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Graduate Academics

David Hendrix teaching a class

Courses in BB are taught by dedicated educators like David Hendrix, who received the University Mentoring and Professional Development Award for his commitment to graduate education, including an open-access textbook and a newly developed interdisciplinary program in biological data science.

The Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics offers graduate work leading to the Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Most graduate students are admitted for study toward the Ph.D.

The Ph.D. program requires coursework in biochemistry and biophysics, passing written and oral examinations, participating in the departmental seminar program, and research leading to a doctoral thesis. Although most students in the department receive financial support in the form of research assistantships, all students are expected to participate to a limited degree in the teaching program of the department, regardless of the source of support. In general, financial support is provided for Ph.D. candidates only.

Graduate Student Handbook

The biochemistry and biophysics handbook focuses on the specific policies and culture of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics to help facilitate the timely completion of graduate training. The guide is presented in chronological order, and contains useful information including the BB core curriculum, teaching expectations, graduate committees, resources for finding a post-doc after graduation, forms and much more.

Prepare for your lab rotations

Lab rotations provide graduate students with an opportunity to experience the diverse range of faculty, research topics and environments available in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Rotations also give students and faculty the chance to connect and learn about each other before a final mentor is chosen.

Learn more about rotations 

Graduate student resources

Looking for evaluation forms? Need training for your Graduate Teaching Assistantship? We have curated a list of helpful department and campus resources available to help you with everything from mental health to laptop loans to recreational sports and much more.