Degree Programs

Led by more than 120 world-class faculty members dedicated to scholarship and research, propelled by more than $26 million in annual research funds, and supported by state-of-the-art labs in the new Bioscience Research Building and seven other campus buildings, the College of Chemical and Life Sciences offers graduate study in the following areas:

• The Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, & Systematics Program (Ph.D.) (BEES) is an interdepartmental and interdisciplinary graduate program emphasizing fundamental and applied research in the areas of behavior, ecology, evolution, systematics, and related disciplines utilizing our strong links to the Smithsonian Institution and other federal research organizations in the metro DC area.


• The Department of Biology (M.S., Ph.D.) graduate degree programs, both Master’s and Ph.D., emphasize individualized training of graduate students and focus in the areas of neuroscience, evolutionary developmental biology, and ecology and conservation biology.


• The Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics (M.S., Ph.D.) (CBMG) graduate program is divided into 5 specializations:  Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology, Microbial Pathogenesis, and Immunology; Cell and Developmental Biology; Virology; Plant Biology.


• The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry (Ph.D.) offers graduate study and research that leads to  Doctoral (PhD) degrees that span the entire spectrum of chemistry and biochemistry. The program has strong ties to other areas of science and engineering throughout the University of Maryland and the region.


• The Chemical Physics Program (M.S., Ph.D.) provides a firm academic foundation for an expanding range of professsional careers that require knowledge of both physics and chemistry. Participating faculty come from the Institute for Physical Science and Technology, the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Meteorology, Physics, Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical, Materials and Nuclear Engineering as well as the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics (IREAP). 


• The Department of Entomology (M.S., Ph.D.) has an internationally recognized graduate program, offering both the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.


• The Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences (M.S., Ph.D.), or MEES program, offers master of science and doctoral degrees covering restoration ecology, aquaculture, fisheries management, oceanography, marine biotechnology, toxicology, environmental chemistry, remote sensing, and landscape ecology.


• The Master of Chemical & Life Sciences Online (M.S.) is a masters program for high school science teachers that provides in depth knowledge of current research areas in the biological, biochemical and biomedical sciences.


• The Molecular and Cell Biology Program (Ph.D.) offers study leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree, with training emphasizing research in the broad areas of cell biology, molecular biology, and related disciplines.


• The Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science (Ph.D.) offers research and training opportunities in neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience and computational neuroscience with internationally-renowned faculty who interact among three campuses: in Baltimore City, at UMC and at College Park.


• The Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology (M.S.), or CONS program, is to attract the world's best candidates for leadership in conservation biology and development programs, and to provide them with the multidisciplinary, conceptual and experiential learning experience necessary to address the biodiversity crisis that now faces the planet.