This program trains you in the biosciences starting with core training in contemporary genetics, biochemistry, and molecular, cellular, and mechanistic biology. You can customize your curriculum to align with your research interests.

You will have access to a vast wealth of resources, including more than 700 faculty, top scientists, core facilities and hospitals, cutting-edge research, and an extensive alumni network. You will be in close proximity to top nationwide hospitals and research centers and more than 130 biotech, biopharma, and pharmaceutical companies that have biological and biomedical sciences (BBS) alumni on staff.

Examples of specific student projects include “Development of nucleic acid detection methods for object provenance and viral diagnostics,” “Interrogating genetic diversity in Mycobacterium abscessus with transposon-sequencing,” and “Sexual dimorphism in hair follicle stem cells.”

Graduates of the program have secured faculty positions at such prestigious institutions as New York University, University of Minnesota, Harvard University, and University of Illinois. Others have gone on to careers with leading companies such as Novartis and the Broad Institute. Derrick Rossi, cofounder of Moderna, is a graduate of the BBS program.

Standardized Tests

GRE General: Not Accepted GRE Subject: Not Accepted iBT TOEFL minimum score: 100 IELTS minimum score: 7

See list of Biological and Biomedical Sciences faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

Biology, PhD

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Science, Scientist, approved for STEM-OPT extension, cell, molecular, plant, sols

You can have the largest amount of flexibility in your course choices in a program that complements other, more specialized life science degree programs. Develop your research skills and acquire high research competency in one or more specialized areas while receiving a broad, solid grounding in biological sciences.

The PhD program in biology offers individualized courses of study tailored to students' interests that include laboratory, field and theoretical work. Flexibility in the program is achieved by requiring only one core class, which is a choice between two topics that cover the breadth of the research directions in this program.

Electives are also as flexible as possible and include areas outside of biology. The major goal is to provide students with the opportunity to create an adaptable and general degree program that allows both traditional and interdisciplinary approaches in any area of biology.

This program may be eligible for an Optional Practical Training extension for up to 24 months. This OPT work authorization term may help international students gain skills and experience in the U.S. Those interested in an OPT extension should review ASU degrees that qualify for the STEM-OPT extension at ASU's International Students and Scholars Center website.

The OPT extension only applies to students on an F-1 visa and does not apply to students completing a degree through ASU Online.

• College/school: The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Location: Tempe

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (3 or 4 credit hours) BIO 514 Statistical Models for Biology (4) or BIO 620 Research Prospectus Writing (3)

Electives (67 or 68 credit hours)

Other Requirements (1 credit hour) BIO 610 Introduction to Responsible Conduct of Research in Life Sciences (1)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) BIO 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information The program is tailored to the needs of the individual student. The plan of study is developed by the student and a supervisory committee consisting of a major professor and three additional faculty members. The electives credit hours are comprised of coursework showing breadth in biology subdisciplines, seminars and research.

An oral comprehensive examination is required in order to advance to candidacy, and a formal defense of the final written dissertation is required prior to graduation.

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in biology or a related discipline from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

Applicants must submit the following:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• academic record form
• personal statement
• curriculum vitae or resume
• three letters of recommendation
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

Research experience is desired for entry into this program.

Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program has the following program outcomes:

• Able to review scholarly literature as they develop specialized expertise in their selected research area.
• Able to perform research that they have designed to address important and challenging questions in the field of biology.
• Able to communicate the findings and originality of their research, both orally and in writing.

Those who have earned a doctorate in biology are prepared for academic careers at every level, from community colleges to research universities. Their skills and knowledge are also valuable for government careers with federal and state agencies responsible for wildlife management and conservation, and for careers in industry and nongovernmental organizations.

Career examples include:

• food, agriculture and health care scientists in academic, private and industrial labs
• principal investigators in government labs and nonprofit organizations
• professors or instructors in universities and colleges
• science teachers in elementary and high schools
• wildlife, animal and conservation scientists

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Doctoral Subject Core

A two-subject core is required of all doctoral students.

Biological Engineering Core:

• 20.420J Principles of Molecular Bioengineering
• 20.440 Analysis of Biological Networks

Academic Program Restricted Electives

To enhance depth and breadth, the core subjects are supplemented by electives in science and/or engineering. The student in consultation with the advisor chooses four elective subjects. Elective subjects in three categories are acceptable upon approval by advisor and, for the subjects not listed here, the BE Graduate Program Chair.

