Overview
Assembled in 1764 as the seventh college in America and the third in New England, Brown University began offering graduate courses in 1850. The first Ph.D. was awarded in 1889. In 1903, a Graduate Department was created, and in 1927 the Graduate School was established as a formal organization. Currently, all education and research in medicine and the biological sciences are administered by the Division of Biology and Medicine. Faculty members from all elements of the Division participate in one or more graduate programs that offer research degrees.

Approximately 5,400 undergraduates and 1,500 graduate students are enrolled in the University. Students come from all regions of the United States and from more than fifty countries worldwide. About 52 full-time students are working for the Ph.D. degree in this graduate program.

Graduates typically accept postdoctoral research appointments, followed by academic careers in teaching and research, or governmental research positions. Brown University also has close ties to many biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms, where some graduates pursue careers in industry.

The Location and Community
Brown University is in a Colonial restoration district at the head of Narragansett Bay, within walking distance of downtown Providence, the capital of Rhode Island. The city offers many cultural activities, including concerts, theater, museums, parks, and art galleries, which complement Brown's seminars, colloquia, and social and cultural events. In addition to the University's athletic facilities, many students enjoy ocean sports and the various recreational opportunities available throughout Rhode Island. Boston and New York are easily accessible by car, bus, or train.

Programs of study and degree requirements
The Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry (MCB) is an interdisciplinary program, with faculty members drawn from the areas of biochemistry; molecular, cell, and developmental biology; neurobiology; pathology; pharmacology; chemistry; and medicine. Students enter the program with strong undergraduate backgrounds in biology, calculus, physics, and chemistry, including organic chemistry and biochemistry. Students rotate in different laboratories in the first year to sample various projects and experimental approaches. Advanced students participate in one year of teaching as an assistant. Five years are generally required to complete the Ph.D. degree. The research interests of the faculty encompass a broad range of investigations at the molecular and cellular levels, using a variety of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell types. Areas of current investigation include gene expression and targeting, RNA functions, carcinogenesis, developmental genetics, photosynthesis and bioenergetics, cell differentiation, organelle development, pattern formation, cellular and molecular immunology, receptors and signal transduction, and ultrastructural studies. To supplement research activities, the program provides regular opportunities for outside speakers, campus faculty members, and graduate students to give seminars on their current work.

Facilities & Resources
Graduate student research is conducted in faculty research laboratories, both on campus and at nearby affiliated hospitals. In addition to the basic research equipment and facilities within each laboratory, major shared facilities include a computer graphics imaging facility; high-resolution transmission and scanning electron microscopes; a laser-scanning confocal microscope; a professionally staffed Animal Care Facility fully equipped for animal maintenance, large animal surgery, and experimentation; an automated DNA sequencer; a fluorescence-activated cell sorter; a phosphorimager; a facility for histologic tissue examination, including frozen sections; a greenhouse; X-ray crystallographic instrumentation; a 600-MHz NMR spectroscope; a hybridoma laboratory; a 100-liter-capacity fermenter; and a molecular modeling center. The fourteen-story Sciences Library houses approximately 4,000 current periodicals, 530,000 bound volumes, and study space for 300 students. A campuswide broadband communications network provides high-speed data communications on campus, and a very high-speed connection to the Internet backbone is maintained by the University.

Expenses and Aid
Tuition is $34,200 for eight courses. Students who have completed twenty-four graduate courses are charged an enrollment fee of $2,752 per semester, but no tuition. All Brown students are assessed a health services fee of $510. See the Financial Aid section for more information.

Financial Aid:
All Ph.D. students in this program are supported by University fellowships, teaching or research assistantships, or traineeships awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to the program. Stipends are $25,000 for twelve months in addition to full remission of tuition and health insurance costs.

Housing/Living Expenses:
Apartments in pleasant residential areas nearby are available for about $700 to $1000 per month; rents are often lower for students who share apartments.

How to Apply
Completed applications are due in early January to receive full consideration for financial aid. Applications received later are also considered, but no application for admission to the fall semester can be considered after August 2. Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) scores are required on the General Test and on a Subject Test in biology, in chemistry, or in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology. The latest examination date that allows results to be considered is December. Students whose primary language is not English must also submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Brown University does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, age, handicap, status as a veteran, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, or other school-administered programs.

Who to Contact
Director, MCB Graduate Program
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island 02912

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