55 College Street, 203.785.5663
https://medicine.yale.edu/bbs

Director
Craig Roy

Fields of Study

The Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) is intended to enable students to explore their research interests before committing to a Ph.D. program or thesis adviser. To accomplish this aim, students apply to and spend their first year within one of eight scientific homes, called “tracks”: 

Biochemistry, Quantitative Biology, Biophysics, and Structural Biology (BQBS)
Computational Biology and Biomedical Informatics (CBB)
Human Genome Sciences (HGS)
Immunology
Microbiology
Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics, and Development (MCGD)
Translational Molecular Medicine, Pharmacology, and Physiology (TMMPP)
Neuroscience
Plant Molecular Biology (PMB)

There are approximately 500 faculty affiliated with the BBS Program, and they may affiliate with up to two of the tracks listed above. BBS faculty come from departments within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, School of Medicine, School of Public Health, and School of Engineering & Applied Science. 

Typical course of study 

Year One From within their track students take two to four courses per semester and conduct two to four lab rotations over the course of the year. Each track has its own course requirements and course recommendations, though students may take elective courses from anywhere in BBS. Although each track also has its own list of participating faculty, with the guidance of the track director, students may rotate in any BBS labs. In the spring of their first year students select a thesis adviser.

Below are expectations of remaining in good academic standing during the first year of study in the BBS Program:

• Students should maintain at least a high pass average in coursework.
• Students should be under the mentorship of a rotation adviser or thesis adviser throughout the year, with gaps in mentorship of no greater than three weeks.
• Students should declare a thesis lab by May 15. (It is ok if there are delays in submitting the official documentation of lab affiliation, but students should notify their BBS track registrar of any such delays.)

Students may be placed on an academic probationary status if they are unable to meet one or more of the above expectations, and they should consult their track director if they are having difficulty in coursework or in finding a rotation or thesis lab. Note that the inability to find a thesis lab by August 15 may lead to dismissal from the graduate school. Review the graduate school’s academic regulations for more information about academic expectations.

Year Two Prior to the start of the year students leave their BBS track and formally join one of the Ph.D.-granting programs below that best aligns with the thesis lab and research project:

Cell Biology
Cellular and Molecular Physiology
Computational Biology and Biomedical Informatics
Genetics
Immunobiology
Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program
Microbiology
Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry
Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
Pathology and Molecular Medicine
Pharmacology
Translational Biomedicine

Students in year two typically complete the course requirements for the graduate program they have joined, take a qualifying exam, and begin thesis research. Each BBS student is required to participate in two semesters (or its equivalent) of teaching during graduate school, but no student is expected to teach during the first year of study. Students may begin to fulfill this requirement in the second year.

Year Three and Beyond Students focus primarily on thesis research, publishing their results, and presenting their work at scientific meetings. Students also finish fulfilling their teaching requirement. The median time to degree across the twelve BBS-affiliated Ph.D. programs is 5.7 years.

Financial support for BBS students comes from a variety of sources including Yale University fellowships, Gruber Science fellowships, National Institutes of Health (NIH) training grants, external fellowships awarded to students, departmental funds, and research grants from the NIH, NSF, foundations, and companies.

Medical research scholars program (MRSP)

Students applying to any BBS track may also apply to participate in the MRSP. See the MRSP description under Non-Degree-Granting Programs, Councils, and Research Institutes. For more information about the program and application process visit https://medicine.yale.edu/bbs/training/nih-programs/mrsp. 

Integrated Graduate Program in Physical and Engineering Biology (PEB)

Students applying to the BQBS, CBB, MCGD, Neuroscience, or TMMPP tracks may also apply to be part of the PEB program. See the description under Non-Degree-Granting Programs, Councils, and Research Institutes. For more information about the program and application process visit https://peb.yale.edu.

Courses