Overview
Founded in 1898, Northeastern University is a privately endowed, nonsectarian institution of higher learning. It offers a variety of curricula through seven undergraduate colleges, nine graduate and professional schools, several institutes, two part-time undergraduate divisions, and a number of continuing education programs. In fall 2003, about 23,000 students were enrolled at Northeastern University, including approximately 4,300 graduate and professional students. Northeastern University is a Carnegie Research II university, and the Department of Biology ranked first among College of Arts and Sciences departments in external funding for research.

Graduate students in the Department of Biology are part of a large, diverse, and dynamic academic community that includes students and faculty members from related disciplines within the University, such as chemistry, pharmacy, psychology, physics, and electrical engineering as well as from the many other academic, medical, and research institutions in the Boston area. Seminars at other institutions are open to Northeastern students, and the University belongs to the Boston Area Graduate Student Association. In 2003-04, there were 31 Ph.D. students, 22 full-time M.S. students, and 6 part-time M.S. students in the Department of Biology. About 60 percent of the graduate students in the department were women and about 20 percent were international.

The Location and Community
Boston, Massachusetts, offers a rich cultural and intellectual history and is the premiere educational center of the country, with more than thirty-five colleges in the city region. Cultural offerings-including several world-class museums, a bevy of art galleries, and the Boston Symphony, among others-are diverse, and the city is home to people of every race, ethnicity, political persuasion, and religion. Boston also offers world-class restaurants and a range of outdoor activities.

Programs of study and degree requirements
The Department of Biology offers programs of study leading to the Ph.D. and M.S. in biology. In addition, the department participates in two interdisciplinary professional M.S. programs: the M.S. in bioinformatics and computational molecular biology and the M.S. in biotechnology. The biology Ph.D. and M.S. programs provide a broad background knowledge base and an in-depth study of a specialized area of biology. The programs emphasize close interaction between graduate students and faculty members in developing the intellectual and experimental skills required for creative independent research. Research interests of the faculty members range from biochemistry and molecular and cell biology to organismal, ecological, and evolutionary biology. Communication and shared research among the laboratories are encouraged. Prior to choosing a thesis/dissertation adviser, students generally do laboratory rotations.

In addition to thesis and dissertation research, master's and Ph.D. students participate in seminars and graduate biology courses. There are no course credit hour requirements for the doctoral student who holds a master's degree. The breadth of course offerings allows selection of courses appropriate for the student's specialized needs. Doctoral students are required to have at least one year of experience as teaching assistants in a laboratory course. Teaching assistantships are also available to master's students. Part-time M.S. study is facilitated by the availability of some evening graduate-level courses and by the option of a literature M.S. thesis, where the student critically analyzes original research literature. Both Ph.D. and M.S. students may elect to take some graduate courses in other divisions of the University, such as engineering, pharmacy, and business.

Facilities & Resources
In addition to well-equipped research laboratories, facilities include microarray analysis, a bioinformatics computer cluster, an electron microscopy center, a research museum for vertebrate study, controlled-environment rooms, cell-culture facilities, and a wide variety of preparative and analytical instruments, including FACS, real-time pcr, phosphoimager, confocal microscopes, electrophysiological devices, and equipment for image analysis. Facilities of the Marine Science Center, located nearby at Nahant, include an ocean-going research vessel, a running seawater system, and a robotics laboratory. The large, technologically sophisticated University library contains extensive print, database, and media collections and has access to other major research collections, including the Boston Library Consortium. The library, major software packages, and the Internet are accessible through laboratory and office computers.

Expenses and Aid
The cost of tuition for the 2005-06 academic year in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences was $910 per semester hour of credit. Other charges required of all full-time students are health insurance and the Student Center fee.

Financial Aid:
Graduate research and teaching assistantships, which provide stipends of up to $25,325 and tuition remission, are available to full-time students. Research assistantships are provided by research grants to individual faculty members and departmental research funds. Internships with biotechnology companies constitute an additional option.

Northeastern University awards need-based financial aid to graduate students through the Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study, and Federal Stafford Student Loan programs. The University also offers minority fellowships and Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarships.

Housing/Living Expenses:
Semester on-campus room rates ranged from $2560 to $4950. On-campus housing for graduate students is limited and granted on a space-available basis. An off-campus referral service is available through Housing Services by telephone at 617-373-4872 or by e-mail at nucommuter@neu.edu. Graduate students typically pay $1825 per semester for ten meals per week. An extensive public transportation system serves the greater Boston area.

How to Apply / Application
Applications must be received by January 15 in order to receive full consideration for financial aid; the forms can be obtained at the address below. Applicants must have earned a baccalaureate degree and have adequate undergraduate training in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) scores must be submitted; the GRE Subject Test is not required. International students must demonstrate proficiency in writing and speaking English with a minimum TOEFL score of 600.

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