Students are individuals. Nowhere is this more true than in the MCSB program, which welcomes applicants from a wide variety of academic backgrounds from traditional biology disciplines to mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering or computer science. The goal of the program is to provide a balance between individualized instruction and exposure to a common core of concepts and approaches. The program does not seek to produce a homogeneous set of graduates with exactly the same knowledge base and skills. Rather, the program seeks to give individuals the practical skills to work together across disciplinary lines. To this end, the curriculum emphasizes diverse training, active mentoring, and collaborative efforts.  

The components of the curriculum include

1. Didactic coursework, providing a broad introduction to topics in Mathematical, Computational and Systems Biology
2. Skill building coursework, designed to develop critical thinking and collaboration skills
3. Focused Workshops, short-terms experiences intended to build specific practical skills
4. Laboratory Rotations, to expose students to research projects in a variety of disciplines