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Curriculum and Requirements

The Biosciences has emerged as an enormously interdisciplinary endeavor, with major contributions routinely arising from the collaboration of areas traditionally viewed as discrete disciplines. Each Home Program sets its own curriculum, but many courses are taught by groups of faculty from multiple programs and departments. Students within the same Home Program may take different courses that best match their needs and backgrounds. This flexibility ensures that all students obtain the best possible training for pursuing careers in their areas of interest.

Requirements Overview

Some Home Programs have additional requirements, such as research talks or journal clubs, to help you gain presentation skills or broaden your scientific knowledge. Requirements vary, so you should consult your Home Program's handbook or advisor for specific details.

Biochemistry Handbook (2015 - 2016)
Biology Handbook (2015 - 2016)
Biomedical Informatics Handbook (2014 - 2015)
Biophysics Handbook (2011 - 2012)
Cancer Biology Handbook (2014 - 2015)
Chemical and Systems Biology Handbook (2012 - 2013)
Developmental Biology Handbook (2014 - 2015)
Genetics Handbook (2014 - 2015)
Immunology Handbook (2014 - 2015)
Microbiology and Immunology Handbook (2014 - 2015)
Molecular and Cellular Physiology Handbook (2014 - 2015)
Neuroscience Handbook (2013 - 2014)
Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine Handbook (2014 - 2015)
Structural Biology Handbook (2011 - 2012)

Related Programs

Bioengineering Handbook (2014 - 2015)

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Stanford Biosciences, 1967: First synthesis of biologically active DNA in test tube
Stanford Biosciences, 1970: Development of the florescence-activated cell sorter
Stanford Biosciences, 1971: Discovery of RNA priming of DNA synthesis
Stanford Biosciences, 1972: First construction of a recombinant DNA molecule containing DNA from two different species
Stanford Biosciences, 1973: First expression of a foreign gene implanted in bacteria by recombinant DNA methods
Stanford Biosciences, 1984: Isolation of a gene coding for part of the T-cell receptor, a key to the immune system's function
Stanford Biosciences, 1987: Purification of first stem cells
Stanford Biosciences, 1988: Discovery of the nuclear factor of activated T cells
Stanford Biosciences, 1990: Discovery of "Off-switch" for genetic reproduction in bacteria
Stanford Biosciences, 1995: Development of the microarray technology that allows researchers to see at once which genes of the thousands present in a cell are switched "on"
Stanford Biosciences, 2000: First use of gene expression profiling to distinguish cancer sub-types
Stanford Biosciences, 1990-2001: Participation in the Human Genome Project; Stanford is 9th worldwide in contributions to the genome
Stanford Biosciences, 2001: The first molecular snapshot published of the protein machinery responsible for transcription in yeast — RNA polymerase II — in action; this helped explain how cells express all the information the human genome
Stanford Biosciences, 2002: First use of RNAi to switch off genes in mice. RNAi offers an extremely selective method to "mute" a single gene amongst the thousands in the genome, helping provide precise information about the role of the gene
Stanford Biosciences, 2009: A researcher sequences his own genome for less than $50,000 and with a team of just two others
Stanford Biosciences, 2007: Array tomography invented
Stanford Biosciences, 2007: For the first time, researchers use a healthy person's complete genome sequence to predict his risk for dozens of diseases