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Prospective Students

Apply Now to PIBBS

Empowering the Bright Medical Researchers of the Future

The Programs in Biomedical and Biological Sciences (PIBBS) program is designed for students who are interested in earning a PhD in the biomedical sciences in an interdisciplinary and collaborative environment. In addition to providing students with rigorous training toward the PhD degrees, PIBBS provides an opportunity to explore a wide range of research interest, through laboratory rotations and core courses that provide a solid biomedical foundation. 

PIBBS focuses on preparing students for their research career and offers a grant writing course, as well as a full range of professional development workshops for career preparation and advancement.

Deadlines and Requirements

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Apply to PIBBS

Our application deadline is November 15 for full consideration. We require a:

  • 3.0 Minimum GPA
  • No GRE Required
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • Demonstrated research experience
  • Personal statement
  • Research statement.
  • The nonrefundable application fee is $120.

We do not require GRE scores. Find the full step-by-step application process, required materials, and how to submit official transcripts.

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Financial Support

We provide every PIBBS student a stipend, full tuition, and health, dental, and vision coverage for as long as they remain in good academic standing. For academic year 2026-27, our annual stipend is $44,345. In year one, this support comes through the PIBBS program.

Once a student joins a thesis lab in year two, their faculty mentor becomes financially responsible for the student’s stipend and fees through completion of the thesis, typically through lab grants or fellowship funding.

Teaching assistantships are not required. Students who want teaching experience are welcome to take one on.

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Recruitment Visit

Once we advance your application for acceptance, we invite you to campus for an interview and cover your travel, lodging, and most meals. Your visit includes a welcome dinner with current students, a program overview, one-on-one faculty interviews, a faculty luncheon, and a campus tour. If you live outside the continental United States, a member of our admissions committee interviews you by phone or video instead.

Get the full schedule for your visit, our dress code guidance, and how the international interview process works.

PIBBS Lifecycle

During the first two years of the PhD program, students focus on their research while solidifying their knowledge base by taking classes on topics of relevance.

Year 1

PIBBS students take a total of 25 units, which includes both classroom and laboratory work over the fall, spring and summer semesters. At the end of year 1, students select the mentor/lab and the PhD program that best fits their research project.

Year 2

Students take courses tailored to their PhD program and research interests. They must complete the Qualifying Exam, which includes a condensed version of a written National Institutes of Health (NIH) F31 fellowship proposal and an oral defense of their research project.

Years 3-5

Students focus fully on their research, developing their project, attending conferences and professional development workshops, and writing and defending their thesis. 

PIBBS students are also trained in giving research presentations by participating in their PhD programs seminar series, in which all aspects of their talks are critiqued by their peers. An individual development plan (IDP) and periodic meetings with the students’ thesis committees provide scientific support, ensuring progress toward the PhD. 

By the time the students defend their thesis, they are experts in their field and will have achieved considerable independence, providing outstanding preparation for a postdoctoral fellowship or other science-related careers.

PIBBS Core Curriculum

Fall Semester – 12 units

  • INTD 500: Ethics and Accountability in Biomedical Research
  • INTD531: Advanced Cell Biology
  • INTD561: Molecular Biology
  • INTD790: Research
  • Faculty Research Presentation
  • Rotation 1

Spring Semester – 12 units

  • Choose 2 of the following:
    • PM549: Human Molecular Genetics and Genomics
    • INTD549: Protein Chemistry – Structure and Function
    • DSR626: Bioinformatics Methods – Transcriptome and Chromatin Analysis
  • INTD790: Research
  • Rotations 2 & 3
  • Final Lab Selection

Summer Semester – 6 units

  • INTD500: Ethics and Accountability
  • PM510L: Applied Biostatistics
  • Program Specific Requirement