• Biological Engineering Restricted Electives — Any Two Graduate Level Course 20 Subjects
• To provide breadth in engineering or science, at least one graduate-level subject approved by the BE Graduate Program Chair must be selected.
• To provide a firm foundation in modern biology, the student will be expected to have biochemistry and cell biology as prerequisites and then select one graduate-level subject in Biology. If biochemistry and/or cell biology have not been previously taken, it/they must be taken as remedial undergraduate subjects (7.05 or 5.07 for biochemistry, 7.06 for cell biology) before taking the graduate-level subject.

For more information on courses, see the course catalog .

Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology

This concentration leads to both Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in Environmental Conservation (ECo) and is designed for students who want scientific training in the multi-disciplinary field of wildlife, fish and conservation biology. The focus of this concentration is broadly on animal ecology and conservation biology but encompasses specialized training in fields such as conservation genetics, population ecology and landscape ecology. The prime impetus for this concentration is the need for an adequate science base and professional training for decision-making regarding wildlife and fish resources.

Coursework and more detailed information  (pdf)

Concentration Description:

 Faculty affiliated with this concentration (see below) have expertise in vertebrate population ecology; endangered, threatened, and overabundant species; wetland and forest ecology; animal behavior and physiology; geographic information systems and remote sensing; aquatic toxicology; population dynamics and demographic modeling; and landscape and ecosystems ecology. A major strength of our program is the unique convergence of Universities, federal and state agencies in Amherst, unmatched in the Northeast. A series of cooperative agreements, memoranda of research understanding and sole-source vendor relationships with state and federal agencies provide a strong base of research funding. These agreements also provide important teaching and research relationships between our program and state and federal natural resource agencies. Wildlife research focuses on wetlands, biodiversity, animal habitat associations, landscape and systems ecology, remote sensing, human-wildlife conflicts, forest-wildlife relationships, and international conservation. Fisheries research focuses on marine, estuarine, and inland resources and specifically on population dynamics, relationship of ecosystem structure and production, the effect of organic and inorganic contamination on aquatic ecosystem function, and anadromous fish behavior, ecology and physiology. There are approximately 70 graduate students in the Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology Concentration. Through their research projects, graduate students often employ or provide volunteer opportunities for interested undergraduates (about 150 in the Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation concentration within the Natural Resources Conservation major). Graduate students are encouraged to participate in projects and activities of their colleagues to broaden their experience and to provide and receive ideas and suggestions for improvements.

At the MS level, students have the option of pursuing either a professional degree or thesis degree. The thesis/dissertation degree leads to the MS or PhD degree and centers around the completion of a major independent research project in addition to a modest coursework requirement. The professional degree leads to the MS degree and centers around a professional paper based on an internship/practicum in addition to a more substantial coursework requirement. Both degree options provide students a strong foundation in three core topic areas: environmental science (biology, ecology, conservation and environmental building systems), 2) quantitative science (statistics, GIS and modeling), and 3) human dimensions (environmental policies, economics, politics, administration, management and values). The MS thesis degree is intended to prepare students for the option of pursuing a PhD or a career in conservation science. The MS professional degree is meant to be a terminal degree for students seeking graduate-level training in a particular field of study and a career as a professional conservation scientist. Overall, the academic requirements of this concentration in combination with the research/practicum experience provide students the professional training for conservation science positions within academia, state and federal resource management agencies, nongovernmental conservation organizations, and private industry (e.g., environmental consulting firms). In addition, MS thesis degree students completing this program are well prepared to meet the challenges of any PhD program.

Course Offerings

The following courses are offered for partial fulfillment of the degree requirements (see below). Note, all courses ending in 90 and 97 have an additional letter designation (e.g., 697A) not specified below because it is subject to change; Please check the SPIRE online and department’s course offering sheet ( https://tinyurl.com/y7pz3uu2 )for the current course number listing.

