Which university is better for pursuing a PhD in Biology? For UMich, the program is MCDB (Molecular, cellular and developmental biology), and for Dartmouth, it is MCB (molecular and cellular biology). Both are fully-funded programs so tuition fee is not a concern. My concern is more about which is better in terms of research AND environment? Please help!
I need to make a discussion very soon!
I know nothing about biology grad programs, so take my feedback with a grain of salt. But if I were I grad student, I’d MUCH rather be in Ann Arbor for 3-5+ years than in Hanover, NH. You should visit both places. Meet faculty, Walk around. See the area.
The resources available to graduate students in the life sciences, such as the North Campus Research Campus, the University of Michigan Heath System, the Biomedical Engineering Department in the College of Engineering etc…will likely not be matched by Dartmouth. Also, as brantly said, I think Ann Arbor and the surrounding areas have much more to offer than Hanover and its surrounding areas.
That being said, you want to research your specific academic interests. Perhaps Dartmouth has more to offer when it comes to your own personal interests.
Visit both and speak with the professors and advisors you will be working with in your interest area. You will interview each other and see which is the best fit.