how long is a phd in biomedical science

PhD vs. Master’s in Biomedical Science: What’s the Difference?

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An advanced degree is all but required to land a position in the biomedical science field today. However, the depth of study and areas of focus covered during the pursuit of a master’s degree will differ greatly from that of a PhD. For this reason, it’s important that professionals identify their career aspirations within biomedical science, and tailor their choice in degree accordingly. 

Below we explore the differences in Northeastern’s biomedical science master’s and PhD programs and offer some advice on carving your path to success in this exciting field.

Pursuing a Master’s in Biomedical Science 

How long does it take to complete a master’s in biomedical science.

Northeastern’s master’s in biomedical science program takes an average of two years to complete. The program is designed to help students maintain a work-life balance , offering both full-time and part-time degree options.

What is the curriculum like in a master’s of biomedical science program?

This program is one of four tailored degrees offered within the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Of all the other niche areas of study—which include pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, and pharmaceutical sciences—the master’s in biomedical science program provides the most general and holistic view of the field. The curriculum ranges greatly, exploring fundamentals like pharmaceutical science and biochemistry, to practical applications such as research skills and ethics.

Students also have the opportunity to tailor their education to fit their desired career outcomes at the master’s level. 

“We offer a wide variety of electives both within [and] outside of the department,” says David Janero , director of the pharmaceutical sciences graduate program at Northeastern. These courses include those within Northeastern’s pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacology, pharmaceutics, biology, chemistry, nanomedicine, and biotechnology departments.

A Flexible Approach to Learning: Northeastern has designed all pharmaceutical sciences programs to offer the same fundamental courses, so that students can easily transfer their credits within the department if they decide later on that their interests have changed. “I often find that a person coming into the program…has some vague idea of what he or she may wish to do,” Janero says. “And after going through some of the courses, these ideas become refined. The flexibility in Northeastern’s programs is a very important and recognized part of mentorship.”

What are the hands-on opportunities like in a master’s of biomedical science program?

Northeastern’s master’s in biomedical science program offers extensive opportunities for experiential learning —a vital component of training in such a hands-on field.

“Master’s students have two very good opportunities in terms of career building at Northeastern,” Janero says. One option is to do a formal thesis, which can be based on anything from wet-lab research —which is identified by the handling of chemicals and “wet” materials in experiments—to literature—which often includes doing a deep-dive into existing publications on a specific topic. The other option is to spend time working with one of the top biomedical science organizations that make up Northeastern’s expansive professional network as part of a co-op .

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“I would say most of our master’s students want to do a co-op, and we have many biotech and pharma companies in the Boston/Cambridge ecosystem that avidly wish to take these students on,” Janero says. “The reputation of the co-op program at Northeastern has been so good that it doesn’t even follow the law of supply and demand…the demand for our students is outstanding in all of our pharmaceutical science programs.”

Did You Know: The Boston/Cambridge area is considered a national hub in the biomedical science industry. As such, Northeastern students have the unique opportunity of not only working with some of the top minds in the field, but developing integral connections with the organizations defining the future of biomedical science.

Alongside getting the chance to work and network with some of the top companies in the industry, students find great value in the chance to apply their skills hands-on during co-op.

“Students may read about this stuff, but to be a part of it and see it in day-to-day operation is unique,” Janero says. “It’s more than learning how the car is driven. You actually get into the front seat, behind the wheel, and I think that’s really important for students at the [graduate] level.”

What kind of career outcomes can graduates of a master’s in biomedical science program expect?

A master’s degree in biomedical science is designed to prepare professionals for hands-on positions in the field. Individuals at this level are likely to pursue “a technical-level position at the bench in a laboratory, actively doing research,” Janero explains. 

He notes that graduates of a master’s biomedical science master’s program can also parlay their knowledge into a role outside of the lab. Most often these individuals will have additional training or backgrounds in the application of biomedical science—such as marketing, legal, sales, etc.—that they wish to work in.

Some of the top positions for those with a master’s in biomedical science include biomedical laboratory technician, biomedical scientist, clinical research associate, medical writer, and medical chemist.

Pursuing a PhD in Biomedical Science

How long does it take to complete a phd in biomedical science.

It can take four to five years for students to complete a PhD program in biomedical science. 

In some cases, however, students who have already completed their master’s can fast-track the completion of their PhD within the same university. This occurs most often at universities (like Northeastern) that offer both a master’s and PhD in biomedical science. Since the faculty of both programs are aware of how the curricula overlap, they are willing to make adjustments for those who have completed a master’s so that they don’t have to repeat foundational coursework.

“We had a student this year…who was on the medicinal chemistry track, and is now starting his PhD in the fall,” Janero recalls. “He has already taken and done very well in his master’s courses, so he doesn’t need to retake any of that. He’s proven himself, so we can start him off at an advanced level.”

What is the curriculum like in a biomedical science PhD program?

The PhD program at Northeastern offers a cross-disciplinary study of some of the most vital practices pertaining to biomedical research. This includes the integration of human (patho)biology, and drug action, invention, and clinical utility. 

Students will apply their skills both in the classroom and in hands-on research environments, exploring common topics ranging from drug design and profiling to toxicology and pharmaceutical biochemistry/cell biology.

Another core component of a PhD candidate’s curriculum is the completion of their dissertation. During this time, students have the chance to identify a topic of interest, conduct their own research, and sometimes even lead a team of master’s students through the research process.

Did You Know: Mentorship is an integral component of the biomedical science program at Northeastern. “At the PhD level, the role of mentorship—individually as well as at the level of the dissertation committee—is very critical in guiding students…so that they come out with not only the fundamental knowledge in the field, but also the ability to adapt and cope with new information, turn that information into knowledge, and apply that knowledge in a positive and productive way.” 

What are the hands-on opportunities like in a biomedical science PhD program?

Another significant difference between a master’s and a PhD in biomedical science is an elevated focus on lab work. “The main purpose of a PhD is getting into a laboratory as quickly as possible,” Janero says.

What happens within a lab setting also differs for students at each level. For example, where master’s students may have the chance to contribute to an ongoing project in the lab—and carve out their niche area of focus—PhD candidates are “charged with independently and continuously contributing new knowledge to the field,” Janero says. They may also be tasked with overseeing or guiding the work of master’s students, effectively honing their leadership and managerial skills within a research environment, as well.

What kind of career outcomes can graduates of a biomedical science PhD program expect?

As a PhD requires students to further their understanding of the field and produce novel findings based on elaborate, personal research, individuals with this degree are often quite flexible in their work. This allows them to specialize in a certain aspect of biomedical science, or tailor their career path to fit their unique interests—such as biomedical sales, marketing, law, and more.

For those who want to pursue hands-on research in a lab environment, a PhD can still be a strategic move. This degree often allows students to advance into a more managerial role within a lab, overseeing or leading the work conducted by those with master’s-level training.

Some of the top careers for those with a PhD in biomedical science include senior biomedical scientist, principal investigator, medical sales director, pharmaceutical marketing manager, tenure track biomedical science professor, and more.

Advancing Your Career in Biomedical Science with a Degree from Northeastern

The faculty within Northeastern’s master’s and PhD programs are dedicated to crafting the unique educational experience each student needs to get ahead in their desired career within the vast biomedical science field.

Janero explains that, at the start of a student’s time at Northeastern, he and his colleagues will make a point to ask them “‘What do you feel, at this point, is your career trajectory?’ and ‘What courses does the university at large offer—not merely our department—to address these career projections?’ Then we’ll look far and wide at what that student needs in order to get him/her as prepared as possible for the future.”

This is the goal of career-oriented programs like Northeastern’s—to meet students where they are and help provide them with the knowledge, skills, and experiences they need to get ahead.

Ready to take the next step in advancing your biomedical science career? Explore the master’s in biomedical science and PhD in biomedical science programs at Northeastern, and get in touch with an enrollment coach today for advice on which might be the best fit for your goals.

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• Doing a PhD in Biomedical Sciences

What does a PhD in Biomedical Sciences Involve?

At the core of a Biomedical Sciences PhD project is the ability to develop the skills required to carry out research into the science of the human body and the causes and treatments of the diseases affecting the body.

Biomedical Science research at university can cover a wide range of project areas including cancer biology, cardiovascular science, cell pathology, medical microbiology and immunology. Other research topic focuses include dermatology, diabetes, kidney disease and diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.

A key motivator for the university is to help convert postgraduate research students into leading scientists of the future. As such, many institutions place a great emphasis on building a status of scientific excellence, giving PhD students access to state-of-the-art facilities and building a pathway for scientists to develop careers in sectors within and outside academia.

Browse PhDs in Biomedical Sciences

A next-generation genetic technology to identify biotechnologically-valuable enzymes and transporters, ubiquitin-dependent signalling pathways in ageing, exploring the impact of microplastic-bacterial complexes on animal health and the gut microbiome, energy dissipation in human soft tissue during impacts, micro-manufacturing of surface textures for enhanced electrosurgery, how long does it take to get a phd in biomedical sciences.

Typically, it will take you 3 years of full-time research to earn a Biomedical Science PhD . The duration of a part-time PhD will be around 6 years. Often, PhD students are first registered as MPhil students before carrying out their upgrade viva and their registered status to PhD student. In some institutions, the degree programme offered may incorporate an additional/preliminary first year in which taught courses are delivered to prepare the student for the research work to come.

What are the typical entry requirements for a PhD in Biomedical Sciences?

Most universities will require you to have a minimum of a 2:1 undergraduate degree from a UK university or the equivalent grade from an institution outside of the UK. The degree will need to have been in a field that’s relevant to Biomedical Sciences. You may still be eligible to apply if you have a grade lower than a 2:1, if you also hold a Master’s degree.

You’ll need to provide the university with evidence of your English language proficiency if English is not your first language. Typically, a minimum IELTS test score of 6.5 is needed to gain entry to research programmes however this may be higher from one university to another.

How much does a Biomedical Sciences PhD cost?

In a UK university, UK based postgraduate research students should expect to incur annual tuition fees in the region of £4,500/year . With a full-time PhD lasting 3 years, this equates to £13,500 in fees. This is on the basis that you’re studying full time; part time students should expect to pay lower fees, with some variability between institutions about how this is calculated.

For international students (including now EU students), the annual tuition fee costs around £23,500/year, equating to £70,500 over the span of 3 years.

As with all PhDs, potential students will need to consider living costs and any bench fees that may be expected by their particular project or graduate school.

What can you do with a PhD in Biomedical Sciences?

Many Biomedical Sciences PhDs continue on with postgraduate study by becoming post-doctoral researchers, teaching fellows and research fellows within university or clinical settings, such as local NHS hospitals. Others develop successful careers within the pharmaceutical industry or move into research and development within the private sector.

Specific job roles that graduates could go into include becoming biomedical scientists, microbiologist, toxicologist or clinical scientists.

Browse PhDs Now

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About the PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program

In the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology PhD program, faculty, and students work together to increase knowledge of the biochemical and molecular bases of normal and abnormal cellular processes. Our program trains students to be successful independent scientists and gives them the knowledge, research training, and leadership skills to continue to provide new insights into the biomedical issues that have a profound impact on public health.

Students engage in a rigorous course curriculum and a range of structured and informal activities outside the classroom and lab to build their skills. They will pursue their thesis research in the lab of one of our over forty training faculty across the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Visit our dedicated PhD program website to learn more about the diverse research training opportunities of the program.

PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program Highlights

Our position within the School of Public Health provides a unique setting in which students learn how biochemistry, molecular biology, physical chemistry, cell biology, and genetics can be used to solve significant problems in public health and medicine. Our program offers:

• Training faculty from across the School of Public Health and the School of Medicine
• A strong grounding in the science of biomedical and public health research through a core curriculum that includes courses taught by leading experts from the Schools of Public Health and Medicine
• Training outside the lab and classroom in key skills such as communications and leadership
• Opportunities to build strong communications skills through a range of speaking venues including journal club, research colloquium, department retreats, and national meetings
• Access to the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Professional Development and Career Office , offering excellent career services and professional development,  including the BMB-required OPTIONS program, a guided process of career exploration for paths from medicine to biotech to academia and beyond
• Opportunities to participate in community service and outreach, with a focus on our East Baltimore neighborhoods, through the Johns Hopkins University community engagement and service-learning center, SOURCE

Training faculty across the School of Public Health and the School of Medicine

Schools that students can take courses in: Public Health, Arts & Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering

Two-month rotations in the first year prior to selecting thesis lab

Average number of incoming students in the BMB PhD degree program each year

What Can You Do With a PhD In Biochemistry And Molecular Biology?