1. Core Courses for the MS Thesis degree

• ECO 601 Research concepts (fall, 3cr)
• ECO 697 Analysis of environmental data - lecture (fall, 3cr)
• ECO 691A* Current research in env. conservation seminar (1cr)

2. Core Topic Areas for the MS degree

a. Environmental Science

• NRC 564 Wildlife habitat management (fall, 4cr)
• NRC 565 Wildlife population dynamics & management (fall, 4cr)
• NRC 570 Fish ecology (fall odd yrs, 4cr)
• NRC 571 Fisheries science & management (spr odd yrs, 4cr)
• NRC 581 Wetlands Assessment (spr odd yrs, 3cr)
• NRC 590AE Aquatic ecology (fall even yrs, 4 cr)
• NRC 590 Global change ecology (fall odd yrs, 3cr)
• NRC 590 Invasion ecology (fall even yrs, 3 cr)
• NRC 590 Restoration ecology (spring, 3cr)
• ECO 621 Landscape ecology (spr even yrs, 4cr)
• ECO 622 Conservation biology (spr odd yrs, 3cr)
• ECO 624 Diadromous fisheries ecology & conservation (fall, 3cr)
• ECO 697 Recreational fisheries science and management (fall odd yrs, 2cr)
• ECO 697 Urban wildlife ecology and management (spr even yrs, 4cr)
• ECO 757 Advanced fisheries management (spr odd yrs, 3cr)
• ECO 758 Advanced wildlife conservation (fall even yrs, 3 cr)
• ECO 768 Wetland ecology & conserv. (fall even yrs, 3cr)
• ECO 777 Advanced systems ecology (spr odd yrs, 3cr)

b. Quantitative Science

• NRC 577 Ecosystem modeling & simulation (fall even yrs, 3cr)
• NRC 585 Introduction to GIS (both, 4cr)
• NRC 587 Digital remote sensing (spr even yrs, 3cr)
• NRC 597 WebGIS (spr, 3 cr)
• ECO 632 Multivariate statistics for environmental cons. (spr odd yrs, 4cr)
• ECO 634 Analysis of environmental data - lab (fall, 2cr)
• ECO 697 Advanced topics in GIS (fall even yrs, 3cr)
• ECO 697 Applied biostatistics (spr, 4cr)
• ECO 697 Advanced statistics for env conservation (fall even yrs, 4cr)
• GEOG 668 GIS and Spatial Analysis (spr, 3 cr)
• PLSOIL 661 Intermediate biometry (fall, 3 cr)

c. Human Dimensions

• NRC 576 Water resources management & policy (fall, 3 cr)
• NRC 579 Cree culture, natural resources and sustainability (spr, 3 cr)
• NRC 590 Adapt. to climate change: theories, policy ... (spr even yrs, 3cr)
• ECO 690 Environmental conflict & collaborative policy (spr even yrs, 3cr)
• ECO 690 Public engagement and communication (spr even, 3cr)
• ECO 697 Federal environmental law & regulation (fall, 3 cr)
• ECO 697SV Design, Implementation, Analysis of Surveys of People (spr 3cr)
• REGIONPL 553 Resource policy & planning (spr even yrs, 3 cr)
• REGIONPL 575 Environmental law & resource management (spr, 3 cr)
• RES-ECON 720 Environmental & resource economics (fall even yrs, 3 cr)
• RES-ECON 721 Advanced natural resource economics (fall, 3 cr)
• GEO-SCI 666 Water resource policy (spr, 4 cr)
• POLSCI 784 Environmental policy (tbd, 3 cr)

The MS Professional Degree

Prerequisites.

Candidates for an MS professional degree in this concentration will be admitted on the basis of their academic training, work experience, and letters of recommendation. At a minimum, candidates will be expected to possess a Bachelor’s degree in:

• a natural resources field or environmental sciences; or
• the biological sciences with an emphasis in ecology; or
• any field with strong background in mathematics and the biological and physical sciences, and professional experience working as a natural resources professional.

Note, prerequisites exist for many of the required courses. Students are expected to have satisfied these prerequisites prior to commencing the program.

Requirements

Students in this concentration are expected to meet all the requirements for a MS degree in ECo, as outlined in the student handbook, including the following:

• Complete one semester of ECO 691A Current research in env. conservation seminar (1cr)
• A minimum of 30 credits is required, 29 of which must be in the major (defined broadly), 12 of which must be at the 600 level or above; up to 6 graduate credits can be transferred from previous course work from UMass or another university;
• Successful completion of a comprehensive exam based upon the student’s academic training in environmental conservation, encompassing three “core” topic areas (environmental science, quantitative science, and human dimensions) in addition to the required ECo core courses; and
• Successful final exam conducted by the committee.

The MS Thesis Degree

Prerequisites .

