Biology

The department houses the Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics. The Ph.D. in Biology may be taken with an option in Molecular Evolutionary Biology, Plant Biology, or one of the Integrative Biosciences options adopted by the department (Molecular Medicine, Cell and Developmental Biology, Chemical Biology, Ecological and Molecular Plant Physiology, or Neuroscience). The courses of study are planned individually by the student and an adviser.

Twenty-four campuses; 17,000 faculty and staff; 100,000 students; a teaching hospital that provides care to more than a million patients a year; over one-half million active alumni; an online World Campus that empowers anyone to pursue an education—anytime, anywhere; and the largest student-run philanthropic organization on the planet.

Courses:

• Teaching in Biology

• Biological Experimental Design

• Cellular Mechanisms in Vertebrate Physiology

• Molecular Evolution

• Symbiosis

• Plant Developmental Anatomy

• Biology of Aging

• Medical Embryology

• Ecology of Infectious Diseases

Scores from the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) are required for admission. At the discretion of a graduate program, a student may be admitted provisionally for graduate study in a program without these scores. Admission is restricted to students who have the baccalaureate degree in a biological science and who present a cumulative undergraduate average of at least 3.00 on a scale of 4.00. Each applicant must provide a personal statement of interests and objectives and letters from three persons verifying the applicant's academic competence. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL paper-based test score : 550 TOEFL iBT® test: 80

Accreditation

Penn State is ranked at No. 46 for 2014 in the Center for World University Rankings, up from No. 50 in 2013. The list includes national and international schools. Criteria for the rankings are: quality of faculty, publications in top journals, highly influential research, citations, patents, academic training of students, and professional future of alumni.