Biological and Biomedical Sciences

This program trains you in the biosciences, starting with core training in contemporary genetics, biochemistry, and molecular, cellular, and mechanistic biology.

Biological and Biomedical Sciences is one of the programs in the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences that facilitates collaboration and cross-disciplinary research. Visit HILS for additional application instructions.

This program trains you in the biosciences, starting with core training in contemporary genetics, biochemistry, and molecular, cellular, and mechanistic biology. You can customize your curriculum to align with your research interests.

You will have access to a vast wealth of resources, including more than 800 faculty, top scientists, core facilities and hospitals, cutting-edge research, and an extensive alumni network. You will be in close proximity to top nationwide hospitals and research centers and more than 130 biotech, biopharma, and pharmaceutical companies that have biological and biomedical sciences (BBS) alumni on staff.

Examples of specific student projects include “Development of nucleic acid detection methods for object provenance and viral diagnostics,” “Interrogating genetic diversity in Mycobacterium abscessus with transposon-sequencing,” and “Sexual dimorphism in hair follicle stem cells.”

Graduates of the program have secured faculty positions at such prestigious institutions as New York University, University of Minnesota, Harvard University, and University of Illinois. Others have gone on to careers with leading companies such as Novartis and the Broad Institute. Derrick Rossi, cofounder of Moderna, is a graduate of the BBS program.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from Biological and Biomedical Sciences, and requirements for the degree are detailed in policies.

Admissions Requirements

Please review the admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from Biological and Biomedical Sciences.

Interviews

Personal interviews are conducted as part of the application process. Invitations for interviews are usually sent out between late December and early January depending on the program.

Statement of Purpose

Through the Statement of Purpose, we're looking to get to know you as a scientist. How did your background help shape your interests and experiences in science? What are your goals for graduate school? How do your research experiences fit within this context? You are welcome to briefly mention multiple research experiences as they relate to your trajectory, but your Statement of Purpose should focus on your primary research experience, discussing the question/topic that drove the project, its importance, your hypotheses, how you tested your hypotheses, your findings or possible outcomes, and how you interpreted those outcomes. In this part of the application, we're eager to see how you demonstrate your ability to approach problems and ideas with a scientific mindset.