Graduate Program

Overview

The Department of Biology offers a program of advanced study and thesis research leading to the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Master of Science (M.S.) in Biology. Additional information is available:

• Biology Department Guidelines for Graduate Students (PDF)
• Program Objectives and Goals (PDF)
• Tufts University Graduate Student Handbook

The Graduate Program is arranged into six concentrations, each with an advisor and a core of faculty researchers. Befitting the integrative nature of Biology, we encourage interdisciplinary research and collaborations between academic fields. For more information on these concentrations follow the links below:

• Ecology, Behavior and Evolution
• Genetics and Molecular Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Neurobiology and Animal Behavior
• Cell Physiology
• Conservation and the Environment

Students may choose from a wide variety of research topics in each area that is represented by the specialized interests of the faculty, as described under Faculty & Research at this site. An important feature of our program is the opportunity for students in each area to interact with students and faculty in the other areas, which often leads to exciting new ideas for innovative cross-disciplinary research.

The biology department is also a contributing member of the IGERT soft material robotics program. This program, funded by the National Science Foundation, supports PhD students working on projects that combine expertise in more than one Department. This support is awarded on a competitive basis. If you wish to be considered for this program you must select the IGERT Soft Material Robotics option during your application. Additional information on these fellowship awards and soft material robotics at Tufts is available by visiting the IGERT Soft Material Robotics website.

The department consists of twenty six full-time faculty. There are typically about forty graduate students in the program, mostly Ph.D. candidates. This low faculty-to-student ratio promotes close interaction between students and faculty who work as research collaborators. Our program requirements are flexible, so that graduate training can be individually tailored for each student.

Students interested in Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. programs in the biomedical sciences should also consult the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences. A joint Biology/Biotechnology graduate program, administered through the Tufts Biology Department, is designed for students whose interests lie in applied aspects of molecular biology and biotechnology: more information about this program can be found in the Biotechnology Program (PDF). Additional information about master's programs in environmental studies can be found at Tufts University's Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Tufts University's School of Nutrition.

Information about the WSSS Program (Water: Systems, Science and Society is a multidisciplinary graduate program designed to meet the challenge of managing water-related issues and problems) can be found at the WSSS website.

General graduate student information is available on the Graduate Student Council's website.

Read GradMatters: The Blog for Tufts' GSAS >