The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology PhD program prepares students for a range of biomedical and health sciences careers, including in academia, industry, policy, and beyond. Visit the Graduate Employment Outcomes Dashboard to learn about Bloomberg School graduates' employment status, sector, and salaries.

Sample Careers

• Research Scientist
• Science Policy Adviser
• Biotech Executive
• Senior Scientist
• Patent Lawyer
• Science Policy Analyst/Advocate
• Science Writer/Journalist
• Biological Sciences Teacher

Topic Areas

The BMB PhD program faculty conduct research to gain new insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying normal and abnormal cellular processes, and their relevance as targets for improving health and treating disease. Our training program places particular emphasis on mechanistic approaches to research problems.

Common topic areas within our faculty's diverse research interests include:

• Biophysics and Structural Biology
• Cancer Biology
• Chemical Biology and Proteomics
• Cell Biology
• Cellular Stress and Cell Signaling
• Genetics, Genomics, and Gene Regulation
• Immunology and Infectious Diseases
• Translational Research

Curriculum for the PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

The BMB PhD offers students a rigorous course curriculum, including a set of common core classes from the Schools of Public Health and Medicine. A rich array of seminar programs and journal clubs are also available to all students.

Browse an overview of the requirements for this PhD program in the JHU  Academic Catalogue  and explore all course offerings in the Bloomberg School  Course Directory .

Courses in core curriculum

Minimum elective credits

Seminars on current research presented by experts from across Johns Hopkins and other biomedical research institutions

Courses available across Johns Hopkins Schools of Public Health, Medicine, and Arts and Sciences

Admissions Requirements

For the general admissions requirements see our How to Apply page. The specific program also requires:

Prior Work Experience

Laboratory research experience (from academia, industry, etc.) is required

Prior Coursework

Strong background in the sciences, particularly in chemistry, biochemistry, or biology

Standardized Test Scores

Standardized test scores (GRE) are optional for this program. The admissions committee will make no assumptions if a standardized test score is omitted from an application, but will require evidence of quantitative/analytical ability through other application components such as academic transcripts and/or supplemental questions.  Applications will be reviewed holistically based on all application components.

Program Faculty Spotlight

Ashani T. Weeraratna

Ashi Weeraratna, PhD, studies how cancer cells move to distant sites and how changes in the normal cells around a tumor contribute to their movement, especially as we age.

Michael J. Matunis

Michael Matunis, PhD, studies how protein modification by SUMO—the small ubiquitin-related modifier—drives changes in key cellular pathways from stress response to DNA repair.

Jennifer M. Kavran

Jennifer Kavran, PhD, MS, MPhil, is a biophysicist who investigates how cells communicate with each other and their environment.

Danfeng Cai

Danfeng Cai, PhD, combines advanced microscopy, genomics, and proteomics to tease out the functions of protein condensates in cells, with a focus on cancer.

Vivien Thomas PhD Scholars

The  Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative (VTSI)  is an endowed fellowship program at Johns Hopkins for PhD students in STEM fields. It provides full tuition, stipend, and benefits while also providing targeted mentoring, networking, community, and professional development opportunities. Students who have attended a historically Black college and university (HBCU) or other minority serving institution (MSI) for undergraduate study are eligible to apply. To be considered for the VTSI, you will need to submit a SOPHAS application, VTSI supplementary materials, and all supporting documents (letters, transcripts, and test scores) by December 1, 2024. VTSI applicants are eligible for an application fee waiver , but the fee waiver must be requested by November 15, 2024 and prior to submission of the SOPHAS application.

Per the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the JHU PhD Union, the minimum guaranteed 2025-2026 academic year stipend is $50,000 for all PhD students with a 4% increase the following year. Tuition, fees, and medical benefits are provided, including health insurance premiums for PhD student’s children and spouses of international students, depending on visa type. The minimum stipend and tuition coverage is guaranteed for at least the first four years of a BSPH PhD program; specific amounts and the number of years supported, as well as work expectations related to that stipend will vary across departments and funding source. Please refer to the  CBA to review specific benefits, compensation, and other terms.

In the BMB PhD program, all full-time PhD students who remain in good academic standing will receive the above support through the entire duration of the program.

Need-Based Relocation Grants Students who  are admitted to PhD programs at JHU starting in Fall 2023 or beyond can apply to receive a need-based grant to offset the costs of relocating to be able to attend JHU.   These grants provide funding to a portion of incoming students who, without this money, may otherwise not be able to afford to relocate to JHU for their PhD program. This is not a merit-based grant. Applications will be evaluated solely based on financial need.  View more information about the need-based relocation grants for PhD students .

Questions about the program? We're happy to help.

Mike Matunis, PhD PhD Program Director

Roza Selimyan , PhD BMB Executive Director for Academic Affairs and Education Programs

Erika Vaitekunas Administrative Specialist

[email protected]

Compare Programs

• Check out similar programs at the Bloomberg School to find the best fit.
• Master of Science (ScM), Offered by BMB
• Master of Health Science (MHS), Offered by BMB
• Master of Health Science (MHS), Offered by MMI
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Offered by MMI
• Master of Health Science (MHS) in Environmental Health
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Environmental Health

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The Graduate School

Ph.d. in biomedical science.

• Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

• Systems Biology

• Skeletal Biology and Regeneration

• Cell Biology

• Neuroscience

• Genetics and Developmental Biology

Introduction

The goal of the Ph.D. graduate program in Biomedical Science at UConn Health is to educate individuals dedicated to pursuing careers as scientists and scholars in biological and biomedical science in a wide variety of settings including academia, the private sector and in government service. To achieve this goal an academic environment is maintained which fosters creative thinking and supports programs leading to excellence in scholarship, research and teaching. The program is dedicated to quality education tailored to the needs of the individual student.

UConn Health is the health sciences campus of the University. It is home to a division of the Graduate School, the School of Medicine and the School of Dental Medicine. UConn Health offers a wide range of educational and research opportunities with talented faculty pursuing exciting and innovative research on contemporary problems in biology and medicine.

Program Description

1st year students enter the Biomedical Science Ph.D. program register for MEDS 6503: First Year Graduate Experience in Biomedical Science. This new year-long course encompasses the three required laboratory rotations as well as an initial exploration block during which students can learn more about all seven Areas of Concentration (AoCs):

allowing them time to consider and select rotation labs.  This course gives students the opportunity to become familiar with ongoing research at UConn Health and obtain a sound academic foundation for future study. Many laboratories representing diverse scientific areas are available for graduate student research rotations and doctoral dissertation research. After the first year, each student selects a thesis laboratory and affiliates with one of the AoCs to develop competency in their desired scientific discipline.

Prospective Students

Prospective students can find more information on our program here: https://health.uconn.edu/graduate-school/prospective/  

Questions about admissions? Please contact  [email protected]

*Important Update* The GRE General Exam is no longer required NOR considered for admission to the Biomedical Science Ph.D. program.

The application for Fall 2025 will open in mid-September. The deadline for application, application fee, and supporting materials for Fall 2025 is December 1, 2024 . For detailed application information, please visit our Admissions Process page .

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PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS)

For contact information, please visit the Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS)  website .

Boston University’s Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS) is an “umbrella” program with 9 participating departments/programs, all housed within Graduate Medical Sciences at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.  PiBS provides rigorous training toward a PhD degree, focusing on coursework and research, as well as professional development for career advancement. In addition to required and elective coursework, first-year students explore research opportunities by participating in three laboratory rotations to help determine the direction of their PhD research.

Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes for the doctoral programs in Graduate Medical Sciences at the  Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine are designed to train scholars to be leaders in their respective fields of biomedical research. Trainees become fluent in their areas of specialization, as well as develop competencies that provide the foundation for lifelong learning and practice in their chosen field. Trainees will demonstrate and apply the professional and scientific skills necessary to benefit society. They will:

• Generate an original body of work in the biomedical sciences that reflects critical thinking and independent thought.
• Demonstrate competencies in advanced research skills and critical thinking.
• Develop the ability to communicate with specialists and nonexperts through writing and oral communication within their chosen field of expertise.
• Demonstrate a commitment to professional development and continued learning in their chosen field.

Participating programs/departments include:

• Biochemistry & Cell Biology
• Genetics & Genomics
• Molecular & Translational Medicine
• Nutrition & Metabolism
• Orofacial & Skeletal Biology
• Pathology & Laboratory Medicine  (including Immunology Training Program )
• Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics
• Virology, Immunology & Microbiology (including Immunology Training Program )

PiBS faculty’s broad research interests include:

• Bioinformatics
• Cancer biology, cancer immunology, and tumor microenvironment
• Cardiovascular and pulmonary disease
• Cell dynamics and architecture
• Cell signaling and gene regulation
• Computational biology
• Development and regenerative biology and stem cells
• Genetics and gene regulation
• Hematologic disorders
• Host-pathogen interactions and infectious disease
• Inflammation and inflammatory diseases
• Lymphatic system physiology and disease
• Neurodegenerative disorders
• Nutrition, obesity, diabetes, and related metabolic diseases
• Oral, craniofacial, and skeletal biology
• Pathology and laboratory medicine
• Physiology and pathophysiology
• Proteomics and glycomics
• Structural biology and molecular biophysics
• Vaccine development

Please visit the PiBS website for links to the participating programs’ websites and additional information regarding individual faculty research interests.

In the first year, PhD students take the Foundations in Biomedical Sciences (FBS)  core curriculum, professional skills development courses, as well as elective courses focused on area-specific interests. In addition, students experience three laboratory rotations and attend research seminars. Students work closely with a faculty advisor to develop a plan tailored to serve specific research and professional goals. After selection of a laboratory, students join the program/department with which the mentor is affiliated and continue advanced studies toward candidacy. Once a student chooses a dissertation laboratory and a department/program of study, additional coursework is dictated by the requirements of that department/program. All departments/programs require that the student submit, present, and defend a dissertation based on original laboratory research performed under the direction of a member of the PiBS faculty.

PiBS First-Year Curriculum

Core/required courses (18–20 units total).

• GMS FC 708 Professional Development Skills (2 units)
• GMS FC 711 Foundations in Biomedical Sciences: Protein Structure, Catalysis and Interaction (3 units)
• GMS FC 712 Foundations in Biomedical Sciences: Structure and Function of the Genome (3 units)
• GMS FC 713 Foundations in Biomedical Sciences: Architecture and Dynamics of the Cell (3 units)
• GMS FC 714 Foundations in Biomedical Sciences: Mechanisms of Cell Communication (3 units)
• GMS FC 764 Professional Skills (2 units)
• Statistics class (2–4 units)

Possible Elective Courses (4–8 Units Total)

• GMS BI 777 Techniques in Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology (2 units)
• GMS BY 762 Foundations of Biophysics and Structural Biology I (2 units)
• GMS BY 763 Foundations of Biophysics and Structural Biology II (2 units)
• GMS BY 776 Macromolecular Assemblies I (2 units)
• GMS BY 777 Macromolecular Assemblies II (2 units)
• GMS FC 706 Foundations in Biomedical Sciences: Molecular Metabolism (2 units)
• GMS FC 709 Research Design and Statistical Methods for Biomedical Sciences (3 units)
• GMS FC 715 Foundations in Biomedical Sciences: Translational Genetics and Genomics (3 units)
• GMS FC 717 Foundations in Biomedical Sciences: Physiology of Specialized Cells (3 units)
• GMS FC 762 Critical Thinking in Biomedical Research (2 units)
• GMS GE 701 Principles of Genetics and Genomics (4 units)
• GMS MI 701 Concepts in Virology (2 units)
• GMS MI 713 Comprehensive Immunology (4 units)
• GMS MI 715 Immunological Basis of Disease (2 units)
• GMS MM 703 Cancer Biology and Genetics (2 units)
• GMS MM 710 Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine (2 units)
• GMS MM 725 Biology of the Lung and Pulmonary Disease (2 units)
• GMS NU 755 Molecular, Biochemical, and Physiological Basis of Nutrition I: Energy Balance and Micronutrients (4 units)
• GMS NU 756 Molecular, Biochemical, and Physiological Basis of Nutrition II: Macronutrients (4 units)
• GMS NU 757 Molecular, Biochemical, and Physiologic Bases of Nutrition: Regulation of Energy Balance (2 units)
• GMS OB 763 Basic Processes in Oral Biology I (2 units)
• GMS OB 764 Basic Processes in Oral Biology II (2 units)
• GMS PA 700 Basic and Experimental Pathology (4 units)
• GMS PA 710 Principles of Basic and Applied Pathology (2 units)
• GMS PA 801 S Special Topics in Pathology (4 units)
• GMS PA 910 Human Biospecimens in Research (2 units)
• GMS PA 932 Histopathology (4 units)

Lab Rotations, 4 units total

Each student completes three laboratory rotations in the first year of the program.

