PhD Biology at University of Alabama

Programme overview

The PhD in Biology is a research-intensive doctoral degree in biological sciences. Students complete independent research, a dissertation and required coursework. Students may have primary mentors in Tuscaloosa or among UA faculty based at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.

Faculty: J. Frank Barefield Jr. College of Arts and Sciences | Department: Department of Biological Sciences | Duration: 54 credit hours | Intake: Fall (mid-August start) and spring (mid-January start); summer admission is generally not offered | Study mode: full-time | Location: Tuscaloosa, AL, United States

What you will study

The degree totals 54 credit hours, including 18 hours of dissertation research (BSC 699) and 36 other hours, of which 24 must carry the BSC designation. Required courses are BSC 505 (Intro to Graduate Studies) and BSC 601 (Biological Sciences Seminar, each semester in residence in Tuscaloosa); electives span topics such as limnology, disease ecology, immunology, bioinformatics, evolution, conservation biology and biostatistics with R.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

The goal of the admission process is to identify students who will thrive in the program and go on to have successful careers in science. The application should contain information that allows us to judge the applicant’s academic and research potential and determine whether a suitable match exists with potential faculty mentors. Prospective applicants for the M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs must contact one or more faculty members prior to the application process to discuss their research interests and to determine whether space is available in the research group. Most successful applicants will have established a mutual interest with a faculty member who is willing to serve as the student’s research advisor and in whose lab the student will conduct his/her research. To learn about faculty-specific research interests and for faculty contact information, visit the Departmental of Biological Sciences research page. The graduate student, the Department Chair, and the Dean of the Graduate S

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Entry terms: Fall, Spring and Summer (the admissions page lists Spring, and Summer/Fall priority deadlines).

Apply through the official page: https://graduate.ua.edu/

Explore more study programmes

STEM