Animal Sciences
Animal Sciences combines science and technology as they apply to the production, management and distribution of livestock for food, fiber and recreation.
Biomedical Engineering
The Biomedical Engineering Program offers graduate sequences leading to the master of science (MS) and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in biomedical engineering. Biomedical Engineering participates in the University of Wisconsin Medical Scientist Training Program, which leads to a combined MD/Ph.D. degree. The BME graduate program should be of interest to students who wish to practice engineering or engage in research in an engineering specialization in medicine and biology. The 24 credit M.S. degree option allows students to specialize in areas of a particular interest and provides excellent training for those aiming toward industrial employment. The 30-credit M.S. provides more coursework for students without BME undergraduate training and/or more research for those considering a Ph.D. The Ph.D. program provides in-depth research training in a specific area. The MD/Ph.D. provides in-depth research for medical students. Graduates find employment in industry, government labs, universities and industrial research establishments. Through its world-class engineering, biological sciences, medical and clinical science facilities, the UW–Madison campus brings together preeminent faculty in a rich research environment. Participation of affiliated faculty from engineering and the biological and medical sciences stimulates new multidisciplinary research in this unique area.
Biotechnology Training Program
The University of Wisconsin–Madison offers a predoctoral training program in biotechnology. The objective of this program is to educate a new cadre of scientists and engineers whose training and experience cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. Trainees receive Ph.D. degrees in their chosen field, such as microbiology, chemistry, pharmacology, molecular biology, biomedical engineering or computer science.
Cardiovascular Research Center Training Program in Translational Cardiovascular Science
The mission of this program is to attract individuals to careers that include cardiovascular research and to train them in research that is motivated and informed by clinical practice. In order to achieve this, the program offers predoctoral and postdoctoral (both M.S. and Ph.D..) trainees an opportunity to focus research training on translational cardiovascular science, and share in a variety of activities with colleagues which foster an awareness of cardiovascular research training opportunities and challenges.
Cell and Regenerative Biology (CRB)
The Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology is committed to understanding the fundamental mechanisms by which living systems operate at cellular and molecular levels of organization. By embracing a wide range of contemporary and emerging approaches and experimental systems, we seek to define signaling and regulatory pathways that provide the basis for understanding, diagnosis and treatment of human disease. Basic research is the centerpiece of the Department and serves as the driving force behind teaching and training efforts. The overarching research interests of the Department are highly interdisciplinary, emphasizing molecular, cellular and systems approaches to describe biological processes in molecular terms. To maintain its excellence and stature, the Department is currently focusing on existing strengths in four research areas: Cell and Molecular Biology, Developmental Biology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Cardiovascular Biology.
Cellular & Molecular Biology (CMB)
The Program in Cellular & Molecular Biology (CMB) builds on the campus strengths of cooperation and collaboration across departmental boundaries; students are provided the opportunity to work with more than 160 CMB faculty trainers in over 40 different departments.
The CMB faculty trainers are grouped into ten areas of research strength: Cancer Biology, Cell Adhesion & Cytoskeleton, Developmental Biology, Immunology, Membrane Biology & Protein Trafficking, Molecular and Genome Biology of Microbes, Plant Biology, RNA, Transcriptional Mechanisms and Virology. This structure allows students to explore the breadth of research across campus while accessing the expertise of each individual trainer.
Cellular and Molecular Pathology
The mission of CMP is to train students for careers as independent investigators and teachers with a focus on basic cellular and molecular mechanisms of human disease. To meet these goals, the Program offers coursework and thesis research conducted in the laboratories of individual faculty members that can be tailored to the student’s interest, in consultation with his/her advisory committee.
Chemical and Biological Engineering
The UW–Madison Department of Chemical Engineering has a tradition of excellence dating back to 1905. For nearly a century, the program has consistently ranked as one of the best in the world. A combination of coursework and research creates a unique intellectually stimulating atmosphere. The faculty offers cutting-edge research opportunities in nanotechnology, biotechnology, complex fluids, atomic, molecular, and multiscale modeling, environmental engineering, and atomic-scale design of surface reactivity. Research in the department is highly interdisciplinary, capitalizing on programs of national prominence such as the NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) and the NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC), and the nation’s largest NIH-funded Biotechnology Training Program.
