About the Program

Program Highlights

ASU’s PhD in Biological Design prepares students to effectively apply a specific expertise to large research endeavors as part of an interdisciplinary team. This approach prepares students for careers in academic, governmental or commercial organizations. The program offers an excellent work environment and competitive compensation.

The research opportunities within the program address urgent, societally-relevant challenges. Examples include:

• Faster, more accurate detection and diagnosis of disease
• Personalized treatments that reduce side-effects
• Sustainable energy sources

Students in Biological Design will gain insight into innovating new technologies and using them to create new basic knowledge. This new dimension in scientific literacy will not be at the expense of traditional excellence in discipline training, but adds a focus on how to interface disciplines.

Is the Biological Design degree right for you?

ASU also offers separate degrees in biological sciences, physical sciences and engineering. The Biological Design degree is designed to coalesce the training opportunity for PhD Students whose goal is to focus heavily on "grand challenge" innovations via multidisciplinary partnerships. If your interest is in working in a team setting on large projects, Biological Design is a great choice.

The need for a new approach

Advances in human and environmental health are increasingly dependent on large, interdisciplinary teams working together. The need for big science requires profound changes in how research is organized and funded and in the way future scientists are educated. The good news is that, through more collaborative science, the PhD students of today have an opportunity to contribute more significantly than ever before to the quality of life on Earth for generations to come.

Arizona State University has taken advantage of an unmatched ability to build a graduate program around this rapidly emerging new trajectory for science. Thanks to our comparatively recent emergence as a research university, we’ve been able to build interdisciplinary programs from the ground up, avoiding the need to deconstruct long-standing programs created around traditional academic silos.

About the region

Arizona’s thriving population supports a wide variety of activities suited to many interests. It has an active cultural environment and is home to many professional sports teams. The year-round sunshine attracts outdoor enthusiasts.

The state of Arizona is emerging as a fertile new ground for graduates with interdisciplinary scientific research training. An Arizona Roadmap for the Biosciences sponsored by the nonprofit Flinn Foundation noted that local companies in the biotech sector increasingly will involve technologies at the intersection of information, biology, engineering and the physical sciences. ASU has developed this PhD program to be relevant in meeting these local demands.

Highlights: Economy & Job Market

• Greater Phoenix is the 13th largest metropolitan area in the U.S., with 4.04 million people. Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the U.S.
• Arizona’s economy grew by 9.49% in 2006, the third highest rate in the United States.
• Phoenix has experienced positive job growth in 47 of the last 50 years, and Newsweek Magazine projects Greater Phoenix to be the 2nd largest “job engine” in the U.S. through 2025.
• Key contributors to Arizona’s economic strength are high-tech manufacturing in semiconductors, electronics and aerospace and strong health care, construction, financial operations, distribution, professional services and tourism sectors.
• In 2006, Arizona ranked 6th in high tech exports, with approximately $8.7 billion.
• Arizona ranked 3rd in U.S. total workforce share for Computer Hardware, Electronics Engineers and Technicians.
• Arizona ranked 10th in U.S. technology and science workforce according to the Milken Institute’s 2004 State Technology and Science Index report.
• Phoenix named one of the 10 “North American Cities of the future” by fDi Magazine.
• Phoenix ranked 12th Forbes’ “Best Places for Business and Careers” index (May 2005)
• Arizona ranks 12th in U.S. businesses created from university R&D.