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Molecular Biosciences (Graduate)
Pursue interdisciplinary research in the molecular biosciences across 13 departments and research centers.
Molecular Biosciences – Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
The Molecular Biosciences Program at Montana State operates as an interdisciplinary research opportunity that concludes in fellows earning a Ph.D. During their first year, candidates rotate through three different laboratories within their chosen area of interest. After these rotations, Molecular Biosciences fellows will then choose a dissertation advisor and be formally admitted to the department of their choice in order to begin their research. As a competitive research opportunity, the Molecular Biosciences Program offers tuition waivers for five years of graduate school, as well as a stipend in order to decrease the burden of searching for research funding.
Molecular Biosciences fellow George Schaible was one of only 34 graduate students in the United States to receive the Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology award (FINESST). The $133,000 funding will support three years of Schaible exploring multicellular magnetotactic bacteria, the only known kind of bacteria to be composed of multiple cells throughout its entire life cycle.
Nature's Laboratory
Montana State students make Montana, including nearby Yellowstone National Park, their
classroom, laboratory and playground.
Interdisciplinary Innovation
The Molecular Biosciences Program works with 13 departments and research centers across
campus to grant fellows the opportunity to pursue research across department boundaries
and silos.
Carnegie Classified
The prestigious Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education® ranks
Montana State University among the Top 5 public, 4-year universities for Very High
Research Activity with a STEM-dominant research doctoral program.
Fund Your Education
The Graduate School at Montana State is dedicated to helping students secure funding during their time at MSU. Some resources the Molecular Biosciences Program and the Graduate School offer includes:
Additionally, the Molecular Biosciences Program offers outstanding students a fellowship for the first year plus tuition per year for up to five years to fund their Ph.D. graduate education in the life sciences. For more information, please contact the Molecular Biosciences Program coordinator.
One Program, Many Avenues
The Molecular Biosciences Program brings together faculty, departments and research centers across campus, including:
- Astrobiology
- Chemical and Biological Engineering
- Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Computer Science
- Earth Sciences
- Ecology
- Land Resources and Environmental Sciences
- Mathematics, Microbiology & Immunology
- Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology
- Center for Biofilm Engineering
- Center for BioInspired Materials
- Pollinator Health Center
- The Thermal Biology Institute
Admissions Requirements
Note: no GRE Required.
Each program within the Graduate School at Montana State has its own particular requirements for admission, and the Molecular Biosciences program is not different. To ensure that you start your application on the right foot, please review the admissions requirements for the Molecular Biosciences program. This includes any additional deadlines that the Molecular Biosciences Program may have aside from the Graduate School, which does practice rolling admissions.