Prospective Students

Welcome to MCDB!

Students enthusiastic about many aspects of biology will find MCDB to be a wonderful place to pursue their studies. Begin your exploration on the following pages.

Prospective undergraduates will find the information they need on the Program in Biology website. MCDB faculty and labs participate in undergraduate education through that program.

Interested in pursuing a graduate degree?

PhD program Apply by December 1

Pathways Master's Program   Apply by March 1

Traditional Master's Program. Fall terms, apply by March 1;  Winter terms, apply by November 1

MCDB offers a wealth of research opportunities that span scientific disciplines—microbiology, cellular biology, biochemistry, neurobiology, plant molecular biology, and developmental biology—all within a single, cohesive department.

Our students enjoy a collaborative, supportive, and nurturing atmosphere that fosters strong scientific and social interactions. Flexible course requirements allow students to explore diverse research topics in the life sciences. 

MCDB faculty are broadly interested in how organisms, cells, molecules, and genomes function, develop, and evolve. The researchers share technical approaches such as recombinant DNA, genetics, biochemistry, and specialized imaging. They also share a common intellectual approach that emphasizes mechanistic and experimental strategies to investigate a diverse set of biological problems using a variety of model systems including prokaryotes, yeast, C. elegans, Drosophila, Arabidopsis,Xenopus, zebrafish, and mammals.

The Department's graduate training programs are recognized for their excellence. 

Find a topic and a professor who motivates you!

MCDB gives students the opportunity to have multiple, extended research experiences so that students eventually join a lab where they enjoy the research and working environment. MCDB is a diverse department, with many neurobiology, microbiology, biochemistry and cell biology labs.