Program Overview

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Overview of the MS in Biology Program

The MS in Biology will develop and expand your ability to think creatively and critically about a range of biological subject areas and prepare you for a future career in the biological sciences. Our course-based MS program offers advanced courses and seminars taught by leading experts and hands-on experiences that utilize state-of-the-art laboratory resources.

Program Outcomes

The MS in Biology will enable you to update or upgrade your credentials to begin or advance your career in academia, industry, government, non-profits, or any other area that employs individuals with training in biology. The program's open choice curriculum allows you to choose the specific courses that interest you and will enable your future career development, in individual consultation with your faculty advisor. You'll be able to select relevant courses for your career goals from any department at Tufts. Being entirely course-based, there is no required thesis or research component for this program, though research opportunities are available for interested and qualified students.

Specialization in Bioinformatics

The Bioinformatics specialization within the MS in Biology introduces students with undergraduate training in molecular biology and genetics to concepts and tools in bioinformatics through lectures and hands-on learning. In this specialization, you will get exposure to bioinformatics approaches and principles applicable to analyzing DNA, RNA, protein, and multi-omics data sets. You will also gain skills in Python, R, Jupyter, GitHub, and Linux, plus core programming and High-Performance Computing (HPC) fundamentals. Through coursework and a semester-long mentored research experience, you will work to solve a real-world bioinformatics problem, going from raw data to biological interpretation and communication of the results and impact. Graduates of the program might pursue research associate and data analyst positions in hospital and academic labs; PhD programs in genetics, molecular biology, or related areas; and entry-level research scientist positions in industry.

Application Requirements

• Application fee
• Resume/CV
• Personal statement
• Official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test scores, if applicable
  • Competitive scores for this program are below:
    • TOEFL Total: 97
    • IELTS Total: 7
    • Duolingo Total: 110
• Transcripts
• Three letters of recommendation

Tuition and Financial Aid

See Tuition and Financial Aid information for GSAS Programs. Note: This program is eligible for federal loans and Tufts tuition scholarships.

Research Areas

The research interests of the Biology faculty collectively represent most areas of biology and can be described in six overlapping concentrations:

• Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry
• Global Change Biology
• Physiology, Neurobiology and Biomechanics
• Developmental Biology
• Ecology, Behavior and Evolution
• Biology Education Research

Part-time Option for Working Professionals

The MS in Biology offers many evening and/or online courses that are accessible to students who wish to work full-time while completing their degree. It is an excellent fit for working professionals in Boston's robust biotechnology industry who want to expand their knowledge of basic biological science to advance their careers. Part-time students have full access to all the program’s career and professional development offerings.

Advisory Board

The MS in Biology Advisory Board is made up of industry professionals who provide us with critical input into the practical skills that are sought after in biotech, medical, and pharmaceutical careers.

Career Outcomes

• Average Salary: $90K - $100K
• Would Recommend the Program: 85.70%
• Average Age: 26

Faculty

George Ellmore

Associate Professor, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Ecology, Behavior and Evolution and Global Change Biology

Frank David

Professor of the Practice, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Biopharma strategy, regulation, & policy

Douglas Blackiston

Assistant Professor, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Developmental Biology Animal Behavior Engineered Living Systems Biorobotics

Erik Dopman

Associate Professor, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Evolution and Genetics of Natural Populations

Catherine Freudenreich

Professor, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Genetics and Molecular Biology. Genome instability, particularly at sites of repetitive and structure-forming DNA.

Jaye Gardiner

Assistant Professor, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Our scientific curiosity revolves around understanding how viruses can rewire cells to change what genes are expressed and how this altered gene expression changes cellular behavior and interactions with the extracellular matrix (ECM).

Sarah Hengel

Assistant Professor, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Our research is interested in understanding how environmental toxicants human beings experience in our environment change our DNA.

Alfredo Hernandez

Assistant Professor, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Enzymology of DNA replication, mitochondrial DNA, nucleic acid biochemistry, and non-canonical DNA structures.

Fatima Hussain

Assistant Professor, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Vaginal Microbiome Microbial Ecology and Evolution Phage-Bacteria Interactions Bacterial Immunity

Michael Levin

Vannevar Bush Professor, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Morphological and behavioral information processing in living systems

Kelly McLaughlin

Associate Professor, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Molecular Development (Organogenesis: Development, Remodeling, Regeneration)

Mitch McVey

Professor, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: DNA repair, DNA damage tolerance, molecular biology, Drosophila genetics, aging, mutagenesis

Sergei Mirkin

Professor and White Family Chair in Biology, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Genetics and Molecular Biology

Colin Orians

Professor and Department Chair of Biology, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Agroecology, climate change, climate adaptation, plant-herbivore interactions

Michael Reed

Professor, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Avian ecology and conservation biology

Michael Romero

Professor, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Stress Physiology and Field Endocrinology

Randi Rotjan

Associate Professor, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Research in the Rotjan lab focuses on marine ecology and global change.

Philip Starks

Associate Professor, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Animal Behavior: Recognition systems, evolution of sociality, parasite and host relationships, behavioral & chemical communication, invasion genetics

Julia Svoboda

Associate Professor and Department Chair of Education, Education

• Also Associate Professor, Biology

Khoa Tran

Assistant Professor, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Epigenetics, Aging, Cellular senescence, and Protein Regulation

Barry Trimmer

Henry Bromfield Pearson Professor of Natural Science, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Currently we are pursuing the following major projects: Current Projects 1) Modulation of Nociception. — The ability to sense and respond to harmful events (nociception) is ubiquitous in the animal kingdom and in many animals results in a longer lasting sensation called pain.

Eric Tytell

Associate Professor, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Biomechanics and Neural Control of Locomotion

Benjamin Wolfe

Associate Professor and Associate Department Chair of Biology, Biology

• Research/Areas of Interest: Ecology and evolution of microbial communities

Related Programs

Biology

• Doctorate
• Varies
• Average Duration: Full-time
• Commitment Options: On-campus
• Format: Varies
• Credits: Varies
• Application deadlines: Fall: Dec 1