University of Alabama At Birmingham

Ready to take the deepest dive into the study of living things? If so, our PhD program is for you. We'll give you the research experience and other preparation you need for a career in health care, environmental management, education, forensics, and more.

The scientific problems we encounter today are multifaceted, so you'll need to know how to apply multidisciplinary approaches to find solutions to those problems. For that reason, we'll require you to complete coursework or have equivalent training in six of the following areas: ecology, physiology, cell biology, developmental biology, genetics, microbiology, and molecular biology. Among your other requirements, we'll want you to complete a research project so you can dive into all levels of biological organization, as well as take a comprehensive exam and defend a dissertation.

• UAB biology faculty are frequent travelers to Antarctica, where they conduct research on marine life beneath the icy waters. The continent's McClintock Point is named for James McClintock, PhD, UAB Endowed Professor of Polar or Marine Biology.