Professional Development Opportunities

In addition to the biomedical and professional skills coursework in the first year, we offer our graduate students a host of professional development opportunities ( BU’s BEST  and PhD Professional Development Opportunities ). These include workshops, panel discussions, site visits, and internships to enable students to consider and prepare for careers in a variety of sectors, including research and nonresearch careers in academia, industry, government, communications, law/compliance, or wherever they may choose to work.

Financial Support

PhD students in good standing are provided with a financial package that covers the cost of tuition, health insurance, and fees, as well as a living stipend.

Admission Requirements

PiBS applicants should have a strong undergraduate academic record as well as research experience. Students matriculate during the fall term. Please visit the PiBS website for more information regarding the application and selection processes.

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Biomedical sciences, doctor of philosophy.

*This program is eligible for the STEM OPT Extension .

About the Doctoral Degree Program

The Biomedical Sciences Area PhD is a multidisciplinary program that integrates molecular, cellular and systemic biology within the context of biomedical research. The program provides the student with the background to investigate questions relevant to the Medical sciences at the integrative, molecular or cellular level and to relate the findings to mammalian physiology. Training in both fundamental and state-of-the-art research methodologies help students develop the skills necessary for competitive biomedical research. The program is administered through the Department of Biomedical Sciences (College of Veterinary Medicine) that has research faculty representing a diversity of Medical-related basic science disciplines, including anatomy,biochemistry, histology, pathology, molecular biology, physiology, pharmacology and toxicology. The program offers a rich environment for graduate study and a unique opportunity for training scientists in comprehensive interdisciplinary research.

Admission Criteria

• Minimum GPA: 3.0
• Required prerequisite courses: Biology (10 hrs), Physics (3 hrs), Biochemistry (3 hrs), Chemistry (10 hrs), Calculus (3 hrs)
• There are no hard deadlines for applications to our graduate programs, as applications are reviewed year-round. Applicants are encouraged to submit their application well in advance of the semester they wish to enter the program.

Minimum Language Requirements

Click here to view the minimum English language proficiency test scores

Required Application Materials

For the graduate school.

• Completed Graduate School online application
• Unofficial Transcripts- As part of the application submission process, all applicants are required to upload unofficial copies of all post-secondary transcripts to the online application. Official transcripts are only required if accepted by the academic program.
• Official Results of  English Proficiency Exams  (International applicants only)

For the Biomedical Sciences Program

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Everything you need to know about studying a PhD in Biomedical Science

Part of medicine & health, what is biomedical sciences.

A degree in Biomedical Sciences focuses on the study of cells, organs, and systems within the human body and understanding how they function. The programme covers areas such as genetics, immunology, and microbiology, which are essential in understanding and treating diseases.

Biomedical Sciences Specialisations

Like most sciences today, Biomedical Sciences have many areas of specialisation, the most common being:

• Medical Microbiology;
• Clinical Biochemistry;
• Haematology;
• Immunology.

Considering the complexity of the field, at least a Master's degree is usually necessary to become an expert in any of the areas mentioned above.

What will you learn during a Biomedical Sciences programme?

As a biomedical science major, you'll study biochemical and physiological functions, anatomical and histological structures, epidemiology, and pharmacology. You'll learn how to both maintain and promote health in humans and animals with knowledge in the basics of nutrition, diseases, and immunology.

A Biomedical Sciences programme turns you into a well-trained scientist with in-depth knowledge of human anatomy and biology, histology – the microscopic study of biological and anatomical tissues, epidemiology – what determines health and disease, and pharmacology. Here's what you'll learn in more detail:

• thorough understanding of human physiology and anatomy;
• knowledge of the cellular and molecular basis of diseases;
• techniques for diagnosing and monitoring diseases;
• understanding of genetic factors in health and disease;
• skills to carry out laboratory tests and interpret their results.

Courses you'll likely take include:

• Human Anatomy and Physiology, where you study the human body and its functions;
• Cellular and Molecular Biology: where you study cellular and molecular mechanisms that underpin life;
• Pathophysiology, about the functional changes that accompany diseases;
• Immunology, the exploration of the immune system and its role in health and disease;
• Medical Genetics, an investigation of the role of genetics in disease and health.

Biomedical Sciences is a challenging and exciting degree. This is an excellent choice if you're interested in health, disease, and the science on which medicine is based, but you're not interested in practising medicine as a doctor. The skills you get from Biomedical Sciences courses are applicable in various health science sectors, including research, clinical diagnostics, and public health.

Skills required for a degree in Biomedical Sciences

The Biomedical Sciences degree requirements include a good understanding of biology and chemistry, strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and a capacity for meticulous and precise work. As much of the work involves laboratory testing, practical laboratory skills are also crucial.

What can you do with a Biomedical Sciences degree?

A Biomedical Sciences degree can lead to a broad range of careers in health science. The jobs you can get with a Biomedical Sciences degree include:

• Biomedical Scientist;
• Clinical Laboratory Scientist;
• Research Scientist;
• Genetic Counsellor;
• Healthcare Scientist.

Biomedical Sciences is a complex subject which requires at least a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in order to specialise and become an expert in any of the areas mentioned above. So, is a Biomedical Sciences degree worth it? Absolutely! If you're interested in the science that explores and understands health and disease, this degree leads to a rewarding and impactful career path.

View all PhDs in Biomedical Science . Keep in mind you can also study an online PhDs in Biomedical Science .

Interesting programmes for you

Best universities for biomedical science on phdportal.

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Specialisations within the field of Medicine & Health

• Biomedical Science
• Public Health
• Physiotherapy
• Veterinary Medicine
• Nutrition & Dietetics
• Complementary & Alternative Medicine
• Health Administration
• Health Sciences
• Clinical Psychology
• Kinesiology
• Speech Pathology
• Medical Imaging
• Occupational Health and Safety
• Gerontology
• Epidemiology
• Occupational Therapy
• Prosthetics and Orthotics

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Graduate Admissions

Biomedical Science (PhD)

The Biomedical Science Program is first-year umbrella program supporting matriculation into any of 7 PhD subprograms including Cancer Biology, Cell & Developmental Biology, Experimental Pathology, Free Radical & Radiation Biology, Molecular Medicine, Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, and Pharmacology. Students earn a PhD degree in Biomedical Science (Name of Subprogram).

Applicants must meet the  Admission Requirements of the Graduate College  and the Biomedical Science Program.

Admission to the Biomedical Science Program is highly selective and we strive to enroll an academically strong and diverse cohort of students every year. Every application is reviewed carefully and holistically. GRE scores are not required.

International students whose first language is not English are advised to review the English language proficiency recommendations for prospective applicants.

Students admitted to the PhD program receive a nationally competitive stipend and a health insurance allowance in addition to full payment of their tuition and mandatory fees.

• Fall semester—Dec. 1
• Spring semester—not offered
• Summer session—not offered

The graduate application process has two steps

• You must first submit the online application to the Graduate College and pay the $60 application fee by credit card ($100 for international applicants).
• Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an email instructing you on how to upload your supporting documents and submit letters of recommendation. All supplemental material must be uploaded from your Admissions Profile in MyUI , our online service center for applicants and students. You can only access this AFTER you have submitted your application.

GRE scores are not required for this program.

Degree Program Supplemental Materials

• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
• Research Statement
• Personal Statement
• Three letters of recommendation
• Other Supporting Materials (as applicable)

Recommendations

The application requirement section of your Profile includes an electronic letter of recommendation feature. If your program of study requires letters of recommendation, you will be asked to give the contact information of your recommenders, including their email, on your Admissions Profile. The recommender will then get an email giving them instructions on how to upload the recommendation letter and/or form.

Materials to send to Admissions

• A set of your unofficial academic records/transcripts uploaded on your Admissions Profile. If you are admitted, official transcripts will be required before your enrollment. For international records, all records should bear the original stamp or seal of the institution and the signature of a school official.  Documents not in English must be accompanied by a complete, literal, English translation, certified by the issuing institution.
• International students may also be required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or DuoLingo scores to comply with the university's English Language Proficiency Requirements
• Once recommended for admission, international students must send a Financial Statement .

Apply Online , the $60 application fee ($100 for international students) is payable by Discover, MasterCard, or Visa.

Fee Waiver: Applicants for whom payment of the application fee presents a significant financial hardship may request an application fee waiver .

Reimbursement: Applicants to the Biomedical Science Program will have the application fee reimbursed by the Carver College of Medicine if (1) The applicant receives an interview invitation, and (2) The applicant completes the interview.

GRE scores: GRE scores are NOT required for applicants to the Biomedical Science Program.

Biomedical Science Program 357 Medical Research Center  Iowa City, IA 52242 [email protected] 1-319-467-4439

Enrollment Management The University of Iowa 2900 University Capitol Centre 201 S. Clinton St. Iowa City, IA 52242 [email protected] 1-319-335-1523

• Whiting School of Engineering
• Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

• Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering

PhD Program

Students in the biomedical engineering PhD program at Johns Hopkins will push the boundaries of scientific discovery alongside leading clinicians and researchers by developing and applying new technologies to understand, diagnose, and treat disease.

The BME PhD Program is Home to a Wide Diversity of Students

• 42% Female (of the students who matriculated in the last four years)
• 27% Identify as having a disability or chronic condition
• 25% Identify as LGBTQ
• 21% Identify with underrepresented racial or ethnic groups

Program Information

• Degree Requirements
• Research Opportunities
• MD-PhD Program
• Training Grants

Program News

Alumni Spotlight

Read the Johns Hopkins University privacy statement here .

• Engineering

Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The PhD program in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto is a research-intensive program that immerses students in the application of biomedical sciences and engineering principles to advance solutions for challenges in human health. Students can be admitted to the PhD program through direct entry after completion of a bachelor’s degree or, alternatively, after the completion of a master’s degree. PhD students receive a guaranteed minimum stipend for four years.

Criteria for success

The PhD program is designed to train students in becoming experts and leaders in research in any setting, such as (but not limited to) academic institutions, industry, non-governmental organizations, and government agencies. The core focus of a doctorate is the development and honing of five essential skills: 1) the acquisition of broad knowledge of the field and hands-on methodology; 2) the ability to create, design, and execute original, innovative and high-quality work; 3) the capacity for critical thinking and synthesis of new and complex ideas; 4) the effective communication of scientific results in all written, verbal and visual formats; and 5) adherence to the highest standards of ethics and integrity. The end-goal of the PhD training is to push the limits of current scientific knowledge, whether through solving previously unresolved questions or creating new solutions for yet-to-be-identified problems. Ideally, the research should be framed carefully within the context of the broader field, showing a deep and integrated understanding of the big picture and where the doctoral research fits. In keeping with the expectations of most PhD programs in STEM in Canada and the United States, PhD candidates in Biomedical Engineering must meet the following requirements for successful completion of the program:

• Completion of compulsory coursework, training activities (e.g., regular supervisory meetings), and exams.
• A written dissertation that demonstrates strong scientific motivation and substantial, cohesive aims to support a rational scientific enquiry.
• An oral defense that demonstrates thorough knowledge of the field, methods employed, contributions to the field, and significance of the work.
• Three first-authored original peer-reviewed research articles published in the leading journals of the field. In many instances, these three articles correspond to the three scientific aims that comprise the main chapters of a cohesive dissertation.