Candidates for an MS thesis degree in this concentration will be admitted on the basis of their academic training, work experience, and letters of recommendation. At a minimum, candidates will be expected to possess a Bachelor’s degree in:

MS thesis degree students in this concentration are expected to meet all of the requirements for an MS degree in ECo, as outlined in the student handbook, including the following:

• Core courses (see above): 7 credits.
• Core topic area courses: 17 credits in the major field (defined broadly), 8 of which must be at the 600 level or above, including a minimum of one 500-level or above 3- 4 credit course in each core topic area (see above). Note, students may take courses other than those listed above to fulfill the core topic area requirements, such as special topics courses that are offered irregularly, if they are approved by the students advisory committee. Note, up to 6 graduate credits can be transferred from previous course work from UMass or another university to fulfill these requirements.
• Thesis: 6 credits. All students in the MS thesis degree option are required to complete a thesis based on independent research as approved by the student's advisory committee.
• Successful completion of a comprehensive exam based upon the student’s academic training in environmental conservation, encompassing three “core” topic areas (core science, quantitative science, and human dimensions) in addition to the required ECo core courses.
• Successful final defense of the thesis.
• A minimum of one publishable-quality scientific paper resulting from the thesis research project.

The PhD Degree

Candidates for a PhD degree in this concentration will be admitted on the basis of their academic training, work experience, and letters of recommendation as evaluated by the faculty sponsor. At a minimum, candidates will be expected to possess:

• a Bachelor’s degree in:
• a natural resources field or environmental sciences; or 
• mathematics, statistics, or policy with some coursework in biological and physical sciences, or experience working as a natural resource professional.

*Note, students wishing to pursue a PhD with only a BS degree can choose to obtain a MS degree on the way to completion of Ph.D. degree requirements. MS is not a requirement.

Students in this concentration are expected to meet all of the requirements for a PhD degree in ECo, as outlined in the student handbook, including the following:

• A minimum of 10 dissertation credits is required, based on a research project specific to this concentration and approved by the student's advisory committee; no other course credits are required other than those determined by the student’s advisory committee.
• Complete two consecutive, full time semester residency
• Successful completion of a comprehensive exam based on the three “core” topic areas (environmental science, quantitative science, and human dimensions).
• Successful final defense of the dissertation.
• A minimum of three publication-quality dissertation chapters.

Resources & Facilities

Two University forests (totaling 2,000 acres), the 800-acre Swift River Wildlife Management Area of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, and the 81,000-acre Quabbin Reservation of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation offer unique field study areas close to campus. The University of Massachusetts also maintains the Nantucket Field Station and the Marine Station at Gloucester. The Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center in Turners Falls offers excellent, modern facilities for both lab and field study of migratory fish behavior, ecology and physiology. Cooperation with the National Marine Fisheries Service allows graduate students to participate in research cruises in the Northwest Atlantic, as well as use facilities at the NMFS Woods Hole Laboratory. As members of the Five College School of Marine Science Program, students have access to research laboratories at Woods Hole and Waquoit Bay on Cape Cod. Further, concentration faculty conduct research in a variety of sites outside Massachusetts, including overseas.

Matriculation & Financial Aid

This program typically takes a full-time MS professional degree student 2-4 semesters to complete, a full-time MS thesis degree student 3-5 semesters to complete, and a full-time PhD student 8-10 semesters to complete, including the completion of a practicum/thesis/dissertation. However, some students may be able to complete the degree in less time and some take longer depending on their academic preparedness and the dictates of the practicum or thesis/dissertation research project.

Funding opportunities are limited, yet financial assistance is provided to our MS thesis and PhD students through teaching or research assistantships (at Graduate Employee Organization bargained wage rates), University fellowships, or hourly wages. Tuition is waived during semesters in which at least a 10-hour assistantship or fellowship is awarded, but the student is responsible for most fees. Research assistantships are available through faculty members who have grant-supported research, and many faculty only accept students if they are able to provide grant-supported assistantships. Limited University and Departmental fellowships are awarded by the Graduate School or ECo Graduate Program in open competition.

Funding opportunities are more limited for students in the MS professional degree option. Some teaching assistantships and University fellowships may be available, or internship institutions may be able to provide some assistance, but most professional degree students are self-funded. Again, tuition is waived during semesters in which at least a 10-hour assistantship or fellowship is awarded (or the equivalent from an internship employer), but the student is responsible for most fees.

