PhD in Biological Sciences
The PhD degree is aimed at students who intend to develop professional careers that
include the development and oversight of research programs and/or who intend to teach
at the university level. Many students who enter the PhD program already have an MS,
though this is not required. PhD graduates from our department have gone on to careers
as faculty members at universities in the US and beyond, as staff scientists at state
and federal organizations (e.g., Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the US Fish and
Wildlife Service, the US Forest Service, the National Parks Service) and environmental
consultancy and non-profit organizations (e.g., ABR, The Nature Conservancy, Smithsonian
Institution).
PhD students work with a graduate advisory committee to develop a dissertation that
represents a significant and original intellectual contribution that advances their
field of interest. Although there is no minimum course requirement, most PhD students
do complete some coursework. Dissertations typically include three to four manuscripts
suitable for publication in scientific journals, and there is a strong expectation
that one or more of these will have been published prior to degree completion, which
should generally take four to six years.
