Biology - PhD

The Department of Biology offers a Ph.D. in Biology degree. 

We are an integrative department taking a connective approach to the life sciences, fostering collaboration and intellectual partnerships across many different disciplines. When most biological science departments in the nation tend to be divided along plant and animal lines or along levels of organization, our department is unique in its integration across organismal and organizational boundaries. It is no surprise that we are not only the largest department on campus, but also the largest producer of STEM degrees in Washington. Our success as a department is driven by the curiosity of our faculty, students, and staff. They uphold our research and education missions through the quality of their work in classrooms, labs, and field sites.

Graduate students in the Department of Biology at the University of Washington receive a commitment from the entire department to support their education and research.  In addition to providing five years of assistantships, we support our many of our students through endowed departmental grants for research and travel.  Our students make excellent use of the many opportunities available to them, as evidenced by the extraordinary number of fellowships and awards received, the successful publication of high impact papers, and their regular contributions at national and international meetings.  Our students receive additional training by participating in departmental governance, curriculum development, faculty recruitment and other activities. Together these factors combine to promote an unusual degree of professionalism and community spirit, exemplified by the annual Graduate Student Research Symposium, organized by students and attended by the whole Department.