Biology (MSBio)

• Completed application for admission, including:
  • Online application
  • Admissions Essay
  • Additional research intentions statement that includes your preference for a faculty mentor.
  • Curriculum vita or resume
  • Two letters of recommendation (three if GPA is less than 3.0). At least one recommendation must be from an academic source, preferably from a math or science professor.
  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
    
• Overall undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale and overall science grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale, for all transcripts (undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, and graduate). Admission for students with less than a 3.0 overall and science GPA is rare but possible with clear evidence of improved academic or professional development (e.g. research or work experience, GRE scores, MCAT scores, etc.)
  
  
• Possession of a baccalaureate degree in biology or a related field from an accredited college or university. At a minimum, students should have successfully completed the following:
  • 1 year introductory biology (with lab)
  • 1 year introductory chemistry (with lab)
  • 1 semester organic chemistry with lab (2 semesters preferred)
  • 1 course in statistics
  • 1 additional college-level mathematics course
  • 3–4 upper level courses in human biology, biochemistry, or psychobiology.

Students who are admitted conditionally may be required to enroll in the online Harvard HMX Fundamentals courses in immunology, physiology, genetics, and biochemistry prior to starting the program.

For more information about the Harvard HMX program, please email Tyson Schrader.

BIO508 | Developmental Biology
A study of the embryonic and post-embryonic development of animals, with special emphasis on humans. The morphogenesis, growth and mechanisms of differentiation are stressed. Other topics include cancer, regeneration, cloning, hormones as mediators of development, and developmental genetics.

BIO514 | Adavanced Human Physiology
An in-depth study of the mechanisms of human body function, emphasizing cells, genetic control of protein synthesis, transport across membranes, contraction and excitation of muscles, the physiology of cardiac muscle, and rhythmical excitation of the normal heart.

BIO532 | Biostatistics
The study and application of biostatistics and probability distributions in biology, for students who already have a working knowledge of statistics and want to understand the place and application of biostatistical methods in science. Topics include hypothesis testing, analysis of variance for one and many variables, and linear and nonlinear regression. Three hours of class per week.

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