Length of study

Four years (defined as the period for an academically well-prepared student to complete all program requirements while registered full-time).

Admission requirements

• Entry into PhD program after completion of a bachelor’s degree (i.e., direct entry) : A four-year bachelor’s degree in engineering, medicine, dentistry, physical sciences, or biological sciences, or its equivalent , with an average of at least 3.7 on a 4.0 grade point average scale (i.e., A minus) in the final two years of study from a recognized university ; or
• Entry into PhD program after completion of a master’s degree : A master’s degree in engineering, medicine, dentistry, physical sciences, or biological sciences, or its equivalent , with a cumulative average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 grade point average scale (i.e., B plus) from a recognized university .
• Proof of English-language proficiency is required for all applicants educated outside of Canada whose native language is not English. View the BME English-language requirement policy to determine whether you are required to take a language test and for a list of accepted testing agencies and their minimum scores required for admission.
• Applicants must find a BME faculty supervisor. ( NB : You do not need a supervisor at the time of application. However, admission is competitive and only candidates who have found and secured a research supervisor will be admitted to begin graduate studies.)
• MD/PhD candidates must apply through the MD program
• Possession of the minimum requirements for entry does not guarantee admission
• GRE score is not required

Application procedures

• Complete the online application (see requirements ) and pay the application fee
• Arrange for your English test score to be reported electronically to the University of Toronto by the testing agency if applicable. The institution code for U of T is 0982-00 (there is no need to specify a department)
• Contact the BME Graduate Office to identify your BME faculty supervisor

Rolling admission; multiple rounds with different enrollment capacity in each cycle

Tuition fees

Last updated: January, 2022

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MEMP PhD Program

Hst’s memp phd program, is this program a good fit for me.

HST’s Medical Engineering and Medical Physics (MEMP) PhD program offers a unique curriculum for engineers and scientists who want to impact patient care by developing innovations to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. We're committed to welcoming applicants from a wide range of communities, backgrounds, and experiences.

How is HST’s MEMP PhD program different from other PhD programs?

As a MEMP student, you’ll choose one of 11 technical concentrations and design an individualized curriculum to ground yourself in the foundations of that discipline. You’ll study medical sciences alongside MD students and become fluent in the language and culture of medicine through structured clinical experiences. You’ll select a research project from among laboratories at MIT, Harvard, affiliated hospitals and research institutes , then tackle important questions through the multiple lenses of your technical discipline and your medical training. As a result, you will learn how to ask better questions, identify promising research areas, and translate research findings into real-world medical practice.

What degree will I earn?

You’ll earn a PhD awarded by MIT or by the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

What can I do with this degree?

Lead pioneering efforts that translate technical work into innovations that improve human health and shape the future of medicine.

How long will it take me to earn a PhD in HST’s MEMP program?

Similar to other PhD programs in MIT's School of Engineering, the average time-to-degree for MEMP PhD students is less than six years.

What are the degree requirements?

Science / engineering.

Choose one of the established concentration areas and select four courses from the approved list for the chosen area. Current MEMP concentration areas are:

• Aeronautics & Astronautics
• Biological Engineering
• Brain & Cognitive Sciences
• Chemical Engineering
• Computer Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Materials Science & Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Nuclear Engineering

Harvard MEMPs fulfill Basic Science/Engineering Concentration and Qualifying Exam through their collaborating department (SEAS or Biophysics).

Biomedical Sciences and Clinical Requirements

Biomedical sciences core.

• HST030 or HST034: Human Pathology
• HST160: Genetics in Modern Medicine
• HST090: Cardiovascular Pathophysiology

Restricted Electives - two full courses required*

• HST010: Human Anatomy
• HST020: Musculoskeletal Pathophysiology*
• HST100: Respiratory Pathophysiology**
• HST110: Renal Pathophysiology**
• HST130: Introduction to Neuroscience
• HST162: Molecular Diagnostics and Bioinformatics*
•  HST164: Principles of Biomedical Imaging*
• HST175: Cellular & Molecular Immunology

*  May combine two half-courses to count as one full course **Must choose at least one of HST100, HST110

Clinical Core

• HST201: Intro. to Clinical Medicine I and HST202: Intro. to Clinical Medicine II
• HST207: Intro. to Clinical Medicine

PhD Thesis Guide

Letter of intent #1:.

Research advisor and topic. Due by April 30 of 2nd year.

Letter of Intent #2:

Tentative thesis committee. Due by April 30 of 3rd year.

Thesis proposal:

Defended before thesis committee. Due by April 30 of 4th year.

Final Thesis:

Public defense and submission of final thesis document.

Harvard MEMPs must an electronic copy of the final thesis including the signed cover sheet. Harvard MEMPs should not register for HST.ThG.

Qualifying Exam

TQE: Technical qualification based on performance in four concentration area courses and Pathology

OQE: Oral examination to evaluate ability to integrate information from diverse sources into a coherent research proposal and to defend that proposal

Professional Skills

Hst500: frontiers in (bio)medical engineering and physics.

Required spring of first year

HST590: Biomedical Engineering Seminar

Required fall semester of first year. Minimum of four semesters required; one on responsible conduct of research and three electives. Topics rotate.

Required for all MEMP students. (Biophysics students may substitute MedSci 300 for HST590 term on responsible conduct of research.)

Professional Perspectives 

Required once during PhD enrollment 

What can I expect?

You’ll begin by choosing a concentration in a classical discipline of engineering or physical science. During your first two years in HST, you’ll complete a series of courses to learn the fundamentals of your chosen area.

In parallel, you’ll become conversant in the biomedical sciences through preclinical coursework in pathology and pathophysiology, learning side-by-side with HST MD students.

With that foundation, you’ll engage in truly immersive clinical experiences, gaining a hands-on understanding of clinical care, medical decision-making, and the role of technology in medical practice. These experiences will help you become fluent in the language and culture of medicine and gain a first-hand understanding of the opportunities for — and constraints on — applying scientific and technological innovations in health care.

You’ll also take part in two seminar classes that help you to integrate science and engineering with medicine, while developing your professional skills. Then you’ll design an individualized professional perspectives experience that allows you to explore career paths in an area of your choice:  academia, medicine, industry, entrepreneurship, or the public sector.

A two-stage qualifying examination tests your proficiency in your concentration area, your skill at integrating information from diverse sources into a coherent research proposal, and your ability to defend that research proposal in an oral presentation.

Finally, as the culmination of your training, you’ll investigate an important problem at the intersection of science, technology, and medicine through an individualized thesis research project, with opportunities to be mentored by faculty in laboratories at MIT, Harvard, and affiliated teaching hospitals.

Interested in applying? Learn about the application process here.

HST MEMP grad Carmen Martin Alonso looks ahead to a bright future as a medical researcher

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How to Select a Graduate School Program for a PhD in Biomedical Science

Carly l. lancaster.

1 Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

2 Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

3 Graduate Program in Biochemistry, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

Lauryn Higginson

4 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA

5 Graduate Program in Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA

Brandon Chen

6 Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Lucas Encarnacion-Rivera

7 Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA

8 Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA

Derrick J. Morton

Anita h. corbett.

The goal of this article is to provide guidance for those who have made the decision to apply to graduate school with the plan to obtain a PhD in biomedical science. Choosing an appropriate graduate school and program can seem like a daunting choice. There are numerous graduate training programs that offer excellent training with multiple specific program choices at any given institution. Thus, the goal of identifying a program that provides an optimal training environment, which aligns with the applicant’s training and career goals, can be daunting. There is no single training program that is ideal for all applicants and, fortunately, there is no sole perfect place for any individual applicant to obtain a PhD. This article presents points to consider at multiple phases of this process as collected from the authors who include a senior faculty member, a junior faculty member, and four current graduate students who all made different choices for their graduate training (Now Figure1 ). In Phase 1 of the process, the vast number of choices must be culled to a reasonable number of schools/programs for the initial application. This is one of the most challenging steps because the number of training programs is very large, and most applicants will rely primarily on information readily available on the internet. Phase 2 is the exciting stage of visiting the program for an interview where you can ask questions and get a feel for the place. Finally, Phase 3 suggests information to collect following the interview when comparing choices and making a final decision. While the process may feel long and can be stressful, the good news is that making informed decisions along the way should result in multiple options that can support excellent training and career development.

A decision funnel to guide your choices as you select a graduate school program.

Introduction

So, you decided you want to go to graduate school to pursue a PhD in biomedical sciences? Now is the time to take the next step– choosing the graduate school you would like to attend. Graduate school can be a very fulfilling and stimulating experience, particularly for those who choose graduate programs best suited for their unique needs and aspirations. However, choosing the right school is not like choosing between regular or decaf, paper or plastic, or wake-up or snooze. A PhD is a major time investment and a significant career decision that requires in-depth analysis of all your options. Beyond selecting a specific school, the proliferation of different graduate programs means that even within a single school, there could be a dizzying array of program options, often with confusing and interrelated names. Thus, choosing both a school and a program that align with your personal and professional goals is paramount. There are many wonderful PhD programs and several important factors you should consider when selecting the program best tailored to your learning style, training goals, and future career aspirations.

Choosing a graduate school is an intimidating task when you do not know what you are looking for. Moreover, there are many significant considerations to be made at each step of the selection process. Here we break down the selection process into three key phases: Phase I: Research for Applications; Phase II: The Interview; and Phase III: Follow-Up Research ( Figure 1 ). Within each of these Phases, there are multiple factors that require careful examination to determine the graduate program(s) that will provide you with the best training aligned with your needs and ambitions ( Figure 1 ). We hope that by defining these key considerations, one can more easily determine what to look for in a prospective PhD program.

A key consideration for graduate training is that most of your training will take place within the context of your research laboratory. This constitutes a substantial shift from the undergraduate mentality where classes are the main venue for training. While the curriculum in graduate school can be important and should be considered, most STEM graduate programs limit coursework to the first one or two years of training. Thus, prioritizing research options and secondarily considering the curriculum and course structure is recommended.

The purpose of this article is to help those seeking a PhD in STEM-related fields select a graduate school that will provide them with an excellent training experience by narrowing down key factors one should consider throughout the selection process. Although comprehensive, this article does not encompass all considerable factors of the graduate school selection process which will vary from student to student. Thus, we advise prospective students to take these, and other personal considerations into account when choosing the right graduate school. We will solely focus on the key factors one should consider at each phase of the graduate school selection process.

Ph.D. or Master’s?

While the advice offered here is directed to those who have made the decision to pursue a PhD, there are other options for graduate school. Those who are uncertain about whether they are willing to commit to a PhD may consider enrolling in a Master’s program. However, there is large variation in the value of a Master’s degree across STEM fields. For example, in many biomedical sciences, a Master’s degree brings the same value as two years of experience, such as would be gained working in a research laboratory. For a Master’s degree program, the tuition is likely to be substantial with no stipend provided, which contrasts with many PhD programs that provide a full tuition waiver and a stipend. Master’s programs are typically revenue-generating, requiring tuition commiserate with other professional degrees and significant scholarships to offset the cost of tuition are rare. Some Master’s programs are gateways to university PhD programs and this may be appropriate for an individual who is not yet ready to commit to a PhD, but the cost of the Master’s phase of training may be substantial to ultimately end up in a PhD program where one could have been fully funded from the start. While a Master’s program may be an option for some, it is important to carefully consider the cost/benefit of such a program in your specific field. For example, in basic biomedical sciences, an investment in a Master’s degree is often not the most cost efficient choice.

