The Biophysics Certificate Program is open to any graduate student who is already enrolled in a graduate program at MIT. Certificate requirements include a three-course 36-unit interdisciplinary core (Areas I, II, and III below) and a one-semester 6-unit discussion-based course (20.416J/7.74J) that exposes students to diverse areas of modern biophysics research. Students are additionally expected to present their graduate research in the Biophysics Graduate Student Seminar Series, participate in the annual biophysics retreat, which includes student poster presentations, student talks, and ethics training in the responsible conduct of research, and regularly attend the MIT Biophysics Seminar Series. A graduate certificate is not a formal degree, but rather a means of acknowledging that a graduate student has completed a course of study that includes training in biophysics in addition to their principal area of specialization. For questions related to the Biophysics Certificate Program please e-mail biophysics-certificate@mit.edu.
Biophysics Certificate Program Requirements
20.416J/7.74J Evaluating Current Research in Molecular & Cellular Biophysics (6-units, fall)
*Plus one (12-unit) course from each of the following three areas:
Area I: Physical Sciences & Engineering
8.592 Statistical Physics in Biology
20.415 Physical Biology
Area II: Biological Sciences
7.51 Principles of Biochemical Analysis
7.52 Genetics for Graduate Students
7.58 Molecular Biology
7.61 Eukaryotic Cell Biology
7.493/ 20.446 Microbial Genetics and Evolution
HST.508 Quantitative and Evolutionary Genomics
Area III: Biophysical Methods
20.409 Biological Engineering II: Instrumentation & Measurement
5.78 or 7.71Biophysical Chemistry Techniques
5.55 Chemical Tools for Assessing Biological Function
5.069 Crystal Structure Analysis
5.65 Molecular Imaging
9.472 Neuroimaging Cells & Circuits
5.46 NMR Spectroscopy & Organic Structure Determination
2.715 Optical Microscopy & Spectroscopy for Biology & Medicine
2.710Optics
7.57Quantitative Biology
7.81 Systems Biology
HST.S15 Physico-chemical Concepts in Immunology & Virology
*It may be possible to substitute other biophysics classes at MIT for those listed above. To discuss this possibility, please contact Jeff Gore (gore@mit.edu). For other Biophysics classes offered, see additional Biophysics Courses.
Additional Biophysics Courses
Biology
7.51Principles of Biochemical Analysis7.52Quantitative Biology7.57Protein Folding & Human Disease7.88Protein Folding Problem7.91Computational & Systems Biology
Biological Engineering
20.415 Physical Biology
20.420 Biomolecular Kinetics & Cellular Dynamics
20.430 Fields, Forces, & Flows in Biological Systems
20.385 Synthetic Biology
Brain & Cognitive Sciences
22.56Noninvasive Imaging in Biology & Medicine
Chemical Engineering
10.540 Intracellular Dynamics
10.541 Kinetics of Biological & Chemical Systems
Chemistry
5.55 Chemical Tools for Assessing Biological Function
5.64 Biophysical Chemistry
5.65 Molecular Imaging
5.78 Biophysical Chemistry Techniques
Civil & Environmental Engineering
1.545 Atomistic Modeling & Simulation of Materials & Structures
1.88 Physical Ecology at the Microscale
Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
6.502 Introduction to Molecular Simulations
6.521 Cellular Biophysics
6.522 Quantitative Physiology
Materials Science & Engineering
3.051 Materials for Biomedial Applications
3.901 Special Problems in Bio & Polymeric Materials
3.96 Biomaterials: Tissue Interactions
Mechanical Engineering
2.710 Optics
2.715 Optical Microscopy & Spectroscopy for Biology & Medicine
Physics
8.591 Systems Biology
8.592 Statistical Physics in Biology
8.593 Biological Physics