PhD in Biology/Biological Sciences (PhD)

At Boston College, tuition is Tuition for the 2024-2025 academic year is $1,850 per credit hour..

The Ph.D. Program in Biology is a full-time, on-campus programme typically completed in five years. Students complete four required courses in the first year and one writing course in the second year. They engage in lab rotations to explore research areas and identify a thesis lab, with two semesters of teaching assistantship required. Students participate in department seminars and Data Club throughout their studies.

Focus areas include Molecular and Cellular Control Mechanisms, Contemporary Biological Questions and Critical Analysis, Experimental Methods and Design in Biology, Scientific Proposal Writing, Graduate Research Experience, Thesis Research.

The programme requires four required courses in the first year, one writing course in the second year, and two approved graduate electives. Students complete a dissertation based on original research and defend it before a Ph.D. Defense Committee.

Graduates pursue academic research careers, postdoctoral positions, and roles in scientific research institutions.

Applicants must hold a bachelor's or master's degree in biology or a related field. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required. Submission of transcripts, letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and a CV is required.

The programme totals about 90 credit hours. On-campus, full-time, five-year programme. For international students, tuition is well above the median for US programmes. The institution admits about 16% of applicants.

Boston College’s academic work addresses practical problems with broader human consequences. Economists Tayfun Sönmez and Utku Ünver developed a donor exchange system that supported the largest liver transplant exchange in history at Turkey’s İnönü University. Chemistry research led by Dunwei Wang focuses on using the field to make the world better, while engineering students have worked with a Maine goat farm on a feeding solution. These examples sit within nine schools and colleges, including four undergraduate divisions covering arts and sciences, education and human development, management, and nursing.

Jesuit and Catholic identity remains central to the Boston College experience. Formative education extends beyond classroom performance to intellectual, social, and spiritual growth, with attention to contributions to the wider community. Community service is part of student life, with 71 percent of students participating in service or volunteer work during their time at BC. The institution’s mission also connects research with people and issues on a global scale.

The campus is in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, at 140 Commonwealth Avenue. Students encounter spaces including Gasson Hall, Bapst Library, John T. Hayden Hall, McElroy Commons Dining, and Stokes Lawn, alongside activities in arts, culture, music, theatre, and football. BC has 9,677 undergraduate students representing all 50 states and 81 countries. International students join a broad community while engaging with a university whose academic and campus life includes service, research, and religious formation.