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Overview
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Dr. Karen Arndt reviews an experiment with Kathryn Kumer.
Dr. Jeffrey Brodsky consults with Michael Morrow at the computer.
Dr. Tia-Lynn Ashman and Sara Gryger at the pollen counter.
Dr. Valerie Oke and Emily Fisher examine plants in a growth chamber.
Dr. William Saunders and and Xuemei Zeng at the microscope.
Dr. Jeffrey Lawrence reviews an experiment with Nicole Scott.
What are your interests?
While undergraduates learn primarily in the classroom, graduate students train in the laboratory by doing the science that
is taught to others. Use the links at the left to learn about our graduate programs (MCDB and EE),
our total financial support package, and our simplified no-cost admissions process.
This is an exciting time in your career. Let us unlock your potential. Consider what you could do...
- If you are interested in Biochemistry, Biophysics, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, or Virology, then our
MCDB graduate program is for you.
- Students interested in Ecology, Evolution, Biodiversity, Conservation Biology, Phylogeny, Animal Behavior, or Environmental Biology will fit right into our
EE graduate program.
No matter what your interests are, you are sure to find an exciting research environment in our Department.
What is your career path?
Why do you want - or need - a Ph.D. degree in the biological sciences? The biological and biomedical sciences represent the hottest and
most active areas of science, and a Ph.D. degree provides an essential qualification for a wide variety of exciting career paths.
Virtually all of our graduating students continue to participate in these fast-moving fields and pursue careers in which either research or
teaching is the primary focus; a list of some of our recent Ph.D. graduates shows that they are continuing in research or in education, in academic,
biotechnology or government institutions. Here are some of the careers that our students pursue, and how our graduate programs will prepare and train you for them.
- Biotechnology. Biotechnology represents the most active and fast-moving area of applied science in the 21st Century.
The Biotechnology industry is a major destination for our graduates, following in the footsteps of Dr. Herbert Boyer, who graduated from this
Department and went on to found Genentech, a leader in the Biotechnology sector.
- Academia. Many students graduating from our programs continue in academic scientific research, typically at the postdoctoral level,
leading to independent faculty positions at major research universities.
- Education. As more and more undergraduate students recognize the dominant role of the biological sciences and enroll in university
degree programs, there is a demand for Ph.D. educator-scientists throughout the higher education system.
- Public Service. The growing concerns about the state of our environment, the effect of biotechnology on the ecological balance
and the new ethical and moral frontiers posed by human genomics, has generated a need for Ph.D. scientists in the public sector.
- Science & Law. Patent law defines the space where science and law intersect. Patent lawyers typically attend law school after
completing graduate training in science. The market demands knowledgeable scientists to assess, explain, interpret, manage, and
arbitrate matters of scientific law.
How do our graduate programs train you for these careers?
- Research with nationally and internationally renowned scientists. Your Ph.D. research is carried out in a world-class laboratory with world-class
faculty. Expect no less; accept no less.
- Mentoring by nationally and internationally renowned scientists. Ours is a medium-sized program, where students don't get lost in the shuffle.
All of our faculty cooperate in the training and education of all of our students. Forums such as weekly research presentations,
annual retreats, and weekly social hours help catalyze faculty/student interactions over and above periodic thesis committee meetings.
- An interactive research environment. Research laboratories in the department are composed of groups of postdoctoral fellows, graduate, undergraduate
scientists as well as technicians and faculty. These interactive groups provide a friendly and helpful environment to do cutting-edge research. Moreover,
our 2:1 student:faculty ratio means than every student gets plenty of one-on-one attention in their labs.
- State-of-the-art facilities and equipment. The Department has a broad array of common equipment and facilities representing
the state-of-the-art in technical development. More specialized equipment is housed in individual laboratories, and is available for use by others when needed.
- A graduate stipend. Pushing back the frontiers of science can be difficult if one has to tend bar or wait tables in the evenings to make
ends meet. We provide competitive stipends and comprehensive health care that allow for a comfortable
living in the rejuvenated city of Pittsburgh, and entitle every student to focus on her/his career.
- Teaching experience. Students have opportunities as a Teaching Associate (TA) to gain first-hand experience
in the classroom or teaching laboratory. Regardless of your career path, effective communication of your ideas to others is critical to career advancement
at all stages. There is little difference between explaining the basics of glycolysis to a classroom of undergraduate students, explaining your
brilliant results to a roomful of peers at a national meeting, or explaining your future projects to a panel of reviewers reading your grant proposal.
- Pedagogy. For those students whose primary career focus is in education, there are opportunities within the Department - including a monthly
teaching forum, and symposia at our annual retreat - to learn more about
teaching techniques. A teaching minor is available for those who are seriously interested in this career route.
In addition, periodic seminar series - like our Friday Noon Seminars - prepare
students for public presentations, in the classroom or seminar room.
The Department of Biological Sciences offers two distinct programs of study to train the scientists and educators of tomorrow:
Students enrolled in these programs earn PhD degrees from the School of Arts and Sciences at the Univerity of Pittsburgh; the SAS has many funding and fellowship opportunities, as well as conference and symposium submission opportunities. In addition, our Department participates in a joint MD/PhD program operated jointly by the
University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. In addition, members of our Department participate in various graduate programs
offered jointly with other departments within the University of Pittsburgh.
What makes this program right for me?
The Department of Biological Sciences prides itself in cultivating a friendly, interesting, interactive and fun place to work. Sure, on Firdays at noon faculty and MCDB graduate students gather to hear noon seminar, and on Wedensdays EE faculty and students do the same.
But Fridays afternoons are often reserved for social hours, because chatting informally can be just as important - and even lead to real progress on hard probelms - as formal seminars. At our Departmental Retreat (held annually in the relaxing environs of the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology),
there are talks and posters, but there are also bird walks, campfires and and karaoke. There are journals clubs and there's Thursday afternoon frisbee. It's a Department where everyone is committed to keeping as a place whre they like to come in every day. Our faculty and students enjoy being here; that's the most important part.
Explore the opportunities of the program right for you, then familiarize yourself on living in the revitalized city of Pittsburgh -
perennially in the top 10 most livable cities in America and ranked #1 in 2007.
If you're ready for the challenge of pursuing a graduate degree in the biological sciences,
you can obtain all of the application materials you need on-line. Moreover, there is no application fee if you are a US citizen; that's right : send no money. We're interested in students; not investors. We look forward to hearing from you.
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