General Information
Frequently Asked Questions

 So you’re interested in a career in the health sciences, but you’re wondering why you should consider the Anatomical Sciences & Neurobiology graduate program. It is hard to imagine a discipline more basic to a health career. Whether your interest is medicine or dentistry, allied health or nursing, teaching or sophisticated biomedical research, understanding the structure and organization of the human body at the developmental, gross, microscopic, and subcellular levels is essential.
     If you invest your time and energy earning a graduate degree in Anatomical Science & Neurobiology, will your degree support your subsequent search for employment? The answer is that it will and the reasons are many. There are many facets to your training here, and the breadth of your experience will afford you a variety of career options.
    In considering a Ph.D. or M.S. Degree, one naturally (and correctly) assumes that the training program is built around research. Clearly, our focus is neurosciences, but research expertise is available in other areas as well. Teaching also is a priority for many graduate trainees, and ample opportunities are available to gain experience in this area as well.
    The Department’s research facilities are state of the art. You will develop the habit of scientific thought and acquire myriad technical skills. You will, in addition, hone both written and oral communication skills by presenting and discussing your research, and by sharing your knowledge through teaching. The proportion of time you will spend in either of these activities can be adjusted to address your specific needs and career goals.
    Your degree in hand, you can go many directions. If your interest is wholly research, your Ph.D. can open doors at universities, research institutes, and corporate research labs; bright young graduates working at the frontier of biomedical research are welcome everywhere. Your M.S. is your key to a supervisory position in a research lab; knowledgeable, skilled technical assistance is a vital component of a successful research program. If you prefer a blend of research and teaching, and have judiciously planned your Ph.D. program, you would likely opt for a faculty position in a medical, dental, nursing or allied health department in a university setting. If teaching is your forte, your M.S. will open doors for teaching science at the high school or college level, and your Ph.D. will support you at the university and postgraduate levels.