An alternative to Master’s program for some students are post-baccalaureate training programs. These programs typically provide some graduate coursework together with a focused research experience. They can be ideal for the student who is still exploring their interest in a research career. While some of these are revenue-generating and as costly as Master’s programs, those supported by the National Institutes of Health termed Postbaccalaureate Research Education Programs or PREP can be excellent choices Schwartz, Risner, Domowicz, and Freedman (2020) .The goal of PREP is to support educational activities that enhance the diversity of the biomedical research workforce. Unlike Master’s programs, PREP programs are designed for students who plan to pursue a PhD or a combined degree such as an MD/PhD. These programs can be an excellent alternative for students who are uncertain if they want to pursue a PhD and do not want to accumulate burdensome debt while they make their decision. However, this does not mean that Master’s degrees are not worth the time and money for all STEM students. Thus, we encourage students who are considering enrolling in Master’s programs to carefully consider whether a Master’s degree in their respective STEM field in necessary and beneficial for their future endeavors.

Phase I: Research for Applications

Choosing where to apply to graduate school can be an overwhelming and burdensome task. With over 1,000 graduate schools with PhD-track programs in the United States alone ( Bennett, 2022 ; State, n.d. ), selecting the schools you want to apply to may seem daunting. Moreover, the average cost of a graduate school application ranges between $50-$100 USD ( Bennett, 2022 ; GradSchoolMatch, 2021a ; Roberts, 2017 ) and each application takes approximately 10 hours to complete and submit ( Minnesota, 2022 ). Given the pricey and time-consuming nature of graduate school applications, you owe it to yourself to make an informed and carefully thought-out decision when choosing where to apply. General industry advice is to apply to between three and eight graduate schools ( GradSchoolMatch, 2021b ), but how do you narrow down your search when you have over 1,000 options? Here we present six key considerations to help you narrow down the list of graduate schools to apply to.

Location, Location, Location

Studies show that nearly 87% of students choose to relocate to attend graduate school ( GradSchoolMatch, 2016 ). The location of your graduate school may not seem like a top priority on your list of things to consider, however, you are not just picking a school– you are picking a location where you will spend the next 5-7 years of your life. Although picking schools based on location may seem superficial, enjoying the place you live makes enduring the stresses of graduate school much easier. There are many reasons why students choose to live in specific geographical regions including proximity to family and friends, climate, as well as career opportunities. Whatever your reasons may be, it is important to ensure that the location of your graduate school is a good fit for you.

While most students choose to relocate to different cities for graduate school, over half of students who relocate choose to remain in the same geographical region (e.g. Southeast, Northeast, Midwest) ( GradSchoolMatch, 2016 ). This is generally because students want to remain near family and friends. If proximity to family and friends is something important to you, consider how far is “too far” away for you. For instance, if a plane is required to make the trip home in a days’ time, you may consider schools that are within reasonable driving distance to your family and friends. Many students seek the emotional and financial support that living close to home has to offer and therefore, may only consider schools within a 100-mile radius of home. On the other hand, many students choose to push themselves outside of their comfort zone and experience graduate school far away from the familiarity of their hometown. These students may instead decide to apply to schools located on opposite sides of the country and spend a several years exploring a new city. Regardless, understanding where you want to live in proximity to your current location will largely influence the graduate schools you choose to apply to.

Another factor to consider when thinking about the location of your graduate studies is the seasonal and social climate within the region. For example, if harsh, cold winters are not your style, you may decide to apply to schools located in warmer climates. If you abhor big cities and heavy traffic you may want to avoid applying to the plethora of schools located in urban metropolitan areas. If you want to avoid driving and the overall cost of car maintenance during your PhD, you may consider locations with superior public transportation. Moreover, each city you consider will have its own cultural values and unique atmospheres. Thus, ensuring that you select a city favorable to both work and play will go a long way toward helping you guarantee happiness and perform your best.

Finally, you may consider applying to graduate schools in geographical regions in which you want to pursue your future career. For instance, students interested in careers in biotechnology may choose to apply to graduate schools in Boston, California, or in the Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina as these schools are near a diverse range of biotechnology companies. Selecting schools close to careers of interest may allow for enhanced networking and thus may aid in achieving professional goals.

Taken together, the location of prospective graduate schools is a significant determinant of those that you may want to apply to. Whether you pick locations based upon distance from home, climate, or proximity to potential careers, determining the geographical location in which you would like to attend graduate school can really help narrow down the list of schools to apply to.

A PhD program typically takes 5-7 years, including 1-2 years of coursework and several years of intensive independent research. Thus, it is critical that applicants consider their research interests when deciding which graduate schools and subsequent programs to apply to. The specific research area and research opportunities available should impact not only your choice of graduate school but also your choice of graduate program within a school. Faculty at a given graduate school can be members of one or more graduate programs within that school, meaning that they teach and mentor graduate students within the programs that they have appointments. As you delve into your research, you might consider whether schools allow you to work with faculty only specifically within a certain program or whether there is more flexibility. For instance, some schools only allow students to join the labs of faculty members with appointments in that students’ graduate program, and others allow students to explore labs across program lines. Prospective students who have yet to decide what area of research they want to pursue may consider applying to schools with umbrella programs which allow new students to rotate with faculty among a diverse array of programs within the graduate school. These umbrella programs are designed to allow students to explore multiple different types of research opportunities before deciding what lab they want to join.

When considering your research interests, a key point is to ensure that multiple scientists within a graduate school or program work in that area. Common and astute advice is to never select a school or program because of a single faculty member performing your dream research ( Baghdassarian, 2021 ) That faculty member may not be taking students, or you may not work well with that individual. Thus, a recommendation is to ensure that there are at least three professors studying an array of topics you can see yourself working on. Moreover, if you are particularly interested in certain professors, you may try reaching out to these professors prior to the application deadline. This will allow you to get your foot in the door and talk to someone that can tell you more about the program, the learning environment, and provide details about their willingness to accept new graduate trainees ( Baghdassarian, 2021 ). This will also allow you to get a better sense of whether you are still interested in these labs and could see yourself working for the advisor long-term. Another suggestion is to simply keep an open mind. Many students enter graduate school with limited research experience, so considering areas beyond their current expertise may be the best approach. Finally, research dynamically evolves with time as new global threats and cutting-edge technologies emerge, so the topics that were of interest during the application process could easily change as new opportunities arise.

Another point to consider is that graduate school is about research training . An ideally suited graduate program should arm you with key skills you need to develop into the best scientist you can be, including experimental design, hypothesis generation, data analysis, and the many other transferable skills such as scientific writing and communication, teaching, mentoring, and project management ( Melanie Sinche, 2017 ). While you need to select a research topic that engages you, this topic is unlikely to be the focus of your career. You may be passionate and driven to tackle a specific research area, but you do not need to work on that specific topic in graduate school. Instead, try to focus on identifying a program where you can acquire the skills needed to develop into a scientist who is best equipped to pursue that research question at a future stage in your career.

When and if you decide to attend a specific PhD program, most schools require that students take time (approximately six months to one year) to perform laboratory rotations. Rotations are designed with the students’ best interest in mind. These rotations allow students to explore different research topics and environments. Moreover, rotations are an invaluable opportunity for students to decide whether a specific advisor and laboratory environment is a good fit for their individual needs, goals, and learning styles, without the pressure of scientific productivity. Although somewhat uncommon, there are schools that will allow you to join a lab directly upon admission to the program. The challenges of graduate necessitate that students make a thoughtful and informed decision when picking a lab that they will spend the next 5–7 years of their life in, and lab rotations are an important part of this process. Unless a student has steadfast confidence that a specific lab and mentor is the best choice for them, we highly recommend that students do lab rotations to ensure that their graduate school experience is a pleasant one.

School choice is often driven by reputation. While there are many published rankings of graduate schools, the key thing to recall is that the rankings are typically for the school overall and not the specific programs that you may be considering. Thus, while all students are likely to take reputation into consideration, this should not be a primary driving force. Some schools are better known nationally or internationally because they have excellent athletic teams, but the national ranking of the football team is unlikely to impact your STEM PhD to any significant extent. Determining the reputation of a specific graduate program or research area is more challenging than determining the reputation of a school. For this reason, reputation is an area that should be considered most extensively later in the decision tree when the choice is between a specific set of options.

Although many prestigious schools presumably have excellent graduate programs in your field of interest, it is not necessarily true that these programs are superior to the those at schools without the big name. In fact, you will find stellar graduate programs at schools that US News and World Report has ranked third tier ( Report, 2018 ), and potentially weak graduate programs in otherwise highly ranked schools. Moreover, a PhD from a highly ranked school does not necessarily ensure a better job or a higher starting salary after graduation. Companies and hiring committees tend not to focus on the school a candidate graduated from, but instead look for the relevance and quality of a candidates research and how well this research fits with the needs of the company or department ( Barr, 2020 ). Thus, it is critical that prospective PhD students look for graduate schools and programs that foster supportive and innovative research environments that allow their students to thrive.

In sum, if you want to find a program that will make you a skilled and competitive job applicant, your priority should be finding a graduate program that places emphasis on graduate student training. But how do you decipher between schools that emphasize training and those that do not? Graduate programs that place importance on graduate student training and development will often provide students with opportunities to take courses in grant writing, public speaking and communications, and expose students to a diverse array of research throughout their graduate career. Moreover, these programs will cultivate student collaborations and often have access to a multitude of core facilities that aid students in effectively using the latest technologies to support their individual research. By keeping in mind that the quality of your schools’ training environment is more important than the schools ranking or reputation, your final list of schools will guarantee that you make the right choice when it comes time to enroll in a specific program.

Fortunately, most STEM PhD students in the US, particularly those enrolled in biomedical science programs, are typically paid a living stipend for the duration of their graduate career with a complete tuition waiver. As many programs offer such a stipend, take care in considering any program that does not guarantee a stipend. Moreover, the ways in which this stipend may be provided can differ. For instance, some programs require a significant amount of teaching in the form of teaching assistantships (as discussed in the Teaching section) to cover a large portion of their stipend, while other programs fully support their students’ stipends and require minimal teaching as a part of the required curriculum. Thus, prospective students should consider their desire to teach as well as their research priorities before applying to programs that require significant amounts of teaching to cover their stipend.

Despite offering a living stipend, this stipend typically just enough to keep food on the table, bills paid, and gas in your car, leaving very little room for extra expenses. Thus, it is vital that prospective graduate students consider the stipend and assess their financial responsibilities. More importantly, do not get distracted by schools that offer more money than others. It is not uncommon for schools that offer bigger stipends to be located in areas with a higher-than-average cost of living. Wherever you apply, you need to ensure that the stipend matches the cost of living and will be enough to keep your ‘head above water’ throughout graduate school. A PhD can be very long with lots of stressful ups and downs, and financial insecurity is the last thing you want to worry about.

At the time this article was written, the average graduate student makes a yearly stipend of approximately $32,000 ( Glassdoor, 2022 ). If you are going to graduate school right out of your undergraduate studies, this may be the most money you have ever made. On the other hand, if you are leaving a job to go to graduate school, this may be a significant pay decrease. It is not impossible to live on a graduate student stipend and most schools provide yearly cost-of-living increases to student stipends. So, when deciding between graduate schools, make sure that the stipend is livable given the cost-of living in that area. You may consider utilizing MIT’s living wage calculator (found at https://livingwage.mit.edu/ ) ( Glasmeier, 2022 ), which can help you determine the cost-of-living in different areas around the United States to help you make an informed decision when choosing what schools you want to apply to.

PhD curriculum varies widely between graduate schools and even between different PhD programs within a given school. Although you certainly cannot avoid taking difficult classes during your PhD, it is worth understanding what courses you will have to take, when you will have to take them, and how these courses are structured to ensure you are getting the most out of your educational experience. However, it is also important to recall that graduate training primarily takes place within the context of your research project, so curriculum and coursework are not the driving force to consider in the same way that choices are made for an undergraduate school.

