Admission to the Department of Genetics graduate program is through an interest-based track, usually the Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics & Development Track (MCGD) in the Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS). Appropriate preparation for graduate study in Genetics includes a bachelor's degree in the natural sciences including course work in biology, chemistry, and mathematics. Almost all successful applicants have undergraduate or postgraduate research experience and have completed courses in genetics, biochemistry, or molecular and cell biology. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required and the submission of a score on the Subject Test in cell & molecular biology, biochemistry or chemistry is recommended.
Approximately 25 new students enter the Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics and Development Track (MCGD) Track each year. Admission is competitive and is based on evaluation by an admissions committee of academic performance, potential, and letters of recommendation. The top applicants are invited to New Haven at the program's expense for a day of introduction and interviews to assist in the admissions decision.
Students accepted into our graduate program receive a full tuition scholarship including health coverage and a yearly allotment for travel to scientific meetings. All students also receive a stipend for living expenses for the duration of their graduate studies. In most cases, tuition and stipend funds are from predoctoral training grants awarded to Yale by the National Institutes of Health.