Biology Graduate Group
At anytime, the Biology Graduate Group has approximately 60 graduate
students, both men and women, from all parts of the United States
and from
a number of foreign countries including China, Korea, Turkey,
Uruguay, Czech Republic, Vietnam, Iran, Mali, Japan, and others.
The Biology Graduate Group, though home based
in the Department of Biology, is comprised of faculty members not
only from the Department of Biology, but also other departments
in the University including those of the Medical School. In addition,
there are also members of the Biology Graduate Group from other
affiliated academic institutions such as the Wistar Institute,
Fox Chase Center for Cancer Research, and the Academy of Natural
Sciences.
Hence, Biology Graduate Group students have the opportunity to
do their dissertation research within or outside of the department.
Opportunities are available to work on research problems using
a diverse array of microorganisms, plants, or animals. Research
interests of the faculty include genetics and molecular biology;
bioinformatics, cellular and developmental biology,
neurobiology; behavior and ethology; and ecology, population biology
and evolution.
The graduate program stresses a close interrelationship between
students and faculty, a strong grounding in fundamentals, and an
early emphasis on research. Students undertake lab rotations in
their first year to gain experience with different research problems
and acquaint themselves with different research laboratories. Teaching
experience is also included as part of the graduate training to
prepare students for an academic career. A high degree of interaction
derives from weekly student seminars, departmental seminars, journal
clubs and the annual department retreat.
The Graduate Group in Biology offers programs leading to the Ph.D.
degree only; applicants interested in a terminal master’s degree
are not considered for admission.
Financial Support for Graduate Studies
Students who are accepted into the program are fully funded through
various means, such as educational fellowships, training grants,
teaching assistantships, and research fellowships.
First-year students
are funded by non-service Educational Fellowships which includes
stipend, health insurance, tuition and general fees for four
courses with no teaching requirement.
In most cases, students are funded by teaching assistantships
during their second year, at which time they complete their teaching
requirement. Again, the stipend, tuition, general fees, and health
insurance are fully funded under the teaching assistantship program.
Advanced students, from their third year on, are usually funded
by several sources, mostly research fellowships and teaching assistantships.
Some students are awarded training grants in their second or third
year.
Students are fully funded for a minimum of five years dependent
upon satisfactory academic performance.
As information,
in the 2008-2009 academic year, the tuition is $24,000 with a
general fee of $2,000 per year. Currently, each student is paid
a stipend of $25,600.
Housing
Housing, both on- and off-campus, are available for single and
married graduate students. On campus, the University offers
apartment
and suite living on a twelve-month-lease basis in two modern
graduate towers. Various rooms, apartments, and eating places
are available
in the neighborhood of Penn. For a single student, it is estimated
that room and board can cost approximately $9,000 or more per
semester.
Affiliations
The Biology Graduate Group is affiliated with and cooperates
with the Biomedical Graduate Studies (BGS) program in the University
of Pennsylvania Medical School. However, the Biology Graduate
Group is administratively and financially distinct from BGS.
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Graduate Program