PhD Cell & Developmental Biology at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Programme overview

The graduate curriculum in Cell and Developmental Biology is designed to educate students for careers in research and teaching in the biological sciences. Departmental faculty are concerned with the structural and functional relationships of cells and organisms, with research emphases upon eukaryotic cell and molecular biology, developmental biology, and molecular genetics.

Faculty: College of Liberal Arts & Sciences | Study mode: full-time | Location: Champaign, IL, United States

What you will study

Required courses listed include MCB 501 Advanced Biochemistry; MCB 502 Advanced Molecular and Cell Biology; MCB 529 Special Topics in Cell and Developmental Biology (Section WRI); MCB 580 Res Ethics & Responsibilities; CDB 599 Thesis Research (min/max applied toward degree).

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applicants interested in the Cell & Developmental Biology, PhD program will need to apply directly to the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) PhD program . The MCB PhD program is an umbrella program that requires admitted students to spend their first semester rotating among three different labs to explore their interests before joining one of our four departments. MCB Admission requirements include a bachelor’s degree in biological or physical sciences, a grade point average of a 3.0 or higher (A = 4.0), prior research experience and three letters of recommendation from individuals who can attest to the applicant’s academic and research background. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required. Applicants interested in pursuing a PhD in Cell & Developmental Biology should have a strong background in biology, chemistry, and mathematics. In addition to these

Domestic applicants: USD 20,114 a year (2026-27). Illinois resident rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Non-Illinois U.S. resident tuition for this programme: $37,410. Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insura Source

International applicants: USD 37,410 a year (2026-27). International rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insurance, housing and other expenses as the source states them separately Source

Not all graduate programmes offer admission in all terms; term availability is set by each programme of study.

Graduate applicants apply online through the Graduate College application; deadlines and term availability are set by each programme. Medicine, law and veterinary medicine applicants apply directly to their colleges.

Apply through the official page: https://grad.illinois.edu/admissions/apply

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