Concentration Coordinator & Faculty Affiliates

The following on-campus faculty (both regular and adjuncts) and professional staff, including the Graduate Concentration Coordinator, are principally affiliated with this concentration and regularly serve in the role of the student’s advisory committee chair or member and instructor for core courses; other faculty and staff are occasionally involved in this concentration. See Departmental website for information about the faculty and staff ( http://eco.umass.edu/index.php/people/ ).

Graduate Concentration Coordinator:

Timothy Randhir Dept. of Environmental Conservation 160 Holdsworth Way Amherst, MA 01003-4210 Tel: 413-545-3969 Email: [email protected]

Principal Faculty Affiliates:

• Ann Averill ([email protected])
• Bethany Bradley ([email protected])
• Brett Butler ([email protected])
• Brian Cheng ([email protected])
• Andy Danylchuk ([email protected])
• Stephen DeStefano ([email protected])
• Joe Elkinton ([email protected])
• John Finn ([email protected])
• Todd Fuller ([email protected])
• Evan Grant ([email protected])
• Curt Griffin ([email protected])
• Alexander Haro ([email protected])
• Scott Jackson ([email protected])
• Adrian Jordaan ([email protected])
• Katherine Kahl ([email protected])
• David King ([email protected])
• Lisa Komoroske ([email protected])
• Boyd Kynard ([email protected])
• Susannah Lerman ([email protected])
• Ben Letcher ([email protected])
• Steven McCormick ([email protected])
• Kevin McGarigal ([email protected])
• Toni Lyn Morelli  ([email protected])
• Keith Nislow ([email protected])
• Timothy Randhir ([email protected])
• Allison Roy ([email protected])
• Ahmed A. H. Siddig ([email protected])
• Paul Sievert ([email protected])
• Michelle Staudinger ([email protected])
• Roy Van Driesche ([email protected])
• Paige Warren ([email protected])

University of Massachusetts 160 Holdsworth Way Amherst, MA 01003-9285 Map

1 (413) 545-2665

Integrative, Comparative & Marine Biology, Ph.D.

Among Public National Universities, U.S. News & World Report

Featured in the Fiske Guide to Colleges

Nationally, Best Online Bachelor's Programs, U.S. News & World Report

Our alumni work in:

Conduct research at a university or college.

Use your knowledge and skills to conduct research for government organizations.

Design and develop technologies to research and solve marine-related issues.

Influence marine policy with your advanced knowledge and skills.

Become faculty at a university or college.

Develop a research plan

Present and defend a research plan

Answer questions regarding their research field

Communicate his or her research to a broadly trained public audience

Write research in the form of a manuscript for publication in a scientific journal

“ The department has a wide array of interests, especially centered around the marine environment, that cultivate a rich academic community. With the addition of very friendly faculty and students, it's a hard place to leave. ”

Advance Your Research

The Doctor of Philosophy program offers a broad background and overview of the fields comprising marine biology and prepares you for professional and leadership positions.

This research degree program serves students with interests in conducting research in academia, industry and government; individuals who intend to become faculty in undergraduate teaching institutions; managers in technology-based industries and policy makers in government.

Interested in teaching? The program includes a teaching practicum with classroom instruction in pedagogical techniques and technologies along with lecture experience under the guidance of a faculty mentor.

Diverse Research Areas

Choose from diverse research areas and coursework that provide a broad educational perspective including coastal and estuarine biology, crustacean biology, marine mammalogy, and molecular biology and systematics of marine organisms.

Sample Courses in Integrative, Comparative & Marine Biology, Ph.D.

How Do I Apply to the Integrative, Comparative & Marine Biology, Ph.D. program?

You are required to submit the following to the Graduate School (please do not send items to the department):

• An application for graduate admission
• Official transcripts of all college work (undergraduate and graduate)
• Three recommendations by individuals in professionally relevant fields
• Current curriculum vitae
• Detailed summary of M.S. thesis research (maximum of three pages)
• Statement of interest for Ph.D. research (maximum of three pages)
• Reprints or copies of any publications (if applicable)

Admission Deadlines & Requirements

Information: ph.d. integrative, comparative, and marine biology.

• Complete applications are reviewed for admission by the program as they are received.
• All application and supporting documents must be received by the published deadline.

