MSTP students can select their PhD program from either our core graduate programs or affiliate graduate programs. Core graduate programs have an established relationship with the MSTP and have previously had MSTP students as part of their program. Affiliate graduate programs have a newer relationship with the MSTP and may or may not have had an MSTP student in the program.
Please use the list below as a guide when selecting your graduate program(s) of interest on the Secondary Application. If you don’t see a program we will work with you to find a match. If you need guidance you can reach out to the MSTP program at Mdphd@osumc.edu. You can also view all graduate programs on The Ohio State University's graduate school website.
Core graduate programs
Main focus: Biomedical engineering (BME) combines engineering principles and methodology with physical, chemical, and mathematical sciences to solve problems in biology, medicine, behavior and human health.
Strength areas:
- Bioimaging
- Biotransport
- Biomaterials
- Biomechanics
- Molecular, Cell and Tissue Engineering
- Micro/Nanotechnology Biomedical Devices
MSTP student presence: ~8% of MSTP students are part of BME
Note: Those with life science undergraduate degrees or with non-engineering backgrounds are required to complete additional coursework to develop competence in engineering before applying. Please see the required background course list for details.
Main focus: Our goal is to train talented, predoctoral students in interdisciplinary approaches to biomedical research, to think critically and to acquire the proficiencies needed for future success in the rapidly evolving fields within biomedical sciences. The BSGP is an umbrella program that includes faculty from multiple departments, students have the opportunity to explore 11 different areas of research emphasis and the required courses are the same for all students.
Strength Areas/Areas of Research Emphasis:
- Anatomy
- Biomedical Informatics
- Cancer Biology
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology
- Experimental Therapeutics
- Genetics and Genomics
- Immunology
- Microbial Pathogenesis
- Molecular Basis of Disease
- Neurological and Neuromuscular disorders
- Translational research
MSTP student presence: ~65% of MSTP students are part of the BSGP
Note: BSGP includes areas of emphasis in Neurological & Neuromuscular Disorders and Microbial Pathogenesis. MSTP also partners with PhD programs in both Neuroscience and Microbiology. Trainees interested in a broader base of knowledge may want to select BSGP, while those interested in a more focused area of research interest may want to select the NGP or Microbiology PhD programs.
Main focus: The Ohio State Neuroscience Graduate Program is an interdisciplinary training program providing the foundation for students to become future pioneers in neuroscience research.
Strength Areas:
- Neurotrauma, Neurological Disorders and Gene/Clinical Therapies
- Stress and Neuroimmunology
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
- Cognitive & Computational Neuroscience/Imaging
- Developmental Neuroscience and Genetics
- Neuro-Oncology
- Neuropharmacology
- Systems Neuroscience
MSTP student presence: ~20% of MSTP students are part of the NGP
Note: The Neuroscience Graduate Program offers a focused curriculum for trainees interested in neuroscience research. For students interested in a more general foundation of knowledge with a focused interest area in Neurological and Neuromuscular Disorders, please consider the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program.
Affiliate graduate programs
Main focus: Crossing seven colleges and comprising over 80 faculty in 38 departments, the Interdisciplinary Biophysics Graduate Program at The Ohio State University trains students in quantitative approaches to cutting-edge biomedical problems.
Strength areas: From femtosecond spectroscopy to whole body imaging, from X-ray or NMR structure determination to muscle physiology, or from computational biology to patch clamping, a PhD from our program lays the foundation for a successful career.
MSTP student presence: We currently do not have any students in Biophysics
Main focus: Chemistry at Ohio State is national leader in education and research because of our vast resources, cutting-edge facilities, and outstanding faculty.
Strength areas: You will find research opportunities in analytical, biological, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry, as well as interfacial areas such as chemical physics, environmental chemistry, materials and theoretical chemistry.
MSTP student presence: We currently do not have any students in Chemistry
Main focus: The PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Program offered by the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HRS) develops future leaders within focused domains who advance healthcare through research, teaching, and outreach in the health and rehabilitation sciences disciplines.
Strength areas: Our PhD program's success is equated with completion of these targeted activities. All targeted activities are expected to be contextually linked to our programs' five thematic pillars.
- Biomechanical
- Neurological
- Health analytical
- Biological
- Behavioral
MSTP student presence: ~1% of MSTP students are part of HRS
Note: Please note that any MSTP applicant who is interested in the dual MSTP/HRS PhD program will need to apply to both the MD program as well as the HRS PhD as two separate applications. A fee waiver will be granted to those who choose HRS as their PhD program of choice, and when completing the HRS PhD application, you will want to select “PGD Program” to have this application fee waived. To learn more about the program requirements and to complete the HRS PhD application, please visit the Graduate and Professional Admissions webpage.
Visit affiliated Health and Rehabilitation Sciences graduate programs
Main focus: Our students study microbiology in all its forms: from understanding how the billions of cells in our microbiomes keep us healthy; the role bacteria and phages play in the global carbon cycle and climate change; how genes and their expression are regulated at the molecular level; and where antibiotic resistance comes from and how to fight it, to how pathogenic parasites, fungi, viruses and bacteria cause disease and how they can be fought. Microbiology is a modern science studied in the lab and in silico at Ohio State, where we harness big-data analytics and cutting-edge experimental approaches.
Strength areas: You will select courses from a broad spectrum of microbiology including microbial genetics and physiology, immunology, fermentation technology, pathogenic microbiology, and environmental microbiology. You can also enroll in a variety of courses offered by related departments such as biochemistry, molecular genetics and chemistry.
MSTP student presence: We currently do not have any students in Microbiology