The Department of Biology offers graduate study leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Our goal is to prepare students for careers in the various fields in biology through formal coursework and research experiences as well as through seminars and discussion groups.

There are two formal course requirements for all Biology Graduate students, with the exception of students in the accelerated non-thesis MS Biotechnology option. These core courses are:

Doctor of Philosophy students can choose among the Department's three areas of emphasis:

1. Behavioral, Ecological and Evolutionary Biology
The Behavioral, Ecological and Evolutionary Biology program is appropriate for graduate students who wish to specialize in areas of biology that study the various processes that encompass the behavior, ecology, and evolution of living and extinct taxa.

2. Cell and Organismal Biology
The Cell and Organismal Biology program is appropriate for all Graduate students who wish to emphasize those areas of biology that integrate function and structure in cells, tissues, and organisms. This emphasis focuses in faculty areas of expertise in cell and molecular biology,  neurobiology, developmental biology, and physiology.

3. Microbiology
The Microbiology curriculum is appropriate for graduate students who wish to specialize in areas of biology that study the various processes that occur in microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists) such as their physiology, ecology, development or evolution.

All graduate students should develop their curriculum plan in consultation with their faculty advisor and graduate committee. Details of sample course sequences within the different emphases are described in the Biology Graduate Handbook available for download from the Graduate Student section of the Biology website http://bio.nmsu.edu/grads/.

Graduate students may also earn a minor in other graduate departments and programs.