Doctor of Philosophy in Biology - Genetics

Genetics underlies all of biology and much biological inquiry. We build on our rich history in genetics, in which Caltech geneticists such as Morgan, Beadle, Delbruck, Benzer, Wood, Lewis and Hood laid down the foundations of our understanding of genes, gene function, genetic pathways and genome sequences, to modern developmental and behavioral genetics using flies, worms, mice, yeast, Arabidopsis and zebrafish to elucidate the genetic control of development, physiology and behavior. In addition to these model organisms, modern genomics and genome editing methods allows almost any organism to be amenable to genetic analysis. The goal of Genetics education at Caltech is to train students to understand and apply the range of genetic concepts from genome informatics to pathway and network analysis. We use genetics to study development, cell biology, organismal physiology, behavior and ecosystems.

Applicants must have completed a bachelor's degree or the equivalent before beginning graduate study. Applicants who already hold a Ph.D. degree will not be considered for a second Ph.D. degree. Transcripts from each college or university attended, three letters of recommendation, a CV, and the applicant's statement of purpose are required components of the application and are carefully and equally weighed during the evaluation process.



There is no minimum requirement for the English proficiency exams. However, all new students who have had limited instruction in English will participate in a one-on-one English evaluation with the ESL instructor during Orientation and may be asked to enroll in an English as a Second Language (ESL) course.