There are 8 scientific areas (called 'Tracks') within BBS. Each Track has its own admissions committee, and if you are admitted to Yale, the Track to which you applied will be your scientific home throughout your first year. It is therefore important to apply to the Track which best matches your scientific interests. The Track name itself and the first year curriculum described in each Track’s Program of Study are often helpful indicators about the optimal Track for you. For example, the Neuroscience Track is best if your passion is to study neuroscience, whether from a computational, behavioral, molecular, or other approach. Likewise, the Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics and Development (MCGD) Track is ideal if your primary interest is to answer biological questions using cellular, genetics, molecular, and/or developmental approaches.
Note that faculty are often listed in multiple Tracks, and faculty alone, therefore, are not the best indicator of which Track to which you should apply.
Each BBS Track has its own course requirements and course recommendations, though you will be able to take elective courses from anywhere in BBS. Each Track also has its own list of participating faculty, though with the guidance of your Track Director you will also be free to rotate in other BBS labs. At the end of your first year you will select a thesis lab and leave your Track to join a Ph.D.-granting program.
Please read the BBS Application Guide prior to selecting a BBS Track on the application. This guide provides information to help you decide which Track is the best option for you.