PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology

Program Overview

The UMass Amherst PhD program in Molecular and Cellular Biology offers interdisciplinary training in biological chemistry, cellular and developmental biology, and biomedicine. Students collaborate on research, publish in professional journals, and present at conferences. Graduates secure postdoctoral positions in academia and the biotechnology industry, both domestically and internationally. The program's flexibility appeals to students seeking advanced training with diverse research opportunities.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The PhD program in molecular and cellular biology (MCB) at UMass Amherst offers interdisciplinary training with approximately 100 faculty in the life sciences departments at UMass Amherst and nearby colleges. Students collaborate on diverse research in biological chemistry and molecular biophysics, cellular and developmental biology, and biomedicine. Students also benefit from faculty relationships with the Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, through the UMass/Baystate Collaborative Biomedical Research Program. Graduates have secured postdoctoral research positions at academic research institutions and in the biotechnology industry both domestically and internationally.

Teaching:

The program emphasizes close faculty collaboration and research opportunities. Students routinely publish their research findings in professional publications and present at national and international conferences.

Careers:

Graduates have gone on to postdoctoral research positions at academic research institutions or in the biotechnology industry in the United States and abroad. Employers include Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Duke University, Dana-Faber Cancer Institute, and Harvard University, among others.

Other:

The program is ideal for students seeking advanced interdisciplinary training with more flexibility than other degrees.