biology phd cmu

Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science

Computational biology department.

Ph.D. in Computational Biology

The Joint CMU-Pitt Ph.D. Program in Computational Biology (CPCB) provides interdisciplinary training in developing and using quantitative and computational approaches to tackle the key scientific questions of our times. By developing advanced computational methods and applying them to real-world data, our trainees advance scientific knowledge at the interface of the life, medical, engineering and computer sciences. CPCB trainees are taught and mentored by leading experts at two of the foremost computer science and biomedical research institutions in the world.

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Biological Sciences

• Mellon College of Science

Molecular Biology and Genetics

Several groups in the Department of Biological Sciences study the structure and expression of genes. Many faculty also use genetics and molecular biology as primary tools to investigate a wide variety of biological processes, including intracellular trafficking of proteins, cell death, tissue morphogenesis, tumorigenesis, cell signaling, transcriptional network and ribosome assembly. Emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary approaches, including developing new techniques in microscopy, NMR, X-ray crystallography, genomics, proteomics and mass spectrometry. Carnegie Mellon groups meet regularly with other research groups in Pittsburgh who are interested in prokaryotic biology, RNA biology or yeast genetics.

Catherine Armbruster Charles Ettensohn Jonathan Henninger Luisa Hiller Irene Kaplow Brooke McCartney Joel McManus Jonathan Minden Liz Ransey Russell Schwartz John Woolford HUAIYING ZHANG

• Graduate Students
• Administration

Joint Carnegie Mellon-University of Pittsburgh Ph.D. Program in Computational Biology

Eligibility.

• Am I am eligible for the program? Judgments about the suitability/eligibility of candidates for the program are made by the Admissions Committee. No assessment of candidate qualifications can be made prior to admissions decisions. Recommended courses are listed   here.
• Is a previous research background in a bioinformatics-related field necessary for successful enrollment? No. Previous research and associated publications are often considered favorably by the Admissions Committee. However, these are not requirements.
• Am I eligible for the program if I do not have any professional computer skills? In addition to computer science, we admit students from physical sciences, biological sciences, mathematics, statistics and engineering, who may not have professional computer skills. If necessary we may recommend you to take extra coursework in Programming, Fundamental Data Structures, or Algorithms.
• I am intending to take a course in one of the programming languages (Java, C++ etc.), but the course will not be completed at the time I wish to apply. Will the course still help to make my application strong? You can include a list of courses that you are currently taking or planning to take with your application for consideration by the Admissions Committee.
• Will a prior MS in bioinformatics or computational biology have a great impact on my admission to the joint PhD program? No. We consider each application separately on the basis of many criteria, including research statement, undergraduate (and if applicable graduate) coursework performance, GRE scores, letters of recommendations, etc. The fraction of our current students who have an MS degree in bioinformatics or computational biology is only 16%. Although about 35% of our current students had a prior MS when they entered our program, such students were admitted because they had good research experience.
• Will the program continue to consider applications after the deadline? If so, when are the last dates? Under special circumstances, applications submitted after the deadline may be considered. If you would like to request special permission to submit a late application, please contact one of the program directors.

Institutional/Department Codes

What Institutional/Department codes should I use for score reporting? For TOEFL, use Institution code 4256, Department code 78.

TOEFL Scores

• What are the TOEFL requirements for international students? If your native language is not English, then you must submit the   Test of English as a Foreign Language   (TOEFL). All students need to submit a TOEFL.  No exceptions . A minimum score of 250 (600 paper, 100 iBT) on the computer TOEFL or a minimum of 7.0 on the IELTS is required for admission to the program. Scores must be less than two years old.

If you are currently working on or have received a bachelor’s and/or a master’s degree in the U.S. and your native language is not English, the TOEFL is still required . However, you may submit an expired test score up to five years old.

Do you accept IELTS score or Duolingoscore instead of TOEFL? Yes.   A minimum of 7.0 on the IELTS, and a minimum of 120 Duolingo score  is required for admission to the program.  We prefer that you take the TOEFL, but we will accept the  International English Language Testing System  (IELTS). The same restrictions of expiration dates apply with an IELTS. Please understand that equitable review of all applicants depends on having comparable sets of data in their applications.  We therefore strongly encourage all applicants to provide TOEFL or IELTS scores.  However, we understand that in some cases that it may not be possible for an applicant to test for TOEFL or IELTS.  If you are not a native English speaker, and despite your best efforts are unable to test for TOEFL or IELTS, you may take the Duolingo English proficiency test.

Financial Aid

• What financial aid is available should I be admitted in the program? All enrolled students receive full financial support, consisting of full tuition and stipend. The annual stipend for 2022-2023 is $33,360 (Pitt) or $38,400 (CMU).
• Is it necessary for me to apply for financial aid? No, your application to the program is considered to be an application for financial aid as well.
• What is the approximate overall cost of graduate study per academic year? The overall cost includes tuition and fees plus living expenses. Tuition and most fees are covered by the program, and a stipend is provided to cover your living expenses. The stipend has been set to provide a competitive level of support for our students. Pittsburgh’s cost of living is lower than similar metro areas and is 30 percent below the national average. This   CNN Cost of Living Calculator   can help you compare.

Research Projects

• What are the specific areas in which projects will be available? The best way to see what research projects are available is to look at the websites of our training faculty. Upon admission you will participate in our annual off-site retreat, at the end of orientation week, during which you will have the opportunity to interact with faculty members and learn about their research projects.
• The program website says to “read about the research interests of the training faculty and identify at least three faculty with whom you would be interested in doing thesis research.” Do I need to/may I approach and contact individual professors? You are welcome to approach and contact individual professors, if you’d like more information about their research interests. However, you are not required to contact them. Since admissions decisions are made by the Admissions Committee, faculty cannot make prior commitments to accept particular students.

Prerequisites

• I have not taken any undergraduate or graduate course on computational biology. Will it be viewed as a weakness in my application package? No. Students are evaluated based on many criteria, especially their academic excellence and potential. Computer science, physical science, mathematics or statistics courses are  recommended.  However, complementary/remedial courses will be made available to enrolled students who lack sufficient background in an area.

Core Courses and Electives

• Can I get credit for core courses or electives based on past graduate courses taken at other universities? Decisions on courses to be taken by each student are made by the Advising Committee after enrollment. That committee reviews prior coursework and can waive specific core requirements. Elective requirements are not waived.

Duration of the Program

• What is the duration of the program? Students are expected to complete their degree in 4 to 6 years. This time depends primarily on the research accomplishments of the student.

International Students

• When entering the program, who can help me with the immigration process? For students accepted through the University of Pittsburgh, contact the  Office of International Services.

Transfers to the Program

• My current advisor will be leaving academia and asked me to contact other faculty to see if they will be my future Ph.D. advisor. Can I transfer to your Ph.D. program? Requests for transfers are only considered along with applications for regular admission, according to the normal application cycle.

Undergraduate Catalog

Department of biological sciences courses, about course numbers:.

Each Carnegie Mellon course number begins with a two-digit prefix that designates the department offering the course (i.e., 76-xxx courses are offered by the Department of English). Although each department maintains its own course numbering practices, typically, the first digit after the prefix indicates the class level: xx-1xx courses are freshmen-level, xx-2xx courses are sophomore level, etc. Depending on the department, xx-6xx courses may be either undergraduate senior-level or graduate-level, and xx-7xx courses and higher are graduate-level. Consult the Schedule of Classes each semester for course offerings and for any necessary pre-requisites or co-requisites.

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Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department

School of computer science.

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