Graduate Students

Interested in pursuing graduate studies in MCDB? Learn more about our:

• Ph.D. program with an average of about 75 students
• Pathways Masters Program, which includes a research thesis
• A Traditional  Master's program, with a choice of a non-thesis or a thesis track

MCDB offers a wealth of research opportunities that span scientific disciplines—microbiology, cellular biology, biochemistry, neurobiology, plant molecular biology, and developmental biology—all within a single, cohesive department.

Our students enjoy a collaborative, supportive, and nurturing atmosphere that fosters strong scientific and social interactions. Flexible course requirements allow students to explore diverse research topics in the life sciences. 

MCDB faculty are broadly interested in how organisms, cells, molecules, and genomes function, develop, and evolve. The researchers share technical approaches such as recombinant DNA, genetics, biochemistry, and specialized imaging. They also share a common intellectual approach that emphasizes mechanistic and experimental strategies to investigate a diverse set of biological problems using a variety of model systems including prokaryotes, yeast, C. elegans, Drosophila, Arabidopsis,Xenopus, zebrafish, and mammals.

The Department's graduate training programs are recognized for their excellence. 

Find a topic and a professor who motivates you!

MCDB gives students the opportunity to have multiple, extended research experiences so that students eventually join a lab where they enjoy the research and working environment. MCDB is a diverse department, with many neurobiology, microbiology, biochemistry and cell biology labs.