Ph.D. Program overview
Aspiring biomedical scientists must acquire a broad background of knowledge and expertise, as well as in-depth understanding of their primary area of research interest.
At Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, you’ll discover a unique research training environment of academic inquiry and scientific discovery, combined with exceptional intellectual and technological resources designed to help you achieve your highest scientific career goals.
year average time to degree
of graduates since 1989 are employed in academia or industry
campuses in Minnesota, Florida, and Arizona with diverse research opportunities
Small class sizes
join about 150 students who have access to 200+ faculty members
Best graduate school rankings
a top school for biological sciences as ranked by U.S. News & World Report
Guaranteed 5-year internal fellowship
includes full tuition, stipend, and benefits
Whether you’re preparing for graduate school or applying now, the Mayo Clinic experience for biomedical science Ph.D. students is different.
Here are five key reasons why:
- Research training by leading investigators in fields ranging from molecules to populations, all in the context of exceptional health care. Embedded within a top academic medical center, you’ll have access to clinical data from more than 6 million patient histories.
- Research training opportunities at three digitally interacting campuses in Rochester, Minnesota; Jacksonville, Florida; and Scottsdale, Arizona.
- A free agency funding model offered by only a handful of other elite programs. Every student is awarded a central fellowship for five years. Mentors are not allowed to fund student salaries as employees.
- A subsidized Career Development Internship program. Senior students experience embedded networking opportunities in career settings different from those of their research mentors.
- A national destination for research training of students from backgrounds underrepresented in science. Mayo’s NIH-funded IMSD is more than two decades old, and Mayo invented the NIH PREP concept.
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"Collaboration is massive here"
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"Allowed me to build my own team"
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"I feel really respected here"
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"So many different kinds of opportunities"
Choosing your area of specialization
You'll choose from one of eight biomedical science specialty tracks within our Ph.D. Program. Track choice is indicated during the application process and confirmed after admission. But you'll be able to do research and learn in any Mayo laboratory that interests you, even if it's not within your track.
Stipend and benefits
Our Ph.D. Program in biomedical science includes:
- Annual graduate-level stipend
- Full tuition
- Travel expenses to scientific meetings provided by mentors
Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences also offers:
- Low-cost comprehensive medical insurance, including a prescription drug plan, as well as dental and vision insurance
- Access to Mayo Employees Federal Credit Union
- Membership at Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center, a low-cost modern exercise facility on campus
Learn more about financial support. If additional funding is required, biomedical science Ph.D. students have access to the Office of Student Financial Aid and Registrar.
Perspectives on our Ph.D. Program
When applying to graduate school, I was looking for an institution with an emphasis on translational science. It’s very meaningful for me to be able to watch research be implemented in the clinic to improve patient care. Not many places offer such established collaborations between clinic and lab, especially not at a world-renowned clinic — that’s what made Mayo such an obvious choice for me.
Brooke Paradise
Ph.D. student, Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Track
The truly unique funding model and sheer amount of possible mentors really opens the door to successfully engage and complete meaningful research projects. The graduate school leadership really focuses on the needs of the students to minimize time away from lab and classes, which allows you to build your own body of work.
Justin Maroun
M.D.-Ph.D. student, Virology and Gene Therapy Track
From the dean
Our mission is to train the next generation of health science leaders. Our students pursue diverse, curiosity-driven innovative research from discovery science to entrepreneurial startups to determinative clinical trials. With an outstanding faculty-to-student ratio and a learner-centric funding model, our students have unparalleled intellectual mobility to identify, develop, and implement pioneering health science research.
Stephen Ekker, Ph.D.
Dean, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences