The PhD in Biology is a research intensive degree which prepares you for a professional career as a researcher, teacher, policy-maker, or other leadership roles in either academia or the private sector. Students typically spend 1-2 years on course work, along with several years of research on the leading edge of biology. The direction and supervision of graduate work at the doctoral level resides primarily with the major professor and supervisory committee, within the 3 areas of the department. The Department of Biological Science offers graduate programs leading to the degree of Master of Science (MS) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). There are strong graduate research programs in both experimental and theoretical biology. Research training expertise is available in biophysics and molecular biology, cell biology, biochemical and molecular genetics, ecology, evolution, developmental biology, microbiology, virology, immunology, neurobiology, plant and animal physiology, comparative physiology, endocrinology, sensory physiology, population biology/genetics, marine biology, plant and animal systematics, tropical biology, and conservation biology. Some departmental programs are associated with research and graduate programs of the departments of Oceanography, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Psychology, as well as with the Biomedical Sciences division of the College of Medicine. The department faculty are members of advanced-study programs such as the Institute of Molecular Biophysics Program, as well as and the Program in Neuroscience, which provide interdisciplinary training in the use of molecular, physiological, and neuroethological methods in the study of nervous system function and disease. There is also a special federal training program in the chemical senses that supports PhD and postdoctoral level training in the field of olfaction and taste.