Best Biology Graduate Programs in the South
At the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, we offer a range of research and academic areas that you can pursue as a student in our MS in biology or PhD in environmental and evolutionary biology programs. Learn more here about how we stack up against other universities in the South like Mississippi State, UNC, University of Louisville, Tulane, and University of Florida.
We are proud to have one of the best biology programs in the South, distinguished by our commitment to student and faculty research, mentoring, affordability, and student success before and after graduation.
Research Activity & Opportunities
Research is central to the best biology graduate programs, and that’s no different at UL Lafayette. Our research is global in impact, but there are unique opportunities related to our proximity to the Gulf Coast. You can read more about our graduate students’ research here.
Faculty Expertise & Mentoring
Some of biology’s leading scholars conduct their research here at UL Lafayette in coastal plant ecology and wetland restoration, marine ecology and food webs, environmental toxicology, plant diversity, deep-sea coral biology, marine invertebrate biology, tropical fish diversity, reptile physiology, conservation genetics, aquatic microbiology, gravitational biology, and more. Our biology faculty secure more than $2 million in research funding each year from organizations including the NSF, NOAA, NASA, USDA, USGS, USFWS, DOD, and the FDA. 
What makes us one of the best biology graduate programs in the South—and, in fact, one of the best biology grad schools in the country—is our faculty’s dedication to mentoring each grad student.
Your advisor is your biggest advocate when it comes to helping you secure funding, get published, and—most importantly—conduct meaningful research. Before students apply, they are required to connect with a faculty member who will serve as an advisor and provide the opportunity to be a part of their lab and research.
Partnerships & Collaborations
Conducting research is not an isolated activity, and the best biology programs will have connections with other University organizations and centers as well as outside agencies. At UL Lafayette, what helps us be one of the best biology graduate programs in the South are interdisciplinary-focused research centers like the Institute for Coastal and Water Research, which focuses on global climate change and sea-level rise and restoration of coastal ecosystems.
We also work closely with the USGS Wetlands and Aquatic Research Center and the NOAA Estuarine Habitats and Coastal Fisheries Center, both located in the Research Park at UL Lafayette. Grad students and faculty also travel to the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium in Cocodrie, La., to conduct research along our coastline.
But we’re not just focused on the Gulf Coast and its ecosystems. With a global network of partners, our faculty have traveled to the Amazon and through underwater mountains and canyons in the deep Atlantic—and research has even taken place in the International Space Station.
Job Placement
To judge the best biology grad school for you is to see what the alumni from the best biology graduate programs have done in their careers.
If you are interested in pursuing a career in academia, UL Lafayette is a great fit for you, because 80 percent of our PhD graduates work at higher education institutions after graduation. The other 20 percent work as research scientists in governmental agencies and private industry.
Our master’s in biology degree is great preparation for a doctoral degree. Most of our master’s graduates pursue their PhD in biology or opt to attend medical school or to become a doctor of veterinary medicine. Our graduates are also working as field or lab technicians, contributing to research in a range of biological disciplines.
Size
Our doctoral program is the only one at a public university in Louisiana focused on Environmental and Evolutionary biology, and is the second largest biology doctoral program in the state.
The best biology grad schools should make you feel at home and not like just another student. UL Lafayette’s biology graduate programs are big enough that you will have the resources to conduct meaningful research, but small enough so you get the individual attention and mentoring you need. We have about 80 graduate students and 30 faculty, instructors, and staff, meaning you’ll get the attention you deserve.
Location & Culture
We’re proud to have one of the biggest and best biology graduate programs along the Gulf Coast, but what makes us even more special is our location in Lafayette, La. Lafayette is located in the heart of Cajun country with great food, a proud heritage, and lots of live music.
In addition to a great local culture, we offer a strong scholarly community with a focus on interdisciplinary studies and inclusivity. We work closely with other departments within the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences to conduct research on population modeling, spread of diseases, wetland restoration and engineering, and more.
Scholarships, Assistantships & Fellowships
All students in the biology graduate programs at UL Lafayette are eligible for some form of financial support, typically in the form of fellowships and assistantships that provide stipends and tuition support.
We believe it’s important for our students to focus on their studies and their research, not their finances, so we offer research fellowships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships that include tuition waivers, monthly stipends, and coverage of many student fees. Learn more about fellowships and assistantships here.
Ready to join one of the best biology graduate programs in the south? Find out more about our biology graduate programs >