Prospective Students


WHY CHOOSE CMB?


Welcome prospective CMB students! You’ve made a stellar choice in considering the Cell and Molecular Biology Program at Colorado State University.

Located in beautiful Fort Collins, Colorado (the 23rd best city to live in the US!), the CMB Program at CSU was founded in 1974 by Dr. William Dewey and today boasts over 100 faculty members across 17 departments in 6 colleges. Our interdisciplinary approach and rigorous training ensures that our students are primed for excellence in their research endeavors. See below for what sets CMB apart from other programs you might be considering.


Community

We pride ourselves in the community we’ve created within the CMB program and maintain a high standard for those we ask to join us.

  • Our cohorts of admitted students range from 8-12 students, ensuring a tight-knit and familial atmosphere

  • The expansive network of faculty and students spread across the university ensures that your interests are likely already a part of CMB

  • An emphasis on development of professional skills (networking, scientific communication, writing, and community outreach).


Science

The scientific community and resources accessible to CMB students are world class. In this highly collaborative environment, CMB students thrive by working across departments and disciplines.  Coupled with access to exceptional facilities such as the Animal Cancer Center, Center for Vector Borne Infectious Disease, and the Plant Growth Facility the scientific world is at your fingertips (and/or pipette tips!)

  • Our faculty are incredible! Whether you’re interested in basic molecular biology, infectious disease, neurodegeneration, plant immunity or synthetic biology, CMB has it all. Check out our full list of faculty research interests here.

  • CMB places an emphasis on skills that will help you become a marketable professional upon graduation. As such, a large portion of CMB coursework focuses on computation and its biological applications.   While working towards your MS or PhD you can also complete a Graduate Certificate in Data Analysis or Microbiome Science & Engineering.  Many CMB students also gain a Graduate Teaching Certificate by mentoring undergraduates or serving as teaching assistants.


Extracurricular Activities

Fort Collins offers the perfect setting for extracurricular activities to balance your educational and research endeavors. Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast or a food and drink buff, we have it all!

  • Outdoor recreation is a massive draw for many of our students, whether it be access to world-renowned ski resorts or the abundance of hiking/camping/mountain biking sites.  It’s a tuly great place to get out and enjoy.

  • Old Town Fort Collins is well known for its food and drink scene. Check out all it has to offer here.

  • Denver is just an hour away with competitive sports teams (Broncos, Rockies, Rapids, Nuggets, Avalanche), theater, art, museums and shopping


Financial Security

CMB works hard to ensure that our students are supported financially from day one until graduation.

  • All incoming students are awarded teaching assistantships, research assistantships or bring their own government or other fellowship.  Each of these mechanisms provides a stipend (incoming students received $34,352 in 2023) , full tuition and at least 75% of fees (for Fall 2024).
  • After the first year, most students transfer to a research assistantship or T32 fellowship support, which is guaranteed for at least two years after joining a lab.  Most students are supported as GRAs for their entire time in the program, but a few serve as GTAs, or take summer off to explore internships.
  • We are proud to say that as of September 2023, 39% of CMB students are supported by fellowships from various external agencies including NIH, NSF, USDA and the Schlumberger Foundation.
  • CMB students are eligible for 4 different T32 training grants (qCMB, Translational Medicine, Infectious Disease, DVM-PhD), as well as BROAD-N and Microbiome support.