Graduate Studies in Biology & Biomedical Sciences

Graduate Students in the Biology Department

Graduate students working in the Department of Biology are enrolled in Washington University's interdepartmental graduate programs. The largest cohort of graduate students is in the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (DBBS); however, we also attract students from graduate programs in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. DBBS is an umbrella graduate program of 500 students and more than 330 faculty members from 31 departments who teach and work in 11 Programs on both the hilltop and medical campuses. Students from most of the 11 Programs choose to train with our faculty members; Ecology, Evolution, and Population Biology (EEPB) and Plant and Microbial Biosciences (PMB) graduate students make up the majority of our graduate population.

Prospective graduate students interested in working with faculty members in the Department of Biology are encouraged to visit the DBBS website for more information about the DBBS application process. To learn more about graduate research in the Department of Biology, visit our research page.

Marshall Wedger, grad student in the Olsen Lab, wins Stephen J. O'Brien Award
Graduate, Awards and Notables

Marshall Wedger, grad student in the Olsen Lab, wins Stephen J. O'Brien Award

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How to Apply

Prospective students apply to the Division rather than to an individual program. Students are admitted into a specific program but may change their program affiliation as their interests develop.

about our application process

Graduate Resources 

Here are a few handy resources. Find all graduate resources on the resource page.

The Teaching Center

find information about teaching & learning

Liberman Graduate Center

meet, connect, and engage with other graduate and professional students

Facilities & Centers

explore our research facilities and centers

search more resources

"Being a graduate student in biology has opened many doors for me that I hadn’t considered before entering graduate school. Mentoring undergraduate students in the laboratory and serving as a teaching assistant in biology classes have inspired me to consider a career in academia. One of the best parts of being a student in the department is the strong sense of community. The many functions that the department has—holiday cookie contests, Friday afternoon departmental gatherings, BioForum seminars, and receptions after the Monday afternoon seminars—have helped me meet professors and students from other labs and feel like an integral part of the community."

―Cynthia HollandGraduate Fellow (DBBS), class of 2018

Have questions?

For more information about the biology program, please get in touch.

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