GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN BIOLOGY
Guided by outstanding faculty mentors, graduate students in Biology pursue laboratory and field research while engaging in intellectually rigorous coursework and seminars.
Villanova Biology offers Master of Science (with thesis), Master of Arts (without thesis) and Graduate Certificate programs. These programs are geared to provide research training and advanced coursework in a broad range of the biological sciences. Students will develop expertise in either cell, molecular and developmental biology or ecological, organismal and evolutionary biology. The Department of Biology values diversity and career development while striving for excellence in scholarship and teaching.
WHY VILLANOVA BIOLOGY?
At Villanova, you will discover, create new knowledge, and become subject experts and leaders in biological sciences in order to solve the impending health and environmental challenges at hand.
Villanova Biology faculty offer expertise in a broad range of biological sciences and are willing mentors who care about your development as a scholar and will work to guide you toward a successful career path. Faculty research areas include: bacteriology, endocrinology, entomology, epigenetics, evolution and gecko biology, global change ecology, immunology, immunity and aging, marine biology, neuroscience, ornithology, phylogenetics, physiology, RNA biology, soil ecology, yeast genetics and genomics.
The graduate programs in Biology will prepare you for a life of continuing inquiry and are built on the principle that science is an ongoing human endeavor that encompasses research, learning and teaching. Our programs can help you gain admittance into top PhD programs in biological, health and environmental sciences.
In addition, our programs prepare you for job opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology companies, environmental/sustainability science start-ups, the public health/environmental health sector and secondary education.
Our graduate programs seek to build a diverse, intellectual community that enhances the scholarship of all members. The interactions at all levels between students, faculty, and staff enhance all aspects of inquiry in the Biology Department, and we strongly promote the exchange of different ideas and perspectives as an essential part of scholarship.
Our challenging programs offer opportunities for study and research at all levels of biological complexity from laboratory-based molecular investigations to field-based studies of organisms and their environments, both in the United States and abroad. Regardless of your focus, the program will enhance your quantitative, analytical, and written and oral communication skills.
EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS
DEADLINES
February 1: For admission with funding consideration for the fall
August 1: For admission without funding for the fall
December 1: For admission without funding for the spring
If you have missed a deadline, please contact Dr. Adam Langley to discuss your options.
STUDENT NEWS
Faculty Mentors Key to Biology Student’s Graduate Experience
Finding a faculty mentor with similar research interests was a top priority for Emily Geoghegan '19 MS when she was exploring graduate schools. Emily discovered that her interests aligned perfectly with those of Villanova Biology professor Samantha Chapman, PhD, who studies mangrove migration in Florida. Emily worked on Dr. Chapman’s National Science Foundation-funded wetland protection study, learning the critical research and writing skills that helped her gain entry into a PhD program at the University of California Davis.