When analyzing your graduate school and program options, you want to ensure that the program you are interested in offers excellent training for enrolled PhD students. But what should this training venue look like? You should consider the broader context of the training, including curriculum as well as other professional development opportunities. Most programs require that first and second-year students take foundational courses to both deepen and broaden the students’ knowledge of the field in which they are pursuing a PhD ( National Academies of Sciences, 2018 ). Depending on the school and program, these courses may take place in lecture hall settings with a large group of graduate students, or in small, intimate classroom settings with a smaller number of students. Here, it is important to consider how you learn best. Do you know whether you have a more favorable learning experience in passive learning environments with large groups of students, or in smaller groups where you are free to engage and ask questions during class? This consideration is unique to the individual applicant but can be an impactful consideration when determining the learning environment that is best suited for you. Many students applying to graduate school may only have experiences in large-seminar type courses rather than small, intimate learning settings and therefore may not understand the benefits of small class sizes. Thus, we encourage students to keep an open mind when considering their graduate learning environment. Moreover, many graduate schools require that students take other courses including courses in statistics (depending on which STEM program you are applying to), writing, ethics, and seminar ( National Academies of Sciences, 2018 ). These courses are designed to enhance the students critical thinking skills as well as written and verbal communication skills ( National Academies of Sciences, 2018 ). These courses are all taken while students simultaneously focus on their respective dissertation research. It is important to get a good sense of what courses you are expected to take and when you are expected to take them to ensure that you can sufficiently meet the requirements of both your program and your advisor without overextending yourself.

Graduate Records Exam (GRE)

If you are thinking about going to graduate school, you have probably heard about the Graduate Records Examination (GRE). The GRE is a standardized test created and administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which is designed to test a student’s overall preparedness for graduate-level studies ( Kowarski, 2021 ). The GRE is like the SAT college entrance exam and seeks to assess general competence in areas such as analytical writing, mathematics, and verbal reasoning ( PrinstonReview, 2022 ). Recently, however, the utility of the GRE as a predictor of graduate student success has been intensely debated. A 2014 study published in Nature illustrated that women and individuals from underrepresented groups often score lower on the GRE than their white male counterparts ( Miller & Stassun, 2014 ). Moreover, the exam cost approximately $205 which is prohibitively expensive for many low-income students, further impeding promising students from entering graduate school ( Blanco, 2021 ; Miller & Stassun, 2014 ). Interestingly, these studies show that GRE scores are very poor predictors of a graduate students’ scientific productivity ( Hall, O’Connell, & Cook, 2017 ; Miller & Stassun, 2014 ). Fortunately, many leading STEM graduate programs have begun to recognize that the GRE is a weak predictor of PhD student success and have dropped the GRE as an admissions requirement ( Moneta-Koehler, Brown, Petrie, Evans, & Chalkley, 2017 ). Therefore, students can easily apply to a slate of top biomedical graduate programs without taking the GRE. For information about the many programs that no longer require the GRE, see Dr. Joshua Hall’s public spreadsheet (BioGRE.info), which lists many of the biomedical PhD programs that have dropped the GRE admissions requirement( Hall et al., 2017 ). To be crystal clear, most of these programs no longer accept or consider the GRE in admissions decisions, so taking the GRE brings no value for such applications. Moreover, there are no graduate fellowships or grant opportunities that require the GRE. However, there are some specific areas of graduate education that continue to rely more heavily on the GRE than others, so whether the GRE is required for applications may depend on your specific area of study. Regardless of whether you choose to take the GRE before applying to graduate school, it is important to know that your performance on this standardized exam does not directly correlate with your readiness for the hands-on intensity of a PhD program.

Phase II: The Interview

Congratulations! You have been invited to interview at some of the schools you applied to. Many applicants consider this to be the most stressful part of the application process but fail to realize that while the school is interviewing you, you are also interviewing the school . This is your chance to get an up-close and personal look at the life of a typical graduate student in each of these programs. Here you can ask the nitty-gritty questions your late-night google searches left unanswered. There are also many questions you may not know you should ask! Thus, we have provided a chart of key questions prospective students may consider asking faculty and current students during their interview weekend ( Figure 2 ). These questions may help with one of the key stages of the interview where you are likely to be asked, “Do you have any questions?” A key piece of advice is to always have one or more question because this shows your interest. You can ask multiple people the same question. In fact, this can be an invaluable approach as you can test whether you get the same answer from multiple sources. Importantly, you will have the chance to have candid talks with the current students and get a feel for their overall satisfaction with the program. Moreover, you may get a chance to speak with faculty members whose labs you are interested in joining.

Questions an applicant may wish to ask faculty and/or current students during the interview process.

All in all, the interview process is one of the most important steps to deciding what graduate school would be the best for your training and career development. Here, we have outlined things to consider finding out when you embark on your interviews.

Funding mechanism(s)

During Phase I of the process, you should have narrowed your choices to schools that provide a tuition waiver and offer a living stipend. At this stage, you should gather more information about the mechanisms to fund your stipend. In the ideal situation, your stipend is guaranteed if you are making satisfactory progress. You should seek options that clearly state this to be the case. Typically, such a situation means that the university has some resources to support your stipend early in training (1–2 years) and then your research mentor has grant funding to support your stipend and any associated fees. This model can differ from program to program, but you should seek clarity during the interview about the source of funding. There are also some options that may offer additional training or opportunities.

Some schools or programs will require you to commit to serving as a teaching assistant. While teaching experience can be valuable, be sure you understand the commitment. Will you be responsible for teaching a whole section of a course or are you acting as a teaching assistant? Even if you enjoy teaching, the need to teach each semester while trying to balance your research progress can be daunting. Ensure you understand the commitment and speak to more senior students to gather more information about the time required.

Many programs have some form of training grant support. These training grants can be provided from various sources, including federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32 training grants or the National Science Foundation (NSF). These training grants can support student stipend at specific training stages and offer some additional perks such as funds for travel or supplies. As such training grants require a clear plan for training, schools or programs that have such a support mechanism may offer additional training that is mandated by such funding mechanisms. The NIH National Institute of General Medical Science (NIGMS) funds many such training mechanisms and this institute has led the way in requiring training to produce well rounded ethical scientists that are prepared to function within the biomedical research community. These funding mechanisms must be renewed every five years, so this is essentially a required regular refresh of the training offered. Checking whether the school or program you are interested in has such funding mechanisms can provide you with information about how the school of program values graduate training because such funding mechanisms also require significant institutional support.

Some schools will offer support for students to apply for their own independent research funding ( Kahn, Conn, Pavlath, & Corbett, 2016 ). There are several mechanisms for this support where the graduate student is the principal investigator (PI) for the grant. Some schools also offer an increase in the stipend to those students who secure their own extramural research funding. Like a training grant, these individual pre-doctoral fellowships often have some funds available to support travel and purchase supplies. The experience of crafting a persuasive proposal to see your research to those who make funding decisions can be a very valuable part of graduate training.

In summary, learning the details of the funding, including the sources available should be a key part of your investigation during the interview process. You should ask questions on this important topic of both program leadership and current students to paint the full picture. A goal should be to select a school or program that aligns with your goals and offers you stable funding that aligns with your needs.

Teaching Requirements

Most graduate students are required to teach at some point during their graduate career. However, at some universities teaching is necessary to make up a significant portion of your stipend, while other universities ask students to teach for only a semester or two as a part of the standard curriculum. While teaching can be a fun and enriching experience, for students who do not necessarily need in-depth teaching skills for their future career, having multiple semesters of required teaching can become distracting and burdensome when trying to focus on thesis work. Thus, it is important to understand the teaching requirements at the different programs you interview with.

Teaching assistantships are designed to help postgraduate students develop invaluable teaching and assessment skills. After meeting curricular requirements, some students choose to continue teaching to earn extra money and/or gain valuable teaching experiences (a skill that can easily be applied in your future career and added to your CV). The responsibilities of graduate student teaching assistants (TAs) include leading undergraduate classes, grading papers, as well as providing laboratory supervision and demonstration ( Taylor, 2022 ). Teaching as a graduate student is an excellent opportunity to expand your horizons, gain invaluable scientific communication skills, and put your knowledge to the test. Whether you teach for one semester, or you decide to teach throughout your graduate career, try to take pride in the fact that you will be teaching and engaging undergraduates in your academic discipline.

Career Exploration

Career Exploration, sometimes referred to as professionalization, is an important aspect of your graduate career. After completing your PhD, you will need to enter the job market with transferrable skills– skills that can be applied in your future career. Although some graduate students remain in academia after completing their PhD, over 50% of STEM PhD graduates do not work in academia or even perform research as their primary job ( Lautz, 2018 ). Instead, many talented graduate students pursue careers in industry, government, or even medical writing. Moreover, it is very common for graduate students change their career goals during the duration of their graduate studies ( Cornell, 2020 )Therefore, we recommend that applicants consider attending graduate programs that adequately prepare students for a diverse set of careers after graduating.

But what professionalization and career exploration opportunities should you look for in a graduate program? Lautz et al . recommend that graduate programs invested in student professionalization and career exploration hold a student-led foundational seminar course to address career needs. These seminars should provide students with early exposure to multiple career pathways to develop a sense of community as well as a professional network ( Lautz, 2018 ). Moreover, graduate programs should encourage and support students seeking professional training specialization and internships in academic and non-academic sectors( Lautz, 2018 ). By showing STEM graduate students multiple career options, graduate programs can adequately meet the needs of today’s PhD students and prepare them for life beyond graduate school.

Support Network

Every successful graduate student has a support network ( Studies, 2020 ). This support network typically includes faculty and staff, other graduate students, postdoctoral students, technicians, friends, and even family. Graduate school is a long and challenging process. Therefore, having a network of people to support you and help you along the way is essential to your success.

Although prospective students are not yet ready to build their support network, it is important that they get a feeling for the current support networks within prospective schools. When interviewing, ask the current students about their support networks. Are these support networks made up of diverse group of people at different stages in their career? You may also consider asking if these students feel supported by the programs’ faculty and staff or whether the program has built-in student support systems. Many graduate schools also have graduate student unions (GSUs). These unions serve to protect graduate students’ rights and advocate for support from multiple branches of the university. Moreover, many schools have graduate student associations (GSA) comprised of graduate students from many different departments ( Studies, 2020 ). Attending GSU- and GSA-like events can be a great way to get to know people outside of your program and will help you build a support network that will last even after graduation.

Community, Diversity, and Inclusion

Building a community of supportive colleagues and mentors as you transition to graduate-level research training will be instrumental to your overall success as a scientist. Commonly, ambivalence and/or feelings of doubt about one’s abilities almost always accompany any major transition, the decision to kick-off your professional academic career by enrolling into graduate school will be no different ( Joseph, 2022 ). It is important to note that you are not alone, and the community you build will play a pivotal role in helping you steer the ins and outs of graduate school. These supportive connections are very important for several reasons: First, your network of colleagues and mentors can act as a team of advocates, providing support and guidance as you develop personally, academically, and professionally. Second, this network often becomes your “family away from home” – helping you to not only navigate deeply personal issues that inevitably arise during graduate school, but also making themselves available to grab ice cream after a long day in the laboratory. Ultimately, the community you build will play an essential role in you living a healthy, balanced, and fulfilling life while in graduate school.

As noted above, the decision to apply to graduate school, interview, and ultimately weigh the multitude of factors that inform where you will spend the next 5–7 years of your life is a very challenging, but rewarding process—for everyone. However, often, individuals from groups that are historically excluded and underrepresented in STEM fields face unique challenges that many of their graduate school peers do not have to consider when deciding what graduate school program best suits them. For example, many of these students face the challenge of finding a program that includes faculty that reflect the diversity of the broader population. In fact, only 10% of STEM faculty members in the US are from underrepresented groups, according to a recent NSF-funded report (Bennett, 2020). Therefore, in the eyes of interviewees from underrepresented groups, this reality emphasizes the sentiment of a familiar quote by Marian Wright Edelman, “You can’t be what you can’t see”, which in turn intensifies doubts about the likelihood of success. In addition to finding mentors with similar backgrounds, many of these students often have the additional pressure of trusting that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) values espoused by programs are not just lip-service, but closely held beliefs of the faculty, staff, and students. Thus, students must have a great deal of faith that graduate programs will invest the time and resources to support stated DEI values. Taken together, the process of choosing a graduate school presents unique challenges for all students, but particularly for students from underrepresented groups that span the application phase through matriculation.

