Program Overview

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Biology Ph.D.

Doctoral Degree

Program Type

Major

Format

On Campus

Estimated Time to Complete

4-5 years

Credit Hours

42 (with Master's) 72 (with Bachelor's)

Overview

The Biology Ph.D. program is built on a foundation of research, strong professor-student mentoring, high-quality instruction, and professional community service. The creation of new knowledge through research is the cornerstone of our graduate programs, supported by numerous federal, state, private, and nonprofit sources.

Research Areas

• Aquatic biology
• Aquatic toxicology
• Cell and molecular biology
• Ecology
• Environmental science
• Forensic biology
• Genetics
• Neurobiology
• Physiology
• Plant sciences

Faculty

Our faculty members include internationally renowned researchers recognized by the National Science Foundation, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Society for Microbiology, among others.

Marketable Skills

• Professional communication in life science environments
• Developing and presenting alternative explanations
• Conceiving and designing complex studies
• Leadership ability
• Supervision of research teams

Program Highlights

Centers and Institutes

• The Center for Network Neuroscience focuses on in vitro preparations, especially monolayer cultures of mammalian central nervous system cells, and emphasizes research on pattern generation, storage, and recognition.
• The BioDiscovery Institute (BDI) operates through a pipeline linking sustainable plant production platforms, metabolic engineering, and the development of new materials.
• The Center for Watershed and Reservoir Assessment and Management conducts research on techniques and best management practices for assessing and managing watersheds and reservoirs.
• The Advanced Environmental Research Institute (AERI) houses multidisciplinary research teams that conduct science-based environmental research.

Support for Students

Qualified students are supported through competitive teaching assistantships or research assistantships funded by research grants to faculty members.

Facilities

The Life Sciences Complex, which has Gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification for sustainability, includes an aquatics laboratory and four climate-controlled rooftop research greenhouses.

Career Outlook

• Forensic Biologists: working with law enforcement agencies to help solve crimes by applying scientific methods to uncover evidence.
• Cytotechnologists: using microscopic interpretation of cells to detect diseases.
• Medical Technologists: performing tests on body fluids using state-of-the-art medical equipment.
• Biotechnologists: helping develop and improve medical treatments and environmental products.
• Biochemists: conducting cell research in government agencies, clinics, and hospitals, and nonprofit and private laboratories, or creating new and beneficial products for humanity and the environment.
• Business biologists: working with chemical or pharmaceutical companies and other organizations to research and test new products.

Courses

• Mammalian Ecology and Evolution (4 hrs)
• Pharmacology: The Biological Basis of Drug Action (3 hrs)
• General Toxicology (3 hrs)
• Eukaryotic Genetics (3 hrs)
• Neurochemistry (3 hrs)
• Tracing Darwin’s Path (3 hrs)