Prospective Students
Welcome to the Department of Biology at Tufts University
The Department of Biology integrates student learning experiences with modern biological research. We offer a variety of courses that allow our students to explore their interests and develop them into targeted goals. Our approach focuses on student connections made with peers and professors that will allow individuals to be successful in their education and future professions. The many research and teaching activities of the department combine to create a lively, congenial, and interactive group of faculty, students, and postdoctoral fellows. Tufts University’s location just outside of Boston is also ideal for students studying biology. The area is a hub for academia and industry which provides our students with numerous opportunities to gain experience and build their research and career networks.
By completing a biology degree in our department, students will acquire foundational skills to carry with them beyond Tufts.
Undergraduate Programs
Our undergraduate program has been ranked as one of the top undergraduate biology programs in the country and offers several majors and concentrations to choose from. Students enjoy small classes and opportunities to work closely with faculty on cutting edge research.
The distribution requirements for undergraduate biology majors include laboratory, lecture, and seminar courses across diverse levels of biological organization. Students learn scientific problem-solving methods and the essential skills of reading and evaluating original research literature, and of communicating their research results.
Graduate Programs
We offer graduate programs at both the master’s and doctoral levels. With flexible degree requirements and a low student to faculty ratio, our programs allow graduate students to individually tailor their training to their interests and goals in close collaboration with faculty mentors. Another important feature of our graduate programs is the opportunity to interact with students and faculty in the different areas, which often leads to exciting new ideas for innovative cross-disciplinary research.
Research
The many research and teaching activities of the department combine to create a lively, congenial, and interactive group of faculty, students, and postdoctoral fellows who enjoy a stimulating and productive research environment. Research equipment and facilities are state of the art for the specialties represented by our faculty.
Why Tufts?
Tufts offers excellent support for technology, including central computer facilities and support, research-focused software, and online access to a huge collection of biological journals and databases. We are surrounded by other institutions and companies also engaged in cutting-edge biological research. Our students benefit from interactions and collaborations with their scientists through local meetings and discussion groups. The department holds regular seminars presented by invited scientists to keep students and faculty abreast of exciting research going on in the biological sciences.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice
In the Department of Biology, our commitment to DEIJ principles is woven into the very fabric of our department, shaping our research, teaching, and community engagement. We believe that a diverse and inclusive environment fosters innovation, creativity, and excellence in scientific discovery.