Ph.D. in Biology

A message from the Biology Faculty at Boston College

Welcome to the Department of Biology, where research lies at the heart of the Ph.D. experience. We strive to provide our graduates with the technical and intellectual training needed for future success in a wide variety of careers.

Our department is well-equipped for modern molecular, cellular, genomic, proteomic, biochemical, imaging, and bioinformatics research. We have core facilities with state-of-the-art instrumentation for genomics research, fluorescence and high-resolution live-cell imaging and flow cytometry, excellent animal facilities, and substantial computational resources. We continue to grow our faculty with new hires who further strengthen our core areas of study: examining fundamental problems in cell and developmental biology, microbiology, infection, and bioinformatics.

The Department of Biology is comprised of a close-knit group of graduate students, faculty, post-docs, and researchers who collaborate to produce an atmosphere of congenial learning and discovery. Our robust department life facilitates graduate students’ entry into this community of scholars. The department hosts many activities that create a strong intellectual community a message from the biology faculty at Boston College and a sense of collegiality amongst our students and faculty, including an annual Department of Biology Retreat, Data Club, Cell Biology Group meetings, and Microbiology Group meetings.

Our program is committed to a thorough training of our students. Incoming Ph.D. students begin their research by conducting three, seven-week rotations in laboratories of their choosing. To enhance students’ communication skills, each rotation concludes with students presenting the research from their rotation projects to the department. Upon completion of three rotations, students enter the laboratories where they will complete their thesis projects.

In addition to research, we aim to develop the communication skills necessary for the pursuit of a variety of potential careers. Most students gain practice in mentoring by working with undergraduate research assistants. Skills in the formal presentation of scientific data are honed at the departmental Data Club. Our students are integrated into the scientific community by a number of mechanisms. On campus, students have the opportunity to have lunch with leading scientists who present their work in our departmental Seminar Series. Our program is further enhanced by the opportunities to participate in the Greater Boston area topical research meetings and seminars. Additionally, the Department of Biology provides funding for students to attend and present their research at local, national, and international meetings.

The city of Boston boasts a vibrant biomedical sciences research community, providing our students with many opportunities for collaboration and future employment opportunities in both academia and industry.

Education with a heart and soul—and the power to transform

Boston College, the first institution of higher education to operate in the city of Boston, is today among the nation’s foremost universities, a leader in the liberal arts, scientific inquiry, and student formation.

Grounded in the ideals that inspired our Jesuit founders, Boston College urges students to look inward but always to reach out—to develop their minds and talents to the fullest and use them in service to others.

About the Morrissey College

The Robert J. Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences fosters the rigorous intellectual development and the religious, ethical, and personal growth of its students. Morrissey College faculty and students directly engage the world’s most pressing problems, using their gifts to enhance the common good.

The Morrissey College offers graduate programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Students emerge prepared to thrive in a broad range of careers and ready to serve as capable and passionate leaders, working as a leaven for good in communities around the world.

As the oldest and largest division of Boston College, the Morrissey College embodies the Jesuit, Catholic commitment to the depth of inquiry, academic excellence, and educating the whole person through a formative engagement with the liberal arts.

Why Boston College?

When students enter Boston College, they take the first steps on a journey of discovery—one that stimulates their intellectual, personal, ethical, and spiritual growth. The Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences' programs ask students to learn about themselves, their communities, and the world, to search for truth wherever they go, and to use their talents to improve the lives of others.

Those who seek an education that lasts a lifetime will find the challenge and support to build meaningful and fulfilling futures.

1. A Dynamic Liberal Arts Education

Explore the range of disciplines that shape well-educated people prepared to thrive in the 21st century. A liberal arts education at Boston College develops valuable skills, including critical thinking, ethical decision-making, effective communication, and the capacity to see the human experience from a range of perspectives.

2. Intellectual Rigor

Morrissey College challenges students to discover and achieve their full potential. Renowned faculty, innovative courses, and off-campus opportunities expand students’ knowledge and experience.

3. Jesuit, Catholic Tradition

Intellectual rigor, integrating knowledge, student formation, care for individuals, using our education in service to others—these Jesuit, Catholic values define the Boston College experience.

4. Inquiry Across Disciplines

Here, scholarly collaboration draws research and teaching beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. The Core Curriculum, the Institute for the Liberal Arts, the Institue for Integrated Science and Society, and a variety of research projects bring together students and faculty from different areas of inquiry.

5. The Benefits of Boston

With more than 50 institutions of higher learning in the metropolitan area, Boston is truly one of the preeminent college towns. It’s also a world-class city full of history, scientific and tech innovators, culture, and internship possibilities.

6. Alumni Network

Students benefit from the connections and support of the tight-knit and loyal network of nearly 180,000 Boston College alumni.