Curriculum

Analysis of the Biological Literature and Experimental Design (BBS 230): BBS 230 is a research skills core course required for all BBS first-year graduate students that is designed to build (a) familiarity with the scientific peer review process, (b) a deeper understanding of rigorous experimental design, data presentation, data analysis and data interpretation, and (c) increasing competency in applying effective experimental design principles to future project planning. Our training in literature analysis is comprised of two related components: (1) eight weekly seminar-style, small group paper discussions with pairs of Harvard faculty instructors that will focus on understanding, dissecting, and evaluating a dozen seminal research papers; and (2) parallel weekly sections led by teaching fellows that focus on the process of peer review and revision of two different scientific manuscripts. Multiple workshops on literature management, peer review, study design and data visualization will also help students explore practical approaches to organizing background information, experimental details and data for optimal use or impact.

Conduct of Science (MedSci 300qc)
This is a discussion-based course covering topics on aspects of responsible conduct of research and the ethical and moral principles that underlie research. Training in the responsible conduct of science is a required part of the BBS PhD program.  Not only is such training a necessary element in the academic development of everyone who will become a responsible member of the scientific community, it is also mandated by the National Institutes of Health.  This requirement falls outside of (i.e. in addition to) the 28 credits needed for the BBS Ph.D. completion.

Critical Thinking and Research Proposal Writing (BBS 330qc) 
This course provides a thorough coverage of the essential elements of research proposal writing, a skill that is required throughout one's scientific career but for which formal training is frequently lacking. Through lectures we will provide a general overview of the conceptualization and writing of a research proposal, as well as a more detailed exploration of how to generate an effective specific aims page. In subsequent small group sessions, students will have the opportunity to present and receive feedback on their proposal aims/outlines and be guided through the development of a draft proposal that can be used for their preliminary qualifying exam. A final proposal incorporating instructor and peer feedback will be submitted at the conclusion of the course.

Principles of Genetics (GEN 201): An in-depth survey of genetics, beginning with basic principles and extending to modern approaches and special topics. Examples are drawn from a variety of experimental systems, including yeast, Drosophila, C. elegans, mouse, human and bacteria.

Principles of Molecular Biology (BCMP 200): An advanced treatment of molecular biology and biochemical concepts critical for all biological researchers. Key concepts related to the molecular basis of information transfer from DNA to RNA to protein are covered, using examples from eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems. The course is taught in the format of lectures and research seminars and students meet in small groups of 6 students to discuss experimental design problems in an interactive chalk talk format.

Principles of Cell Biology (CB 201): An advanced course covering the molecular basis of cellular compartmentalization, protein trafficking, cytoskeleton dynamics, mitosis, cell locomotion, cell cycle regulation, signal transduction, cell-cell interaction, cell death, and cellular/biochemical basis of diseases. The course has a methodological focus on current approaches in cell biology including quantitative tools with an emphasis on experimental design.

Elective Courses List
A great resource is the list of elective courses BBS students have taken over the last 5 years in alpha order. BBS Core Courses have not been included in this list. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, so if you have any questions about whether a course would count as an elective, please be in touch with Deirdre.

Please note that most 100 level courses in Harvard College do NOT count for course credit (per Harvard Griffin GSAS rules).  There are some exceptions; please be in touch with Deirdre in the BBS office if you are interested in a 100-level course (such as STAT 110) to learn if it will count for an elective. 
 
Also, per GSAS policy, HILS PhD students may participate in the HMX courses, but will not receive a certificate nor credit on their transcript.
 

Additional "Half" Courses (4 credits) and "Quarter" Courses (2 credits each)
"Half" courses (including the core courses) span an entire semester (~16 weeks or half the academic year, usually 32 hours of class time and ~ 64 hours of work outside of class). "Quarter" courses span half that (~6-7 weeks or one quarter of the academic year, 18 hours of class time and ~ 32 hours outside of class). Students choose from a range of half courses and quarter courses that are focused on topics of special interest to a particular research area. New courses are continually being developed and launched.  Browse the course catalog.

Nanocourses (3 nanos = 2 credits)
Nanocourses allow for maximal versatility in our curricular offerings at HMS.  Nanocourses are 6-hour courses taught over two days (6 class hours and 6-12 hours outside of class), in which two to three (2-3) faculty members deliver highly specialized content.  Day 1 of each nanocourse is open to all members of the Harvard community.  Day 2 is designed for registered students of the class, where lecturers lead students through hands-on activities and assignments that allow practice of the content introduced in the previous session. The format of this second session is flexible, and may include discussion of relevant papers, brainstorming about future research, or other activities chosen by the course director to assess student progress. The maximum number of nanocourses allowable towards degree is 6. See some examples.

Boot camps (2 credits each)
Boot camp courses merge hands-on lab experience with lectures over a one-to-three-week period. These courses typically run during the January term and provide students the opportunity to interact with several different faculty in their labs spanning a range of experimental and biological topics. Most of the research communities that make up the BBS program organize or participate in one or more boot camps. A quantitative biology boot camp using PYTHON is also offered to incoming G1 and G2+ students in the summer prior to orientation. Learn more about boot camp courses.

Additional Courses at Other Harvard Schools and Partner Institutions
In addition to the core content courses, a range of advanced course offerings are provided by the various departments and programs within Harvard Medical School. Students may also choose from many graduate-level courses offered at Harvard College in Cambridge, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and MIT. Browse the course catalog.

MDP Curriculum including Courses, Rotations, PQE, and Teaching Requirement
BBS has several incoming MDPs each fall, primarily through HMS, MIT and GSAS, and they are the next-generation of premier and diverse physician-scientist leaders.  Because their training has both depth and breadth, they have a customized curriculum during their time in BBS.  MDP applicants and current students can review the 2026-27 curriculum here.

Curriculum Fellows (CFs) are PhD-level scientists pursuing careers focused on teaching, improving, and supporting science education. The CF Program functions as an educational laboratory that both researches and improves the learning experience for graduate students and postdoctoral trainees in the HMS community. Like postdoctoral fellows in a science lab, the CFs work with faculty members to bring new energy, creativity, and innovation to graduate and medical coursework. As trained research scientists, the CFs take a scientific approach to curricular redesign and course improvement, observing and identifying challenges, and then designing and implementing modifications. The CFs work together as a community, sharing their novel strategies for curricular revisions to promote integration across graduate courses and bringing their insights gleaned from current educational scholarship into HMS classrooms. Learn more about our CF program.

Students have access to several free resources that offer opportunities students to build their professional skills and/or explore additional topic areas of interest such as law, history, science, engineering, business, social sciences, computer science, public health, and artificial intelligence (AI).  The courses and MOOCs are online and flexible for students' schedules.

These courses do not count for credit and do not count towards the PhD degree.  

Harvard edX: https://www.edx.org/school/harvardx

Harvard LinkedIn Learning: https://linkedinlearning.harvard.edu/