PhD Biology (Biology and Society) at Arizona State University

Programme overview

In the biology and society concentration of the Doctor of Philosophy program in biology, you examine topics with biological and social dimensions that are best understood together rather than in isolation. The concentration provides plans of study tailored to individual needs and interests. It encompasses a solid foundation in life sciences and related sciences and provides a rigorous analytical and interdisciplinary education.

What you will study

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation Required Core (3 or 4 credit hours) BIO 514 Statistical Models for Biology (4) or BIO 620 Research Prospectus Writing (3) Electives (68 or 69 credit hours) Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) BIO 799 Dissertation (12) Additional Curriculum Information An individual student program is developed in consultation with the student's advisor and committee.

Career pathways

Graduates are prepared for academic careers at every level, from community colleges to research universities. Career examples: lawyer, medical writer or editor, professor or instructor at a university or college, science communicator in an academic, private or industrial organization, science policymaker or administrator, science or social studies teacher in an elementary or high school.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution. Students are expected to have completed the equivalent of core requirements for an undergraduate major in biology or a related discipline, typically evolution, genetics and other courses appropriate to the student's particular interests. Students who do not have an undergraduate-level competency in the sciences may be considered for conditional admission to the biology and society concentration. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

Domestic applicants: USD 13,327 a year (2026-27). Arizona resident tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads Source

International applicants: USD 24,780 a year (2026-27). International tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads ar Source

Entry terms: Fall, Spring and Summer; the terms available for each programme are listed in Degree Search.

Graduate application deadlines are set by each programme office and listed in Degree Search. The nonrefundable application fee is $75 for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, DACA and international online students outside the U.S., and $120 for international students on a nonimmigrant visa studying in the U.S.

Apply through the official page: https://admission.asu.edu/apply/graduate/admission

Explore more study programmes

STEM