The decision to pursue graduate training is not always easy; you must weigh personal and professional concerns. Where will I get excellent training that will help me to further my career? Where will I be able to keep a healthy balance between my life and my work? A graduate degree in Genetics from the University of Georgia is the answer! We offer a rigorous scientific education. By training our students across molecular genetics, evolutionary biology, and genomics, you will have broad exposure to modern genetics. We’ll make you competitive in the job market by preparing you in pedagogy and communication skills. And we offer a supportive learning environment in a fun community.

Cutting Edge Research
Our faculty are at the cutting edge of research. Forty research faculty (25 within the Department of Genetics, and others across other life sciences departments) publish in top journals, generate millions of dollars in external funding, and are invited to speak all over the world. The Department is housed in a bright and sunny building containing state-of-the-art research and learning facilities. Our weekly seminar program allows you to interact with top researchers from around the globe.

A broad spectrum of rigorous training
Our program is extraordinary in that it brings together an array of faculty in molecular genetics, evolutionary biology, and genomics into one group. All our students are trained in molecular and evolutionary genetics and genomics, creating a unique intellectual environment. Our department is so well-respected, that we have continuously held a training grant from the NIH for over 30 years. A student-faculty ratio of less than 2:1 ensures individualized training. We are committed to training: almost all the students we admit earn a degree.

We support our students
Every student accepted into our Ph.D. program is guaranteed financial support for 5 years, including summers. Currently, each student is paid at least $21,000 a year. We even help with moving expenses! And, the University subsidizes part of the cost of health insurance. Athens is a very affordable place to live and most students find that our stipend provides a high standard of living. To give you an estimate of the costs of living in Athens, we polled our current graduate students: many of our students can afford to live without having to take on roommates: monthly rent for a person living without a roommate is typically around $500, with about an extra $200 a month for utilities (cable/DSL, phone, electricity, water, gas, trash). Most students also have to cover student fees (about $90 a month), on-campus parking (about $10 a month) and health insurance (about $70 a month).