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Programs

Biophysics

The Biophysics program prepares students for careers in research and teaching in academic and industrial settings by providing a solid background in physical and biomedical sciences while involving them in state-of-the art research projects. BSCB offers a diverse research program at the forefront of scientific knowledge. Research areas include cellular and membrane biophysics, genomics, macromolecular folding and design, membrane proteins, nucleic acid structure and function, and protein structure and function. The flexibility of our training program allows students to train in a number of exciting research areas, and often allows students to develop highly effective interdisciplinary collaborations, resulting in cutting edge thesis projects.

Information about faculty and research can be found on the Biophysics website.

AdmissionsLink to section

Applying to Doctoral ProgramsLink to section

Applicants must have earned a U.S. baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from a college, university, or technical school of acceptable standing. Students in their final year of undergraduate study may be admitted on the condition that their bachelor’s degrees are awarded before they matriculate. Evidence of the earned degree is required prior to matriculation in the form of an official transcript noting degree conferral. Students are accepted only for the fall semester; there is no spring admissions period. The program is fully funded with a tuition fellowship, competitive stipend, and health insurance.

Rochester reserves the right to verify the accuracy of all transcripts and test scores, and to require submission of official documentation at any point in the admissions review process. Applicants must complete the online application, provide a statement of purpose, upload copies of their transcript(s), and provide the information for three letters of recommendation. (Recommenders will receive an email explaining how to upload their letters.) Biophysics does not require an essay or writing sample. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional for biophysics, but if you feel your scores enhance your application, then we encourage you to submit them. Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency by taking either the TOEFL, IELTS, or DuoLingo language exam.

The application fee waiver deadline is December 1, and the complete application deadline is December 15. Interviews typically take place in February and March, with offers released by the end of March. Responses are due by April 15.
 

AcademicsLink to section

Master's Degrees and RequirementsLink to section

The program awards an en passant master of science degree in biophysics to students upon successful completion of their qualifying examination. The program does not offer a stand-alone master’s degree.

Doctoral Degrees and RequirementsLink to section

In the first year of the program, students typically enroll in semester-long courses. They also participate in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics’ student seminar series, in which each graduate student in the program (except first-year students) delivers an annual seminar on their research. Coursework in the second year typically involves one additional elective course, allowing students to specialize in their respective disciplines.

Rotations in the first year of study in three different laboratories allow students to gain experience with methodology and instrumentation, and to become familiar with prospective research advisors for their thesis project. At the end of the first year, students choose a permanent advisor and embark on a PhD thesis research program. Students may choose any faculty member in the School of Medicine and Dentistry or a participating faculty member in the College of Arts and Sciences as their research advisor. Students must complete a one-semester teaching assistantship, typically in their second year.

A qualifying examination at the end of the second year helps determine the potential of the student for independent thought, experimental acumen, comprehension of the general field, and potential for exploiting a relevant problem in a scientifically sound manner.

The student’s thesis advisory committee must approve the writing of the PhD thesis at a formal committee meeting four to six months before defense. The PhD is awarded based on the development of an independent thesis research project as well as an oral examination and a written dissertation describing the rationale, methodology, results, conclusions, and significance of the project.

Graduate Course TitlesLink to section

  • BCH 412: Advanced Topics in Biological Macromolecules
  • BCH 515: Critical Thinking in Research Science
  • BCH 517: Topics in Cellular Biochemical and Molecular Sciences
  • BCH 521: Bioinformatics for Life Scientists
  • BIO 402: Molecular Biology
  • BME 442: Microbiomechanics with Microfluidics
  • BPH 411: Methods in Structural Biology
  • BPH 571/BPH 572: Biophysics Student Seminar
  • BPH 509: Molecular Biophysics
  • BPH 567: Writing Proposals in BPH
  • BPH 592: Special Topics in Biophysics – Math for Molecular Biophysics
  • BPH 595: PhD Research
  • BST 430: Intro to Statistical Computing
  • BST 434: Genomic Data Analysis
  • CHEM 423: NMR Spectroscopy
  • CHEM 416: X-Ray Crystallography
  • CHEM 423: NMR Spectroscopy
  • CHEM 440: Bioorganic Chemistry
  • CHEM 451: Quantum Chemistry I
  • CHEM 469: Computational Chemistry
  • IND 408: Advanced Biochemistry
  • IND 419: Introduction to Quantitative Biology
  • IND 431: Foundations in Modern Biology I
  • IND 443: Eukaryotic Gene Regulation
  • IND 447: Signal Transduction
  • IND 501: Ethics and Professional Integrity in Research
  • MBI 473: Immunology
  • NSC 512: Cellular Neuroscience
  • STAT 212: Applied Statistics I