The thesis defense is judged by faculty from both the program and the student's own department. The duration of the program is typically four or five years. The location of the laboratory where the student does research depends on the departmental affiliation of the mentor. Many of the faculty and instrumentation facilities are located in the Molecular Biology Building. A tradition of cooperation among MCDB faculty ensures student access to equipment, techniques, and expertise in all departments necessary for planning and executing successful research.
Aid is in the form of graduate teaching and research assistantships.
Full or partial tuition credits may also be available from different departments. Health insurance for a graduate student on an assistantship is paid for by the Graduate College. Student Group ISU currently enrolls 25,585 students, including 4,158 graduate students. There are 1,360 international graduate students, representing 100 countries. There are currently 40 students in the MCDB program.