Academics
A distinctive goal of the Notre Dame biophysics curriculum is to “keep the physics in biophysics”. This goal reflects our conviction that physics, being focused on universal principles, can provide a valuable, complementary perspective regarding our understanding of life. This focus distinguishes our program of study from biophysics graduate programs in which the principles of physics are used primarily to develop and apply analytical tools, rather than a fresh way of asking questions and posing hypotheses.
The Notre Dame biophysics curriculum seeks an integrative approach, familiarizing students with basic principles that will allow the exploration of new synergies between biology and physics. At the same time, the curriculum stands apart from many biophysics programs by developing core competencies in physics concepts pertinent to biological molecules.
