Biophysics and Computational Biology
www.life.illinois.edu/biophysics/index.html156 Davenport Hall
607 South Mathews Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
Contact: Cindy Dodds
(217) 333-1630
E-mail: biophysics@ life.uiuc.edu
Major: Biophysics and Computational Biology
Degrees offered: M.S. and Ph.D.
Medical Scholars Program: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biophysics and Computational Biology and Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) through the Medical Scholars Program
Graduate Degree Programs
Biophysics and Computational Biology offers a doctor of philosophy degree program. In rare circumstances and with special permission of the director and advisor, a current student may obtain a terminal master's degree after meeting the requirements of the degree. Biophysics students are not admitted initially into the program for a Master’s Degree. Opportunity also exists for specializing in computational science and engineering within the department's graduate programs via the Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) Option.
Admission
The objective of the program in biophysics program is to give students sufficient training in physics, chemistry, and biology to enable them to apply the conceptual, instrumental, and mathematical approaches of the physical sciences for solving biological problems. The curriculum is broadly based and provides sufficient flexibility for students entering with either previous training in the physical sciences or for students with a background in biology and some experience in the physical sciences.
Admission requirements are usually one year of college biology, one year of college physics, chemistry through organic chemistry, and mathematics through calculus; however deficiencies in one of these areas can be corrected during the first two years of study. Most applicants who are accepted into the program have general Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores in the 70%-90% range. The Biophysics and Computational Biology Program does not require the subject GRE for admission. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) or IELTS is required for international applicants.
Please refer to the Biophysics and Computational Biology Admissions Web page for additional information and application deadlines.
Degree Requirements
*For additional details and requirements refer to the department's Student Handbook and the Graduate College Handbook.
Master of Science
| Required Courses | Thesis Option-Required Hours | Non-thesis Option-Required Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 10 hours of 500-level biophysics courses with a minimum GPA of 3.25 (does not include seminar courses and/or research units and can include no more than 2 hours of tutorials). 500-level courses in other departments count towards this 500-level formal course requirement if they are on the approved Biophysics course list. | 10 | 10 |
| BIOP 401 | 3 | 3 |
| Research/Project Hours (min/max applied toward degree): | min 4 | |
| Elective hours approved by Center Director to bring total course work hours to | 32 | 32 |
| Thesis Hours Required– BIOP 599 (min/max applied toward degree): | min 4 | |
| Total Hours | 32 | 32 |
Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: |
12 | 12 |
| Other Requirements:* | ||
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Doctor of Philosophy
| Required Courses | Required Hours |
|---|---|
| BIOP 401, 595A and 595B, 586 and 590 | 16 |
| MCB 580 | 1 |
| BIOP 581, 582, 583 | 6 |
| Two 500-level courses from the pre-approved Biophysics course list | |
| Thesis Hours Required– BIOP 599 (min/max applied toward degree): | 32 max |
| Total Hours | 64 |
| Other Requirements:* | |
| Students are required to teach for a minimum of one semester during their graduate career | |
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 |
| Masters Degree Required in Biophysics and Computational Biology for Admission to PhD? | No, but Masters level requirements must be met (32 additional hours min) |
| Qualifying Exam Required | Yes |
| Preliminary Exam Required | Yes |
| Final Exam/Dissertation Defense Required | Yes |
| Dissertation Deposit Required | Yes |
The Ph.D. degree is a research degree, and the program is designed with a major emphasis on individual research.
A qualifying examination is offered each spring. This qualifier must be passed by the end of the second year. After formulating a definite research problem, and by the end of the third year, the student takes a preliminary examination where the chosen research topic is presented to the student’s faculty committee. The committee also examines the candidate on their chosen general research area. Finally, a thesis is defended at the final examination. The Ph.D. thesis is based on original work of the student. The thesis and the exam must demonstrate a thorough knowledge of theory and techniques in one of the areas of biophysics.
Medical Scholars Program
The Medical Scholars Program permits highly qualified students to integrate the study of medicine with study for a graduate degree in a second discipline, including Biophysics and Computational Biology. Students may apply to the Medical Scholars Program prior to beginning graduate school or while in the graduate program. Applicants to the Medical Scholars Program must meet the admissions standards for and be accepted into both the doctoral graduate program and the College of Medicine. Students in the dual degree program must meet the specific requirements for both the medical and graduate degrees. On average, students take eight years to complete both degrees. Further information on this program is available by contacting the Medical Scholars Program, 125 Medical Sciences Building, (217) 333-8146 or at www.med.illinois.edu/msp.
Graduate Teaching Experience
Experience in teaching is considered a vital part of the graduate program and is required as part of the academic work of all Ph.D. candidates in this program. Every biophysics student is required to serve as a teaching assistant for one semester at the quarter time level or higher.
Faculty Research Interests
Over 40 faculty members from the Schools of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Chemical Sciences, and Medicine, and the College of Engineering are affiliated with the Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology. Faculty interests range from experimental biophysics (single molecule spectroscopy, protein and RNA folding, molecular dynamics, cellular biophysics, imaging, etc.) to computational and theoretical biophysics (utilizing a wide range of computer platforms to simulate diverse biological phenomena at many levels as well as bioinformatics). Individual faculty interests can be found on the Biophysics Website.
Facilities and Resources
Center faculty and students have access to world-class research facilities at the University of Illinois, including the Beckman Institute, the Illinois Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Research Center, the Biomedical Imaging Center, the Institute for Genomic Biology, the Biotechnology Center, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, and the School of Chemistry Mass Spectroscopy Lab.
Financial Aid
As a rule, all graduate students in biophysics are guaranteed financial support throughout their studies, provided they remain in good standing. This support can be in the form of research assistantships, teaching assistantships, traineeships, or fellowships. After the first semester of study, most students are supported directly by their research advisor in the form of a research assistantship, which continues until graduation.