Endocrine and Reproductive Physiology Program
The Endocrinology-Reproductive Physiology Program at the University of Wisconsin is a broad base interdepartmental degree-granting program designed to provide training at the predoctoral and postdoctoral level in interdisciplinary research at the forefront of reproductive physiology and health. The Program offers training at both M.S. and Ph.D. levels and our graduates typically pursue careers in the broad field of endocrinology and reproductive physiology (basic, clinical and technical).
Genetics
The Department of Genetics was established in the College of Agriculture here in 1910, the first of its kind in the U.S.. The man who initiated the move that led to founding the Department was W.D. Hoard whose bronze statue executed by Gutzon Borglum stands on a marble pedestal at the head of Henry quadrangle just outside our door.
Integrative Biology
Research and teaching within the Department of Zoology focuses on all areas and all hierarchical levels of biology, including cell and molecular biology, neurobiology, genetics, organismal biology, ecology, evolution, and behavior.
Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology
The Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Program is an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental training program in pharmacology. The program focuses on biochemical, molecular, and cellular approaches to investigate mechanisms of signal transduction and the interaction of drugs and chemicals with living systems.
Neuroscience Training Program (NTP)
The University of Wisconsin–Madison offers the Ph.D.. degree in neuroscience through the Neuroscience Training Program. The Program is directed by a Steering Committee comprised of 10 faculty members and 2 student representatives. The Program offers only the Ph.D. degree, and progress toward this degree follows regular Graduate School guidelines. Students admitted to the M.D./Ph.D. degree program, which is sponsored in cooperation with the Medical School, may complete the Ph.D. portion of their program in the Neuroscience Training Program. Members of the Program come from various departments on campus, including Anatomy, Anesthesiology, Biochemistry, Comparative Biosciences, Genetics, Kinesiology, Medical Physics, Medical Sciences, Neurology, Neurological Surgery, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Pathobiological Sciences, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Pediatrics, Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Physiology, Psychiatry, Psychology, Rehabilitation Medicine, and Zoology.
Faculty in the Program offer graduate research training of remarkable diversity spanning the entire breadth of modern neuroscience, from molecular through systems and cognitive, and involving applications that range from single-celled organisms to humans. This broad research scope is coupled with a commensurate level of freedom in reaching educational goals. For example, there are very few specific course requirements for the Ph.D. degree; instead, each student’s training is tailored to meet individual needs. The Program is best suited for students who are independent, who want to play a role in determining their graduate education, and who wish to combine concepts and techniques from different areas of neuroscience in their research.
Master of Science in Biotechnology Program (M.S. Biotech)
The Master of Science in Biotechnology Program is an ideal solution for professionals in the biotechnology industry seeking positions of greater responsibility, leadership or security. Drawing on the resources of a world-class university, the M.S. in Biotechnology is intended for practicing scientists, technical professionals, attorneys and business strategists seeking a cross-functional understanding of biotechnology without having to interrupt their careers to pursue studies full time.
Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)
The University of Wisconsin Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) provides integrated graduate training in scientific research and clinical medicine leading to a combined MD/Ph.D. degree. The UW MSTP values diversity and provides a broad array of research opportunities that span the frontiers of biomedical and health sciences. Our goal is to produce physician-scientists who will make major contributions to the understanding and improvement of human health.
A longstanding core philosophy of the MSTP is that the rigor and caliber of both the M.S. and Ph.D. components should be equivalent to those of single degree candidates. We believe that such training optimizes the chance for a productive career as an independent physician-investigator. The program works to insure that students take full advantage of the remarkable resources and opportunities present at UW–Madison for both medical education and graduate research training. A second core philosophy is that some of the most valuable learning will be from other students. Thus, we aim for a diversity of research interests among our students that approaches the diversity that is present in an academic medical center, and we provide multiple venues for students to interact. The majority of student theses are in areas that require strong training in the traditional biological sciences, but we are proving that we can foster students working in population-based health research and bioengineering. A third core philosophy is that all our graduates will be doing translational research, albeit to variable degrees. Priority is given to the acquisition of research skills and development of knowledge that place the student at the forefront of her or his research field. At the same time, students are challenged to relate research findings to clinical medicine and when appropriate to address clinical problems with their research techniques. All students receive training in the design and execution of clinical trials.