Coordinator

• Dr. Stephanie Kamel 910-962-2841 [email protected]  

Location/Delivery Method

• Main Campus

Deadlines (11:59 p.m. EST)

• Deadline: October 15, 2023
• Deadline:  April 15, 2024
• Priority Consideration: February 15, 2024
• Space Available Deadline: May 15, 2024

Transcripts

• One official transcript is required from each U.S. post-secondary institution attended. Refer to the Getting Started page for international transcript instructions.

Test Scores

• None Required

Recommendations

• 3 recommendation letters by individuals in professionally relevant fields.

Additional Requirements

• Upload Supplemental Documents After Application Submission Upload Supplemental Documents
• Curriculum Vitae
• Ph.D. Research:   Statement of Interest for Ph.D. research, including a summary of relevant experience (maximum of three pages)
• Publications:  Copies of publications (if available)
• Degree Requirements:   A bachelor’s degree in biology or a related discipline from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university or its equivalent at an international institution based on a four-year program.
• Research Requirements:   A record of research, applied learning or relevant professional experience.
• UNCW Faculty: Prospective students should make initial contact with the faculty with whom you wish to work  (Meet Our Team - Faculty).
• Note:   Under certain circumstances, a student in the M.S. biology or marine biology program may, with the support of their faculty advisor, apply to the Ph.D. program rather than completing their M.S. degree. Students who choose this path after their first year of core courses and research planning must complete a new application, including letters of recommendation, to enter the Ph.D. program.

See Everything happening in the department

Are You an International Student?

This is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security STEM designated program that allows eligible F1 international students to apply for a 24-month optional practical training extension.

Related Programs

Coastal and ocean policy, m.s..

The Master of Coastal and Ocean Policy (MCOP) is a professional, non-thesis, interdisciplinary degree program that immerses students in a unique curriculum aimed at advancing technical knowledge of coastal and ocean processes and resources as well as the tools and concepts of the policy making.

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Graduate Programs

Graduate programs to consider, biology, m.s..

Specialize in ocean sciences, technology and marine policy.

Marine Biology, M.S.

A program that prepares students as managers of coastal and marine resources, trained to deal with contemporary problems in the environment; and provides a broad–based graduate program allowing for specialization in the diverse fields of inquiry under the marine biology umbrella.

• Nebraska Medicine
• Current Students
• Current Faculty

Andrew Dudley, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Anatomy Co-Director, Anatomy Teaching Track PhD Program Co-Director, T32 Training Grant Program

Phone: 402-559-2820

• Post-doc, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
• PhD, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Dr. Dudley's research seeks to uncover the mechanisms that regulate the development and homeostasis of musculoskeletal tissues using methods from embryology, molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, and tissue engineering, with the goal of generating novel therapies for regenerative medicine.

• Tseng, Y.-H., Kokkotou, E., Schulz, T. J., Huang, T. L., Winnay, J. N., Taniguchi, C. M., Tran, T. T., Suzuki, R., Espinoza, D. O., Yamamoto, Y., Ahrens, M. J.,  Dudley, A. T. , Norris, A. W., Kulkarni, R. N., Kahn, C. R. (2008) New role of bone morphogenetic protein 7 in brown adipogenesis and energy expenditure.  Nature  454: 1000-1004. PMCID:PMC2745972
• Kim, J. H., Gurumurthy, C. B., Naramura, M., Zhang, Y.,  Dudley, A. T. , Doglio, L., Band, H. and Band, V. (2009) The role of mammalian ecdysoneless in cell cycle regulation.  JBC  284: 26402-26410. PMCID:PMC2785328
• Li, Y. and  Dudley, A. T.  (2009) Noncanonical Frizzled signaling regulates cell polarity in growth plate chondrocytes.  Development  136:1083-1092. PMCID:PMC2685929

985965 Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE 68198-5965

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Dan Gioeli, PhD, and John Bushweller, PhD, Awarded $3.3 Million to Develop a Novel Drug Targeting ERG for Prostate Cancer Treatment

July 11, 2024 by [email protected]

Dan Gioeli, PhD, a professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer, and John Bushweller, PhD, a professor in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics and the Department of Chemistry, were awarded a five-year $3.3 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to further develop and test a new approach to treatment for prostate cancer, namely targeting the ERG transcription factor.