While there has been a long-standing push to diversify and create a sense of belonging in STEM, universities in the US and by extension graduate programs still trail behind in establishing an inclusive community for its faculty, students, and staff. Historically, US institutions of higher learning have supported hierarchies of race and other forms of difference since their founding, and remnants of this very ideology persist in the academy broadly including graduate education. However, the recent rise of social justice movements has led to a renewed sense of urgency to break social barriers and pave the way for the realization of true DEI in all US institutions. As in many sectors of life in the US, graduate schools still have a long way to go before achieving their goals specific to DEI. These efforts will need to address all aspects of student differences, including many that have not been the focus of efforts such as ableism ( R. J. Peterson, 2021 ). Recent support for social, gender, and racial equity by leaders in higher education are an important first step and provide hope to many graduate students who are from groups historically excluded and underrepresented in STEM fields. As you navigate graduate school, build and leverage your community to be a force for social change. Thus, leaving behind a more inclusive and equitable environment for junior trainees. Importantly, DEI in STEM is a continuous effort that does not have a finish line and will require action from the entire scientific community to keep improving. While navigating through the interview process, it is critical that you begin to identify efforts made by the program to establish an equitable and inclusive environment. For example, as you converse with current students and faculty, ask about initiatives for diversification and inclusion, such as student-led empowerment organizations, community outreach, and DEI committees.

Program Responsibilities

Graduate school, like a ‘real job’, occurs in a matrixed environment where students are a part of multiple chains of accountability and therefore have responsibilities not only to their thesis advisors, but also to their program ( R. Peterson, 2021 ). Thus, it is necessary to determine what your responsibilities outside of the lab will entail and if these responsibilities change as you progress through your degree. For example, many students are required to help with recruitment of new students, organize program-related events, and attend program seminars. These responsibilities, while important, may serve as a distraction from your thesis work. Thus, it is critical that you determine what your program responsibilities are within each graduate program. These answers are likely not found on the internet but can be readily discussed with current graduate students and faculty members at your interview.

Phase III: Follow-Up Research

The interviews are finally over, and you have solidified acceptances from several schools. Take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back! The bulk of the work is over, but now comes the hard part-deciding which graduate school and program you would like to attend. You may be able to see yourself at multiple different schools/programs making the decision burdensome and potentially anxiety-inducing. At this point, reminding yourself that there is no single “right choice” may relieve some stress. However, there is some follow-up research which may not have been provided during the interviews that can be beneficial as you consider your options and make your final choice.

Student Fees

Unfortunately, student fees do not disappear in graduate school. Despite the fact that the average graduate student stipend is $32,000 a year ( Glassdoor, 2022 ), most schools still require that graduate students pay fees each semester. While most of the price of the fees is covered by the graduate school, the burden of the remainder of the fees falls on the student. The average graduate student pays some amount in student fees per semester. These fees typically include technology fees, health and wellness fees, athletic fees, and even activity fees. However, the types of fees and the semesterly rates vary greatly between schools and programs. Thus, we recommend that applicants research student fee rates for each of the schools they are interested in. Unfortunately, these data may be hard to find with a simple google search and a scroll through the university website. Applicants may instead consider reaching out to current graduate students to get an idea of the cost of student fees as well as how these students feel about the fees. You may consider asking current students if they are able to easily pay the fees with their current stipend, or if they feel that the fees are fair. Regardless of where you attend, you will probably have to pay some amount of student fees, but it’s a good idea to know how much and how often you will have to pay as a graduate student.

Health Benefits

Health benefits can be a stressful topic for many incoming graduate students, especially for students previously covered under their parents’ health insurance plan. Typically, student health insurance plans are offered by the institution, however these plans can vary greatly in cost and coverage. Unforeseen medical expenses, such as those related to treating a cold or a simple rash can cost hundreds of dollars, and you do not want to be blindsided by a medical situation in which you do not have adequate financial coverage. This can cause students financial hardship and lead to added stress. Therefore, as you contemplate your graduate school options, it is important to compare the health benefits each school has to offer.

What should you look for in an acceptable student health insurance plan? According to U.S. News, students should expect that plans offer a minimum coverage per year with an annual deductible ( Martin, 2013 ). Moreover, plans should provide coverage for both inpatient and outpatient services anywhere in the U.S. as well as coverage for mental health services, prescription drugs, and physical therapy ( Martin, 2013 ) . Applicants should also determine when their coverage starts and lapses as well as whether they are required to use specific doctors, hospitals, or clinics to be covered.

Gut Feelings

When you know, you know. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of trusting your ‘gut feelings’ when considering if a graduate school and program is the right one for you. This refers to relying on inclination that you cannot readily explain. Although you should not disregard objective facts, balancing an objective outlook with your subconscious intuition is ideal when deciding what program suits you best. The American Psychological Association reports that decisions recruiting gut feelings are often a reflection of one’s true self ( Association, 2018 ), and when picking a graduate school which you will attend for the next 5-7 years, it is best to make a decision that is an authentic reflection of your goals.

Concluding Remarks

Seeking out a stimulating and supportive environment where you can gain the skills needed for the next stage of your career is a daunting, but exciting task. We have presented many different factors applicants should take into consideration when selecting a graduate training program. However, each decision is unique to the individual and there is no single “right” choice, especially when presented with many excellent options. Selecting a graduate school and subsequent program is a major life decision, thus, considering your individual values and aspirations is critical to ensure your success and happiness throughout your graduate career. PhD training can potentially be a consuming and strenuous process; therefore, we advise students to seek training environments that encourage a healthy work-life balance and offer a breadth of training opportunities to support their values and future goals. Although deciding where you want to carry out your graduate studies is a challenging task, we hope that the information presented here will arm you with the knowledge necessary to select a graduate training program that will allow you to thrive personally and professionally. We wish you the best of luck in your graduate school-hunting and future endeavors!

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge funding from the National Institutes of Health to A.H.C (R25GM125598, R01NS125768) and C.L.L (F31NS127545) as well as fellowships from NSF (L.E.-R.) and the Department of Defense (B.C.). We would like to acknowledge Dr. TJ Murphy for his insight and intellectual contribution to the creation and ideas presented within this article. We would also like to acknowledge Dr. Raven Peterson who has contributed insightful commentary on topics included here. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Biographies

Carly Lancaster is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in the Biochemistry, Cell and Developmental Biology Program at Emory University co-mentored by Drs. Anita H. Corbett and Kenneth H. Moberg. Presently, Carly is working on characterizing the role of a conserved RNA binding protein in the regulation of RNAs critical for neurodevelopment. After graduating, she plans to complete her postdoctoral studies and pursue a career in biotechnology.

Lauryn Higginson is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Molecular and Computational Biology Program in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California. Lauryn recently joined her thesis lab and will be utilizing the Drosophila model to investigate how defects in subunits of a ubiquitous and critical RNA processing complex cause tissue-specific disease. Following graduate school, she plans to become a postdoctoral researcher and ultimately pursue a faculty position in biological sciences.

Brandon Chen is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in the Cellular and Molecular Biology Program at University of Michigan co-mentored by Dr. Yatrik Shah and Dr. Costas Lyssiotis. Brandon’s research focuses on understanding how endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondria contact sites contribute to tumor metabolic rewiring. His long-term career goal is to pursue an academic position and eventually become a primary investigator.

Lucas Encarnacion-Riviera is a second year Ph.D. candidate in the Neurosciences Interdepartmental Program at Stanford University co-advised by Dr. Karl Deisseroth and Dr. Liqun Luo. Lucas is studying how the brain generates internal states and how motivated drives transform into behavior. After graduate school, Lucas plans to become a professor of neuroscience and lead his own research lab.

Derrick Morton, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Molecular and Computational Biology section of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California. His research focuses on defining tissue-specific roles of RNA processing, surveillance, and decay machinery. He attended Clark Atlanta University (CAU), a Historically Black University, for graduate school. The supportive training environment he experienced at CAU played a major role in him pursuing postdoctoral fellowship and ultimately an independent career in science.

Anita Corbett, PhD is Samuel C. Dobbs Professor of Biology at Emory University. She plays numerous roles in graduate program leadership and has a strong commitment to building an inclusive STEM community. When she applied to graduate school, the internet did not exist, and her resource was a dusty file cabinet drawer in the chemistry department conference room; however, even under these archaic conditions, she chose a graduate school, obtained a PhD, and proceeded to an academic career.

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Education and Training: PhD in Biomedical Science Programs

New section.

Doctoral training in biomedical sciences has many facets, including coursework, laboratory rotations, and dissertation research. Candidates select a thesis mentor and advisor and have opportunities to present their research.

Your doctoral training in biomedical sciences has many facets, including coursework, laboratory rotations, and dissertation research. You will have to select a thesis mentor and advisor and have opportunities to present your research.

Along the way, you'll gain professional development skills that are essential as you proceed through your career. Here, you can learn about funding mechanisms and see the timeline for some milestones in the life of a graduate student.

Getting Started

Coursework for Prospective PhD Candidates You can expect one to two years of coursework when you begin your graduate studies. This will likely consist of some core coursework and some elective courses, based on your area of your scientific interest. There may be additional specialized courses.

Laboratory Rotations Laboratory rotations allow you to spend time in and experience different laboratory settings, and research projects. The number and requirement for laboratory rotations will vary from school to school as will the length of the rotations. Laboratory rotations are often concurrent with coursework, which means it is important to work on time management skills. 

Selecting Your Mentor Pre-doctoral training entails both formal education in a specific discipline and an apprenticeship in which the graduate student trains under the supervision of one or more faculty members.

Funding Your Graduate Education Doctoral programs in the biomedical sciences generally provide: a stipend that covers your living expenses; tuition and fees fellowship opportunities; health insurance, and; support to attend scientific meetings.

During Your Training

Dissertation Research Your thesis project should be designed to contribute new knowledge to the field. It is important to begin discussing your thesis/dissertation research direction with your mentor as early as possible. Here, "mentor" refers to your primary research advisor or dissertation sponsor, and "advisor" refers to the additional faculty members who make up your thesis/dissertation committee. (see alsoSelecting Your Mentor) More About Dissertation Research

Professional Development Biomedical sciences Ph.D. programs are designed to train the future biomedical research workforce. Dissertation research during graduate studies is an opportunity to contribute new knowledge to the field and to make exciting new discoveries, while preparing you for an independent career. More About Professional Development

Presenting Your Research Working toward a Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences provides training for your future as a scientist. In addition to developing research skills, you will learn to communicate your science to others, both orally and in writing. Most graduate programs provide guidance about how to present a seminar and write a research paper.  More About Presenting Your Research

There are several milestones during your graduate education that must be met at varous stages of your research training, as indicated by the asterisks in the illustration. These include specific requirements for advancement to the second year of graduate study, a qualifying exam for admission to Ph.D. degree candidacy after about two years, a "pre-defense" meeting as you approach graduation, and a final defense of your Ph.D. research. More About Milestones

• Follow us on Twitter

Helpful tools for those applying to medical PhD programs.

Upcoming short presentations will describe features of PhD training, alumni careers, and detailed logistics of the application process.

Learn about PhD Programs from program leaders.

Graduate schools in the biomedical sciences will generally provide a comprehensive funding package to their students.

PhD Programs by School

List of Postdoctoral Programs by School

Postbaccalaureate programs begin after an undergraduate degree and are designed to support the transition to professional school.

Biomedical Sciences, PhD

Mercer University School of Medicine’s newest academic program is a PhD in Biomedical Sciences. This research-based graduate program is designed to train students to be competitive for jobs in academia or industry by providing broad scientific expertise, teaching experience, and excellence in communication and professionalism.

