Doctor of Philosophy in Biology
Major: BIOLDegree Awarded: Ph.D.
Unit: GE
Program Webpage: http://louisville.edu/a-s/biology/
Program Information
A broad range of courses are taught in most biological disciplines, although the department is focused in two major directions. The Divisions of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCD) and Evolution, Ecology and Behavioral Biology (EEB) incorporate current areas of special interest in environmental microbiology, population and microbial genetics, developmental biology, plant and animal physiology, metabolism, phycology, plant and animal ecology, behavioral ecology, invertebrate zoology, and community and ecosystem ecology of large rivers, small streams, and wetlands.
Students seeking the Ph.D. Degree in Biology traditionally have a master’s degree or its equivalent; however, students may enter the program with only the baccalaureate degree. Generally, the first year or two is spent in course work, research is begun by the second year, and the thesis/dissertation completed in the final year.
Program Admission Procedure
The following requirements must be met in order to be admitted to the Ph.D. program in the Department of Biology.
1. The applicant must have a baccalaureate degree with a major in biology or an acceptable sub-discipline of biology.
2. The applicant must meet the following admissions standards:
- an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher;
- a composite score of at least 1100 on the general test section (verbal + quantitative) and 3.5 on the analytical writing section of the GRE. A composite MCAT score of 24 (at least 8 in each category) or a DAT score of 51 (at least 17 in each category) are acceptable alternatives.
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For foreign students, a TOEFL score of 535 or higher (paper exam), 235 or higher (computer exam) or 83 (internet exam) is required. Students holding a baccalaureate or advanced degree from an accredited institution in the United States are exempt from this requirement.
3. All applicants must review the research specialties of the departmental faculty to ensure that an area compatible with the student's interest is available. Applicants for the Ph.D. program must communicate with a member of the biology faculty prior to admission and receive agreement that the faculty member will serve as the major professor. No formal admission to the program can occur without the preliminary acceptance of a mentor. Faculty contact information is available at http://louisville.edu/a-s/biology.
Your application will be complete when we have all of the following (final action on an application cannot be taken until all items have been received):
Send to the Office of Graduate Admissions, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292:
1. a completed application form and application fee;
2. one official transcript of all previous undergraduate and graduate coursework;
3. official GRE, MCAT or DAT scores;
4. two or more letters of recommendation from persons familiar with your academic performance; and
5. for foreign students, official TOEFL scores.
Send to the Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292:
1. a completed departmental application (Information Form), found at http://louisville.edu/a-s/biology
Deadline for completed applications to be reviewed are:
July 15 for Fall admission, December 1 for Spring admission, and April 15 for Summer admission.
Graduate Assistantships
Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA) are awarded by the Graduate Committee of the Department of Biology to meet the instructional needs of the Department and enhance and broaden the educational experience of doctoral students. All newly admitted students are automatically considered for this type of annual support, which includes a monthly stipend, tuition remission, and health insurance.Another source of financial support may be available from individual faculty members who have intramural or extramural research funding that provides support for graduate students as a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA). The individual faculty member holding this support selects students to fill these positions.
A small number of the most highly qualified accepted applicants will be nominated by the Department for University Fellowship awards, which carry a monthly stipend, tuition remission and health insurance benefits. These students must meet qualifications set by the Graduate School.
Curriculum
Requirements for the Ph.D. degree in Biology
|
Foundations in Biology |
Hours |
Total |
||
| One course to be selected by the student’s committee from each category: | ||||
| 1. Biostatistics |
4
|
|||
| 2. Evolutionary Biology (courses that cover the evolutionary history and/or phylogenetic relationships of molecules or organisms) |
4
|
8
|
||
| Two courses to be selected from within an Area of Focus: | ||||
| A. Ecology, Evolution and Behavioral (EEB) Biology Focus Area: | ||||
| 1. Population and Community Ecology |
4
|
|||
| 2. Ecosystem Ecology or Behavior |
4
|
16
|
||
B. Molecular, Cellular and Developmental (MCD) Biology Focus Area: |
||||
| 1. Genetics/Cellular (courses that discuss the biochemistry and molecular genetics of life or describe the cell as the structural and functional unit of life) |
4
|
|||
| 2. Physiology (courses that discuss life processes at the level of the organism) |
4
|
16
|
||
Advanced Biology Electives |
16
|
32
|
||
| Dissertation Research |
9
|
41
|
||
Departmental Faculty
| Ronald D. Fell, Chair Professor |
| Ronald M. Atlas Professor |
| Gary A. Cobbs Professor |
| Lee A. Dugatkin Professor |
| Sarah Emery Assistant Professor |
| Paul W. Ewald Professor |
| William D. Pearson Professor |
| Michael H. Perlin Professor |
| Margaret M. Carreiro Associate Professor |
| Perri K. Eason Professor |
| Hwa Seong Jin Assistant Professor |
| Arnold J. Karpoff Associate Professor |
| Martin G. Klotz Associate Professor |
| Joseph M. Steffen Associate Professor |
| James E. Alexander Assistant Professor |
| Cynthia Corbitt Associate Professor |
| Awdhesh Kalia Assistant Professor |
| Jennifer Mansfield-Jones Assistant Professor |
| Susanna K. Remold Assistant Professor |
| Micah Worley Assistant Professor |
| David J. Schultz Associate Professor |
| Charles V. Covell, Jr. Emeritus |
| William S. Davis Emeritus |
| Roger G. Lambert Emeritus |
| Varley E. Wiedeman Emeritus |