St. Louis, MO

Washington University in St. Louis and the Division of Biology and Biomedical sciences are committed to building a diverse, dynamic and interdisciplinary community of scholars, training students for a variety of exciting scientific career outcomes. Our students come to the Division from 46 states and 47 countries; and from undergraduate institutions of all sizes, both public and private. As a group, they are diverse in their races, talents and backgrounds, but have in common a love of science; as well as the ability and desire to excel. Camaraderie and collaboration are overriding qualities of the Division with students providing a built-in source of personal support and friendship for each other.

The Division is dedicated to providing an ideal learning environment for every student. With the freedom to explore many areas of research and so many outstanding mentors from which to choose, finding the perfect match is virtually assured. The Division’s student-to-faculty ratio is less than two to one, which means every students gets hands-on attention and effective mentorship. Prospective students apply to the Division rather than to an individual program.  Students are admitted into a specific program but may change their Program affiliation as their interests develop

Washington University prides itself on providing a friendly, supportive learning environment with a rigorous educational experience that is collegial; not competitive. Faculty members are accessible and focused on helping you achieve your highest goals. The support continues all the way through graduation.

In addition to encouraging academic collaborations between scientist of broadly varied backgrounds and perspectives, we support several special initiatives. Division efforts include the DBBS Summer Research Programs, summer research programs for college undergraduates, and the Young Scientist Program, a summer program for high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Graduate School sponsors the Mr. and Mrs. Spencer T. Olin Fellowship for Women, the Chancellor’s Graduate Fellowship and the McDonnell International Scholars Academy. The DBBS Diversity Group assists current graduate students with programming of events that have a multicultural focus.