Why We Are Unique

All of our graduate programs are interdepartmental and are centered on broad approaches to modern biological sciences. For an example of just one of the many centers and departments our students and faculty work within, check out this video about the Emory Vaccine Center.

Applicants apply to and are accepted by a specific program that fits their broad interests. Students work with faculty from many different departments, which provides a truly interdisciplinary training experience.

This system offers a well-defined course of study, a smaller cohort of entering students in each program, and a manageable-sized community of faculty who are all invested in the success of each student.

Most students graduate from the program to which they are admitted, but for those whose research interests change, the GDBBS provides great flexibility by allowing the student to change programs or faculty mentors after the first year. This provides the flexibility of an umbrella while giving the student the better mentoring of program-based admission.

The Distinctive Advantages

There are a number of distinctive advantages to this system:

• Applicants apply to and are accepted by a specific program. This allows the student to directly enter into a program that fits their broad interests and work with faculty from many different departments, which provides a truly interdisciplinary training experience.
  
  
• This system offers a well-defined course of study, a smaller cohort of entering students in each program, and a manageable-sized community of faculty who are all invested in the success of the individual student. As a first-year GDBBS student you will receive much more individual interaction with, and attention from, your program faculty than if you began your training in a large and undifferentiated “umbrella program” and only entered a specific program/department after the first year.
  
  
• This smaller class size allows for stronger mentoring during the first year, and allows students to form immediate bonds with the faculty and students who will be your peers as you pursue the PhD.
  
  
• Most students graduate from the program to which they are admitted, but for those whose research interests change, the GDBBS provides great flexibility by allowing the student to change programs after the first year, or work with another GDBBS faculty member in a different program.
  
  
• We feel that this structure provides the student with the best possible mentoring, while also giving them great flexibility in choosing the course of their PhD training.