Career Development

Our students' average time to their PhD is currently 5.3 years. Over the course of their PhDs, we expose our students to diverse career possibilities in academia, industry, consulting, business development, scientific publishing and science policy. Some of our students take advantage of experiential learning opportunities that include internships in Pharma/Biotech and participation in consulting case competitions. We also hold an annual event in which current graduate students network with alumni, and our annual retreat includes a "career panel" with invited speakers who describe their career trajectories and provide advice on career development.  Our students are also encouraged to participate in seminars and workshops that are vital to achieving long-term success in today’s career market. The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GSAS) Office of Career Services offers workshops on grant writing, effectively presenting your research, developing a CV, interviewing & negotiation skills and how to differentiate yourself in the marketplace.

All of our graduates are engaged in careers that make use of their scientific background, with the majority in research-intensive careers. Some have chosen to go into academia. Others have chosen careers as scientists in Biotech/Pharma, and several are consultants specializing in Biotech/Pharma. Outcomes for students who have left our program are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1: Outcomes

G1 Year
2005 - 2009
2010 - 2014

Total Matriculants*

29

57

# of PhD Grads

29

54

Faculty

4

2

Current Postdocs/Other Training Positions

2

24

Pharma/Biotech

14

17

Consulting/Finance for Pharma or Biotech

2

7

Other**

2

3

*Two students from the 2014 G1 Year will graduate in 2021 **Other includes staff scientists in law firms and a freelance science writer.

Below are organizations that provide fellowships to postdoctoral researchers.

American Cancer Society
Jane Coffin Childs Foundation
Damon Runyon Awards
European Molecular Biology Organization
Human Frontiers Science Program
Leukemia Society of America
Life Sciences Research Foundation
Health Resources in Action
National Institutes of Health
Helen Hay Whitney Foundation