The development of resistance to current therapeutic approaches for the treatment of prostate cancer is common, leading to poorer patient outcomes, so there is a clear need for new therapeutic approaches. The transcription factor ERG is a driver in approximately half of prostate cancers. Transcription factors, proteins which bind to DNA and regulate gene expression, have traditionally been viewed as very challenging targets for drug development. The Bushweller lab has developed a small molecule inhibitor of ERG binding to DNA that is potent and specific, making it a strong candidate for use in prostate cancer. The grant will support further optimization of the inhibitor, evaluation of its functional effects on gene expression, and in vivo testing in mice to establish its potential clinical utility.

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Category: Animal and Food Sciences

Graduate student Joe Patria applies his molecular biology expertise to combat the viral evolution of Marek’s disease

July 09, 2024 Written by Nya Wynn | Photos by Jeremy Wayman

When Joe Patria first came to UD for his Ph.D. in molecular biology, he never thought he would end up doing research involving chickens. But, when he came across Mark Parcells , professor of molecular virology, and his lab, Patria ended up doing just that. 

His main interests were molecular and cell biology — how changes within them affect the overall physiology of an entire system. 

“Those contributions of everything that goes on down on a molecular level,” said Patria, who was named a Hiram Lasher Fellow. “When I met Prof. Parcells and did a rotation in his lab, I saw how it all came together by studying viruses and pathogens and how they kind of affect those pathways to cause systemic disease.” 

As a molecular biology student doing research in CANR, Patria researches the mechanisms behind Marek’s disease virus. For his work in the field, Patria won top research poster at a graduate symposium at the Wistar Institute this past February. 

Marek’s disease virus primarily causes cancer in immune cells, which usually results in fatality in chickens. It is highly contagious and transmissive, so it poses a large threat to the poultry industry. 

“With Marek’s, you put it into chickens, and if they're not vaccinated, like 95 percent of them will die of cancer within four to six weeks, so it’s an incredibly penetrant virus,” Parcells said. “Every chicken that is exposed to Marek’s in the field, carries that virus for their entire life, just like if you got chickenpox as a kid, you have that virus for your whole life.” 

To combat this extremely infectious virus, scientists developed an effective vaccine to protect chickens against it; however, the virus has evolved.

“Over the course of several decades, Marek’s disease virus has shown to break through the protection afforded by those vaccines,” Patria said. “So that is the focus of my work, and studying how the virus actually overcomes the protection from these vaccines.”

As the viruses evolve to evade vaccines, they also evolve with their hosts and learn to target areas that would be most detrimental to the host, such as DNA repair and damage response. 

“By studying how viruses evolve, to evade the host immune responses and overcome protection from vaccines, it gives us a better understanding of how we can develop improved vaccines to target those pathways that the viruses have evolved to be dependent on,” Patria said. 

Not only can Patria’s work impact the poultry industry, there is also an application to human health. Patria explained that Marek’s disease virus causes cancer of the lymphocytes, which can be compared to Hodgkins and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects humans. 

“There are a lot of parallels between chickens and humans, which you might not expect. On the basis of immunology, we are very similar,” Patria explained. “There’s some parallels there.”

According to Parcells, more than 95 percent of all humans are positive for Epstein Barr virus, another herpes virus like Marek’s disease virus.  

“When that goes latent, which it does, a small percentage of people within 20 years develop Hodgkin's lymphoma or another type of cancer associated with that virus,” Parcells said. “It’s not a high frequency, and you can’t really study it in humans.”

This is where our similarities with chickens really come into play. 

“Because Marek’s disease virus’ natural host is a chicken, we’re able to study it in its natural reservoir host, which is a unique thing that you can't really do with other viruses,” Patria said. “Especially for viruses that infect humans.”

“It's a way in which you can kind of study these different interactions with the virus in the context of something where it normally causes cancer,” Parcells added. “That may inform how things are working with the development in Hodgkin’s lymphoma.” 

Patria continues to work alongside Parcells, other graduate students, and undergraduate students in the Parcells Lab to make more discoveries in the field of molecular biology and with Marek’s disease virus specifically. 

In addition to his own development as a researcher, Patria values his opportunities to work with other graduate students and mentor UD undergraduates. 

“I hold the worth of science advocacy in high regard,” Patria said. “It was great to see that their contribution to this work has made an impact.”

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Ud’s non-thesis master’s in animal science prepares alena brown for a career in animal care, hands-on veterinary experience.

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