University of Colorado-Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Areas of Emphasis: Molecular Biology of RNA and DNA, Molecular Genetics, Cell Motility and Cytoskeleton, Cell Membranes, Developmental Genetics, Astrobiology, Control of the Cell Cycle, Signal Transduction, and Control of Gene Expression

I went to CU for my undergrad. degree in Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology. I love Boulder, but there wouldn't be anything left to take if I went there for my grad in the same program. It sounds like MCDB (Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology) would be a good option for those wanting an advanced degree in those areas. There are quite a few cool-sounding classes in the catalog. However, CU is not known for actually updating their catalog, so some of these may no longer be available. The campus is beautiful, and if you have time to go anywhere and do anything, Boulder can be lots of fun. It should be relatively easy to get into the school, especially if you have all the pre-reqs. It sounds like it isn't too expensive either, especially with tuition remission. Plus, it has strong rankings at PhDs.org and in US News & World Report.

They only offer a PhD.

Possibly interesting courses: Plagues, People, and Microorganisms; Biological Electron Microscopy: Principles and Recent Advances; Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology; Microbial Diversity and the Biosphere; Molecular Neurobiology; Bacterial Disease Mechanisms; and Biology of Stem Cells

It is definitely worth it to get in-state status if you can because out-of-state total costs figure around $37,606 vs. $21,786 for in-state students. Fortunately, much of this should be taken care of by doing well because they claim that graduate students are fully-funded. First years get about $24,282, primarily from TA'ing. But they do provide remission of tuition & fees plus a stipend. Unfortunately, TA'ing is required for two semesters! It is possible to get the requirement waived. Fellowships, Research Assistantships, and departmental training grants provide the support for the rest of the student's program of study.

Pre-requisites:

• Ochem
• Biochem
• Calculus
• General Biology
• Cell Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Genetics

These can be made up.

Minimum GPA: 3.0
General GRE score: No min. required given. However, see below for an idea.
Subject test is optional.
For Fall 2008, the following average stastics for entering grad students are provided:

Verb: 598

Quant: 701

Anal Writ: 4.6

Undergrad GPA: 3.55

US News & World Report Ranking: 33/152

From PhDs.org:

Reputation of the Department: 3.4 (Reasonably Effective)

Percent that find jobs immediately after graduating: 70%

Reputation of Faculty: 3.9 (Strong)