Campus Feature

The Connected Science Community PhD Programs

Northeastern’s Connected Science Community PhD programs provide students with advanced department curriculum, ground-breaking research opportunities, and career and core skills development – all within a supportive network of peers and mentors.

Whether you have realized your post-graduate path or are just beginning to explore one, the PhD programs in the College of Science will prepare you for extraordinary career opportunities.

How To Apply

PhD Programs

  • Biology

    Doctoral candidates will gain a broad background knowledge-base and an in-depth study of specialized areas of biology including cell, developmental and regenerative biology, biomechanics, neurobiology and behavior, as well as molecular microbiology. Students can choose to pursue a concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology or Molecular Microbiology.

  • Biophysics

    The new cross-disciplinary PhD program in Biophysics bridges the fields of physics, biology, and chemistry to explore living systems, with a focus on the interactions of energy and matter across all scales of biological organization—from molecular to organismal levels.

  • Chemistry

    Doctoral students in chemistry will have research opportunities in both theoretical and experimental chemistry and chemical biology. Areas of study include bioanalytical chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and energy research.

  • Human Behavior and Sustainability Sciences

    This doctoral program combines training in psychology with the ecological and geophysical sciences, producing boundary-breaking scholars who can accelerate sustainability solutions that are robustly informed by the results of scientific research.

  • Marine and Environmental Sciences

    This doctoral program trains high-caliber and independent scientists whose research addresses fundamental and applied ecological and evolutionary questions at local, regional, national, and global scales.

  • Mathematics

    The PhD in Mathematics is designed to develop deep understanding of mathematics and offers the opportunity to specialize in pure mathematics, discrete mathematics, and probability and statistics.

  • Physics

    Students in the Physics PhD program will have the opportunity to study specialized subfields, such as astrophysics and cosmology, biological physics, condensed matter physics, elementary particle physics, and network science.

  • Psychology

    The PhD in Psychology prepares students to become experts in research and teaching in psychology by offering a research-intensive curriculum and environment within a supportive community of faculty and students.

Science reseachers working in a lab

Cutting-edge collaborative research

Candidates accepted to their Department Research program of interest will join a Community of PhD students across the entire College of Science. Within this community, students will learn from, collaborate with, and draw on the experiences of their peers.

All PhD candidates in the College of Science partner with world-class faculty and work in facilities designed to inspire creativity, foster exploration, and fuel discovery. They will conduct important research, often collaborating across disciplines, with personalized mentorships.

eXPLORE oUR rESEARCH aREAS

The Connected Science Community PhD

Candidates accepted to their PhD program of interest also become a part of the Connected Science Community PhD—a community of PhD students across the entire College of Science. The Connected Science Community PhD is a one-of-a-kind program that maximizes the benefit and power of PhD training for candidates and society. Within this community, students will learn from, collaborate with, and draw on the experiences of their peers.

How does the Connected Science Community PhD work for you?

  • Join a cross-disciplinary, supportive community of PhD students across all College of Science departments, who learn together, collaborate, and share their experiences.
  • Develop career skills and inside knowledge of the outstanding career opportunities open to PhD graduates.
  • Build professional skills important for success as a PhD student and for any career, including problem-solving, communication, teaching, entrepreneurship, confidence, ethics, and teamwork.
  • Explore cross-disciplinary research skills that help solve pressing research challenges.
  • Gain external work experience – an integral part of your training, with many opportunities.
  • Be mentored throughout your training by faculty experts and industry professionals.

During the summer before your first year, you will be invited to participate in a Summer Skills Session where you will engage in workshops to develop key skills, explore and utilize university resources, learn about potential post-PhD careers, hone your research proposal writing skills, and connect with peers across departments.

During the fall semester of your first year, you will begin coursework and continue research in your department. Throughout your first year and beyond, you will continue your research while sustaining your Connected Science Community through seminars, workshops, and community-building activities.

Preparing for an outstanding, high-level career

Throughout their training, candidates develop the career and core skills that employers value, and gain inside knowledge of the outstanding career opportunities open to PhD graduates. PhD students can explore experiential opportunities including cooperative education (co-op) and the LEADERs Program. Through these opportunities, students gain external work experience and powerful skills that promote career flexibility.

Northeastern is one of the only universities in the world to offer all PhD students experiential learning opportunities outside of their primary research group. Placements are flexible, customizable, and tailored to the interests of students and partners.

Learn More
Scientist working in a lab

Northeastern’s PhD Network is a community of students providing support and research to enhance the educational experience.

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Apply to the Connected Science Community PhD programs

  • Choose and apply to the department program with research of greatest interest to you
  • Upon acceptance to your program, you are also admitted into the Connected Science Community
  • The program includes a full tuition scholarship, a graduate assistant position with stipend, and health insurance.
  • Fall Admission Priority Deadline: December 1
  • Rolling Admissions Deadline: Through March 15, pending availability
  • Industry PhD Admissions Deadline: August 1
Apply Today
Ju Qiao is holding a pipette while flanked by Sri Sridhar and Liam Timms in a darkened lab.

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