Throughout the program, students work closely with research faculty to develop their scientific knowledge, research practices, and communication skills. The PhD in Biomedical Sciences engages students and faculty in meaningful scientific research through a dissertation process in which students will build knowledge and develop projects that expand a field of biomedical research. This process prepares students to think critically and to become effective scientific communicators, which is needed for future success in the biomedical sciences field. The program will also provide opportunities for graduate trainees to teach graduate and medical students to prepare for future positions in academia.

Students choose to pursue their research on our Columbus, Macon, or Savannah campus based on their research interests.

Learn more about our research areas

Virtual Information Sessions

The Biomedical Sciences PhD program director hosts seasonal virtual information sessions. Join us for a 30-minute Zoom call to learn how our program will provide you with the tools to succeed in a biomedical career. Sign up for an upcoming session below.

Program Highlights

• Small class sizes. PhD students benefit from a small faculty-to-student ratio, allowing them access to their professors for academic support, professional guidance, and specialized research opportunities. The small class sizes also create an atmosphere of cooperation and encouragement essential to working in a laboratory setting.
• Teaching experience. Students will gain invaluable instructional experience as a teaching assistant in the School’s Master of Science and Doctor of Medicine programs, an opportunity unique among regional PhD programs.
• Financial support. Students in the Biomedical Sciences PhD program benefit from a scholarship that covers 100% of annual tuition and a $25,000 annual stipend to assist with living expenses while pursuing their degree.
• Access to high-level research. Mercer is classified as an R2 doctoral university, giving students numerous opportunities to participate in high-quality biomedical, clinical, and population health research. This classification allows Mercer School of Medicine to attract top-notch faculty who are leaders in their fields.

Admissions Process

Helpful tips and resources, application process, connect with us.

BRET Career Development ASPIRE Program

Possible careers for phds in biomedical sciences.

Posted by Kim Petrie on Friday, December 11, 2020 in Path to Career Resources .

Sometimes it’s just nice to have a list of possibilities. Here’s a terrific list of career paths for PhDs in the biomedical sciences, compiled by Lauren Easterling at Indiana University School of Medicine. It’s nicely arranged by broad theme. See something you’re not familiar with? Check out our Beyond the Lab video and podcast series to see if we have recorded an episode with an alumnus who has pursued that career.

Possible-Careers-for-PhDs-in-Biomedical-Science

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• NEWS FEATURE
• 09 July 2024
• Correction 12 July 2024

How PhD students and other academics are fighting the mental-health crisis in science

• Shannon Hall

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Illustration: Piotr Kowalczyk

You have full access to this article via your institution.

On the first day of her class, Annika Martin asks the assembled researchers at the University of Zurich in Switzerland to roll out their yoga mats and stand with their feet spread wide apart. They place their hands on their hips before swinging their torsos down towards the mat and back up again. The pose, called ‘wild goose drinking water’ is from Lu Jong, a foundational practice in Tantrayana Buddhism.

Martin, a health psychologist, can sense that some students are sceptical. They are academics at heart, many of whom have never tried yoga, and registered for Martin’s course to learn how to deal with the stress associated with academic research. Over the course of a semester, she teaches her students about stress and its impact on the body before giving them the tools to help cope with it — from yoga, meditation and progressive muscle relaxation to journalling.

It is one of many initiatives designed to combat the mental-health crisis that is gripping science and academia more broadly. The problems are particularly acute for students and early-career researchers, who are often paid meagre wages, have to uproot their lives every few years and have few long-term job prospects. But senior researchers face immense pressure as well. Many academics also experience harassment, discrimination , bullying and even sexual assault . The end result is that students and academics are much more likely to experience depression and anxiety than is the general population.

But some universities and institutions are starting to fight back in creative ways.

The beginning of a movement

The University of Zurich now offers academics several popular courses on mental health. Beyond Martin’s class, called ‘Mindfulness and Meditation’, one helps students learn how to build resilience and another provides senior researchers with the tools they need to supervise PhD candidates.

The courses are in high demand. “We have way more registrations than we have actual course spots,” says Eric Alms, a programme manager who is responsible for many of the mental-health courses at the University of Zurich. “I’m happy that my courses are so successful. On the other hand, it’s a sign of troubling times when these are the most popular courses.”

Several studies over the past few years have collectively surveyed tens of thousands of researchers and have documented the scope and consequences of science’s mental-health crisis.

In 2020, the biomedical research funder Wellcome in London, surveyed more than 4,000 researchers (mostly in the United Kingdom) and found that 70% felt stressed on the average work day . Specifically, survey respondents said that they felt intense pressure to publish — so much so that they work 50–60 hours per week, or more. And they do so for little pay, without a sense of a secure future. Only 41% of mid-career and 31% of early-career researchers said that they were satisfied with their career prospects in research.

The International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems run bootcamps involving activities such as painting. Credit: Alejandro Posada

A survey designed by Cactus Communications , a science-communication and technology company headquartered in Mumbai, India, analysed the opinions of 13,000 researchers in more than 160 countries in 2020 and found that 37% of scientists experienced discrimination, harassment or bullying in their work environment. This was especially true for researchers from under-represented groups and was the case for 42% of female researchers, 45% of homosexual researchers and 60% of multiracial researchers.

Yet some experts are hopeful that there is change afoot. As well as the University of Zurich, several other institutions have started to offer courses on mental health. Imperial College London, for example, conducts more than two dozen courses, workshops and short webinars on topics as diverse as menstrual health and seasonal depression. Most of these have been running for at least five years, but several were developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “At that time, the true dimension of the mental-health crisis in science was unveiled and potentially exacerbated by the lockdowns,” says Ines Perpetuo, a research-development consultant for postdocs and fellows at Imperial College London.

Desiree Dickerson, a clinical psychologist with a PhD in neuroscience who leads workshops at the University of Zurich, Imperial College London and other institutes around the world, says she has a heavier workload than ever before. “Before COVID, this kind of stuff wasn’t really in the spotlight,” she says. “Now it feels like it is gaining a solid foothold — that we are moving in the right direction.”

A mental-health crisis is gripping science — toxic research culture is to blame

Some of this change has been initiated by graduate students and postdocs. When Yaniv Yacoby was a graduate student in computer science at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for example, he designed a course to teach the “hidden curriculum of the PhD”. The goal was to help students to learn how to succeed in science (often by breaking down preconceived ideas), while creating an inclusive and supportive community. An adapted form of that course is now offered by both Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and the University of Washington in Seattle. And Yacoby has worked with other universities to develop single-session workshops to jump-start mental-health advocacy and normalize conversations about it in academia.

Similarly, Jessica Noviello, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, built a workshop series designed to target a key stressor for academics’ mental health: job insecurity, or specifically, the ability to find a job that aligns with career plans and life goals. She argues that most advisers lack experience outside academia, “making it hard for them to advise students about other career options”, and most institutes don’t have the resources to bring in outside speakers. Yet it is a key issue. The 2020 Wellcome survey found that nearly half of the respondents who had left research reported difficulty in finding a job.

So Noviello established the Professional Advancement Workshop Series (PAWS) in August 2021. The programme has run workshops and panel discussions about careers at national laboratories and in science journalism and media communications, science policy, data science, NASA management and more. And it has hosted two sessions on mental-health topics. “PAWS isn’t a programme that specifically set out to improve mental health in the sciences, but by building a community and having conversations with each other, the experts, and ourselves, I think we are giving ourselves tools to make choices that benefit us, and that is where mental health begins,” Noviello says.

Beyond the classroom

Although these courses and workshops mark a welcome change, say researchers, many wonder whether they are enough.

Melanie Anne-Atkins, a clinical psychologist and the associate director of student experience at the University of Guelph in Canada, who gives talks on mental health at various universities, says that she rarely sees universities follow through after her workshops. “People are moved to tears,” she says. “But priorities happen afterward. And even though they made a plan, it never rises to that. Because dollars will always come first.”

David Trang, a planetary geologist based in Honolulu, Hawaii, at the Space Science Institute, is currently working towards a licence in mental-health counselling to promote a healthier work environment in the sciences. He agrees with Anne-Atkins — arguing that even individual researchers have little incentive to make broad changes. “Caring about mental health, caring about diversity, equity and inclusion is not going to help scientists with their progress in science,” he says. Although they might worry about these matters tremendously, Trang argues, mental-health efforts won’t help scientists to win a grant or receive tenure. “At the end of the day, they have to care about their own survival in science.”

Still, others argue that these workshops are a natural and crucial first step — that people need to de-stigmatize these topics before moving forward. “It is quite a big challenge,” Perpetuo says. “But you have to understand what’s under your control. You can control your well-being, your reactions to things and you can influence what’s around you.”

PhD students compete in a team-building relay race at a bootcamp run by the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems. Credit: Alejandro Posada

That is especially pertinent to the typical scientist who tends to see their work as a calling and not just a job, argues Nina Effenberger, who is studying computer science at the University of Tübingen in Germany. The Wellcome survey found that scientists are often driven by their own passion — making failure deeply personal. But a solid mental-health toolkit (one that includes the skills taught in many of the new workshops) will help them to separate their work from their identity and understand that a grant denial or a paper rejection is not the end of their career. Nor should it have any bearing on their self-worth, Effenberger argues. It is simply a part of a career in science.

Moreover, Dickerson argues that although systemic change is necessary, individuals will drive much of that change. “My sense is that if I can empower the individual, then that individual can also push back,” she says.

Many researchers are starting to do just that through efforts aimed at improving working conditions for early-career researchers, an area of widespread concern. The Cactus survey found that 38% of researchers were dissatisfied with their financial situation. And another survey of 3,500 graduate students by the US National Science Foundation in 2020 (see go.nature.com/3xbokbk) found that more than one-quarter of the respondents experienced food insecurity, housing insecurity or both.

In the United States, efforts to organize unions have won salary increases and other benefits, such as childcare assistance, at the University of California in 2022, Columbia University in New York City in 2023 and the University of Washington in 2023. These wins are part of a surge in union formation. Last year alone, 26 unions representing nearly 50,000 graduate students, postdocs and researchers, formed in the United States.

There has also been collective action in other countries. In 2022, for example, graduate students ran a survey on their finances, and ultimately won an increase in pay at the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems (IMPRS-IS), an interdisciplinary doctoral programme within the Max Planck Society in Munich, Germany.

Why the mental cost of a STEM career can be too high for women and people of colour

Union drives are only part of the changes that are happening beyond the classroom. In the past few years, Imperial College London has revamped its common rooms, lecture halls and other spaces to create more places in which students can congregate. “If they have a space where they can go and chat, it is more conducive to research conversations and even just personal connection, which is one of the key aspects of fostering mental health,” Perpetuo says. Imperial also introduced both one-day and three-day voluntary retreats for postdocs and fellows to build personal relationships.

The IMPRS-IS similarly runs ‘bootcamps’ or retreats for many of its doctoral students and faculty members. Dickerson spoke at the one last year. The programme also mandates annual check-ins at which students can discuss group dynamics and raise any issues with staff. It has initiated thesis advisory committees so that no single academic supervisor has too much power over a student. And it plans to survey its students’ mental health twice a year for the next three years to probe the mental health of the institute. The institute has even set various mental-health goals, such as high job satisfaction among PhD students regardless of gender.

Dickerson applauds this change. “One of the biggest problems that I see is a fear of measuring the problem,” she says. “Many don’t want to ask the questions and I think those that do should be championed because I think without measuring it, we can’t show that we are actually changing anything.”

She hopes that other universities will follow suit and provide researchers with the resources that they need to improve conditions. Last year, for example, Trang surveyed the planetary-science community and found that imposter syndrome and feeling unappreciated were large issues — giving him a focus for many future workshops. “We’re moving slowly to make changes,” he says. “But I’m glad we are finally turning the corner from ‘if there is a problem’ to ‘let’s start solving the problem.’”

Nature 631 , 496-498 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-02225-8

Updates & Corrections

Correction 12 July 2024 : An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that Nina Effenberger was involved in a survey on graduate-student finances that won an increase in pay.

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