The Biology Department at MIT consistently ranks among the best in the country. Biology faculty members are dedicated to excellence in research, teaching, and student support. In addition, students are exposed to world-class research and gain valuable laboratory experience in every major area of Biology.

The societal impact of biological research has been so great in recent years that students are increasingly drawn to the discipline. Biology is now the second most popular undergraduate major at MIT. The quantitative aspects of biology, including molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, and cell biology, represent the core of the program. Students in the department are encouraged to acquire a solid background in the physical sciences, not only to master the applications of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology, but also to develop an integrated scientific perspective. Students have the opportunity to become familiar with advanced research techniques and to participate in seminar activities.

Some student viewpoints:
“Being a biologist satisfies the compelling urge to find out more about how and why things occur in the world. Biology is not just a list of facts to memorize; there is still a wealth of information to be learned through experiments. The promise of making one of those discoveries in the future is what makes biology so exciting. A wonderful thing about MIT is the breadth of research that is available for students to participate in.”

“MIT offers you all the opportunities you can ever think of. If you want to do research in biology, medicine, or even in engineering, you can easily do it at MIT. What I want to say is that it’s a great place to explore your interest.”

“Both in and out of the classroom, you get to know your professors on a whole new level while earning the world class education MIT is famous for.”