Admissions

Applicants interested in the Department of Pharmacology Ph.D. program should apply to the Yale Combined Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS Program).

Depending on your scientific background and interests, select either the Translational Molecular Medicine, Pharmacology, and Physiology (TMMPP) track or the Biochemistry, Quantitative Biology, Biophysics and Structural Biology (BQBS) track within the BBS program when applying. Further information about the application process may be found at the BBS website.

Deadlines and instructions for applying may also be found at the admissions website for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Experimental approaches used by research groups affiliated with the Pharmacology Program are diverse, drawing from biochemical, cellular, physiological, and biophysical theories and techniques. For this reason, appropriate training may involve an emphasis in biology, chemistry, or related disciplines.
Please see the BBS website for recommended course backgrounds for entry into the TMMPP and BQBS tracks.

The TMMPP and BQBS admissions committees select students to be interviewed through a holistic process that emphasizes prior research experience. We no longer accept the GRE. Virtual interviews are conducted in January, after which applicants that will be recommended for acceptance by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences are invited to visit campus for an in-person recruitment weekend in February. The cost of travel, hotel, and additional expenses are covered by the program. Formal offers are sent by GSAS shortly after the recruitment visits.

Students accepted into the BBS program receive a 12-month stipend ($51,046 for the 2024-2025 academic year) plus full tuition for their entire course of studies at Yale. Students who successfully obtain outside fellowships such as those from the National Science Foundation (NSF) or National Institutes of Health (NIH) are provided an additional $4,000.

Students are expected to devote their entire time to the pursuit of the degree and are not permitted to have outside employment. All incoming students are required to participate in two semesters of teaching as part of their graduate training experience.

The cost of study (tuition) is covered for all students for the duration of their enrollment.

The Department of Pharmacology encourages disabled students or veterans to apply to our program. If there are specific questions regarding graduate training to disabled individuals, please contact the co-Directors of Graduate Studies, Drs. David Calderwood (david.calderwood@yale.edu) and Kathryn Ferguson (kathryn.ferguson@yale.edu) or Dr. Anton Bennett (anton.bennett@yale.edu; NIGMS Training Grant Director).

Alternatively Yale has Student Accessibility Services, whose mission is to facilitate individual accommodations for all students with disabilities throughout the entire University. This organization aids to remove physical and attitudinal barriers, which may prevent their full participation in the University community.