Overview
Train with the Best at the University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston
he University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston (GSBS) offers programs for students leading to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees to prepare students for careers in research, education, and other areas that require advanced training in modern biomedical science.
Training is offered in programs that span biomedical science, including biochemistry, behavioral sciences, bioinformatics, biostatistics, biomathematics, cancer biology, cell biology, developmental biology, genetics, genetic counseling, immunology, medical physics, microbiology, molecular biology, pathology, neuroscience, pharmacology, physiology, reproductive biology, structural biology, and virology.
Students may also design their own individualized, interdisciplinary program of graduate study in biomedical science. Training is provided by the nearly 600 faculty members of GSBS. The graduate school program faculty are drawn from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (with campuses in Houston, the Science Park campus in Smithville, Texas, and the Keeling Center in Bastrop, Texas), the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Medical School, Dental Branch, School of Public Health, and School of Health Information Sciences), and the Texas A&M Institute of Biosciences and Technology.
Students Enjoy the Course Flexibility to Pursue the Career Options of their Choice
GSBS offers a high level of course flexibility to the students. Students apply to and are offered admission to GSBS, and not a specific department or program. During the first two semesters of study, Ph.D. students perform three tutorial rotations in the labs of any of the nearly 600 GSBS faculty members.
Through coursework and seminars, students learn about areas of research that may be new to them, and they then have the course flexibility to perform research (through a 10 week tutorial rotation) in the lab of a faculty member performing research in that area. These opportunities open the eyes of the students to the breadth of "biomedical research." GSBS' incoming students take advantage of this flexibility - nearly 60% of the current students are working in areas that are different from the areas of research interest that they indicated on the application for admission. GSBS also makes the students aware of the flexibility available to them regarding career options.
Through courses, seminars, and workshops, students learn of the myriad of career options available to scientists with M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in biomedical science. From opportunities in academe to patent law to journalism, students are able to learn from and directly interact with biomedical scientists (often alumni of GSBS) in unique and challenging jobs. GSBS does not "pigeon-hole" students into a single career track - the students are given the opportunity and flexibility to identify the career that is right for them.
The Texas Medical Center Offers a Top Collaborative Research Environment
GSBS is located in the Texas Medical Center (TMC), the world's largest medical center for biomedical education and research. In addition to training at the University of Texas institutions, GSBS students engage in activities in the strongly collaborative research environment of the Texas Medical Center, and may take courses, attend seminars, and use facilities at other institutions in the TMC, including Rice University, Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Houston. In combination, the GSBS faculty rank in the top 2% in the world in research grant support from the National Institutes of Health.
With this level of support, the faculty is able to provide cutting-edge equipment and facilities, enabling the students to perform top-flight collaborative research. The resources of the Texas Medical Center and all of the support of the University of Texas are immediately at the students' disposal. The renowned collaborative research environment students enjoy through GSBS is truly second to none.
