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2025-2026 University Catalog
Biological Sciences/Cancer Research, PHD
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About the Program
Purdue’s Department of Biological Sciences has a vibrant graduate program that will prepare students for today’s challenging academic, industry, and federal job markets. With nationally and internationally recognized faculty, the Department’s research programs cover the gamut from understanding the structure of viruses to understanding the structure of ecological communities. Additionally, the Department actively fosters a collegial climate among all members. Faculty collaborate across disciplines, and labs frequently share resources. Valuable traits in Biological Sciences graduate students are features such as determination, resilience, independence, critical thinking, and creativity. The Department aims to recruit highly motivated applicants who demonstrate evidence of these characteristics through their research and other activities. Overall, the program provides opportunities to actively learn and develop multiple skills that will enhance students’ preparation for the job market. Dual-Title PhD in Cancer Research: Students can participate in an immersive experience at the forefront of cancer research and education. Purdue University Institute of Cancer Research (PICR) offers a Dual-Title PhD Program in Cancer Research, a unique opportunity for aspiring scholars to distinguish themselves in the dynamic field of cancer research. Applications are accepted at any time during the completion of their degree. Each applicant will be thoroughly reviewed by the PICR Committee for Academic and Career Success, led by the committee’s associate director. As cancer continues to pose complex challenges, the demand for experts in this field has never been higher. Graduates from a degree program focused on cancer are poised for diverse and rewarding career opportunities in academia, industry, private NGOs, and government sectors. However, those with a Dual-Title PhD in cancer research, in combination with one of Purdue University’s established degree programs, elevate their profile as scholars and researchers with a specific disciplinary focus coupled with an in-depth understanding of cancer. Program Website: Biological Sciences Program Website: Cancer Research Program Requirements
90 Credits Required(30 credits from a Master’s may be applied.) Required Courses (5 credits)
Core Courses (1 credit)
BIOL 66200 and 66300 are required for the first year. However, these courses are P/NP and do not count toward total credits. Research Areas (37-67 credits)
Students are required to choose a research area, listed below, by the end of their 2nd semester. Biology Education
The Biology Education Area is a group for people who are interested in teaching and in teaching-related research. The common goal is to promote high quality instruction and enhance learning by applying educational research to course and curricular design. This area transcends sub-disciplinary boundaries by working with other research areas to help answer discipline-specific questions related to teaching and learning methodology. Cell and Molecular Biology
The Cell and Molecular Research Area brings together faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students with interests in revealing the molecular bases of both normal and abnormal cell and tissue biology. The research has focus areas in cancer, cell biology and cellular dynamics, plant biology and bioenergetics. Experimental approaches in cell signaling and differentiation, molecular biology, proteomics, genomics and genetics, and advanced cell imaging are interwoven throughout these major focus areas. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Research Area is a dynamic and cohesive research and teaching community. The focal research areas are Animal Behavior and Sensory Ecology, Ecological and Evolutionary Consequences of Human Impacts, Ecology of Emerging Infectious Diseases, and Evolutionary Genomics. Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Disease
The Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Disease Research Area conducts innovative basic research in the areas of cellular and molecular mechanisms of infectious disease, as well as the immune response and microbe-host interaction. The research area seeks to understand the biology of microbial signaling systems, exploitation of host cell functions by pathogenic organisms, and mechanisms of protective host immune responses to infections. The model microorganisms used in this research are important pathogenic agents of humans, animals and plants. Examples include Legionella, Salmonella, E. coli, Agrobacterium, herpesviruses, togaviruses and flaviviruses. Neuroscience and Physiology
A central goal of life sciences research has been to understand how complex tissues and their substituent cells develop, function, and regenerate. Recent years have brought enormous advances in scientists’ ability to experimentally manipulate gene expression in cells, embryos, and tissues, and to analyze subtle and complex phenotypes using advanced imaging technologies. The Neuroscience and Physiology Research Area brings together laboratories employing these technological advances to study the development, structure, function, and regeneration of the nervous system, as well as the functional and mechanistic basis of a broad range of fundamental behaviors such as vision, hearing, movement, learning, and social interactions in a wide variety of taxa. Structural and Computational Biology and Biophysics
The Structural and Computational Biology and Biophysics Research Area comprises faculty with interests at the molecular level (that is, at the cellular level and below). Research includes topics such as: determination of protein and nucleic acid structures; the structure and mechanism of protein and RNA enzymes (including proteins involved in cancer); membrane biochemistry and the structure of membrane proteins; structures of macromolecular complexes; study of the structure and mechanism of viruses (including emerging pathogens such as West Nile and Dengue viruses); experimental and computational investigation of macromolecular interactions; regulation of gene expression by epigenetic mechanisms such as chromosomal and nucleosomal structure; the structure and function of plant cell walls and cytoskeleton; response of cells to high salinity stress; and genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, systematics, and computational systems biology and other topics at the interface of experiment and computation. Dissertation Research (18 credits)
Additional Requirements
Students are required to declare an Area of affiliation by the end of the 2nd semester. Cancer Research Requirements for Dual Title
Requirements for Interdisciplinary Program (18 credits)
Approved Charter Elective Courses (11 credits)
Additional Requirements
For the dual-title Ph.D. in Cancer Research, students are required to complete 18 graduate credits in cancer-related courses approved by the ICR Cancer Education Research and Training Coordination program, and complete dissertation research on a topic related to cancer. GPA Requirements
Students are required to maintain a B or better for all courses. A maximum of two Cs are allowed. Courses with a C grade or lower need to be re‐taken within one year of the date the course was first taken. A student who receives a C in a course in the second year will need to get a B or better in that course within one year of receiving the C grade. Students with three Cs or lower will not be allowed to retake the courses and will be considered as not meeting the minimum expectation of the program. If a course is no longer offered a request for an alternate course is proposed to the GASC for approval. Graduate Programs Disclaimer
- The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Students should consult with their advisor/department for more information.
- Not all graduate programs may be actively recruiting students and course modality availability may vary.
- Please refer to the Explore Graduate Programs website for a list of currently available graduate programs.
- Transfer credit policy: Credits earned for graduate study at other universities (both domestic and international) may be applied toward an advanced degree. Only credit hours associated with graduate courses for which grades of B- or better were obtained will be eligible for transfer. Any additional conditions under which credit transfers may be made are determined by the various departments.
- Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
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