Biomedical Sciences (Ph.D.) Program Details

Degree Requirements

  ❱ Required coursework
  ❱ Research tool requirement
❱ Qualifying or comprehensive examination (As part of candidacy requirements, oral and/or written comprehensive candidacy examination depending on the chosen track)
  ❱ Graduate School expository writing requirement
  ❱ Graduate School Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) requirement
  ❱ Dissertation
  ❱ Final oral examination/Dissertation defense

Research Specializations

Click below to view program of study details and faculty areas of interest for each research track*

  ❱ Anatomy, Organismal & Cell Biology Research Track
  ❱ Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Research Track
  ❱ Microbiology & Immunology Research Track
  ❱ Pharmacology & Therapeutics Research Track
  ❱ Physiology Research Track

The Research Track includes courses required for each student once they choose a track/specialty. The courses comprise a total of 12 credits in year two and will be governed by the jurisdiction of each research track specialization. Electives are added to the Fall and Spring semesters of Year 3 to provide students with the opportunity to take courses that expand their academic and research proficiency. In Year 3, students must select their elective courses in consultation with their research track advisor.

Program of Study*

Foundations in Biomedical Sciences I (6 CR)

Foundations in Biomedical Sciences II (6 CR)

Methods in Biomedical Science (4 CR)

Experimental Design/Intro to Biostatistics (2 CR)

Journal Club/Critique of Scientific Literature (2 CR)

Biostatistics & Bioinformatics (3 CR)

Lab Rotation 1 (2 CR)

Lab Rotation 2 (2 CR)

Lab Rotation 3 (2 CR)

Manuscript Writing/ Presentation Skills (2 CR)

Grant Writing (2 CR)

Research Track Coursework (6 CR)

Seminar/Journal Club (4 CR)

Directed Research (1-9 CR)

Admission to Candidacy

Students are admitted to formal candidacy by the Graduate School when they have completed the required coursework, have passed the comprehensive/qualifying exam requirement, submitted an approved topic for research, and been recommended by the Department. The dissertation proposal and an oral defense of the proposal are mandatory components of the comprehensive/qualifying exam requirement for each track. Additionally, some tracks may include an extra component of the comprehensive candidacy examination. Candidates must also have satisfied the Graduate School expository writing requirement and Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) requirement.

Graduate Funding

Graduate research or teaching assistantships are available to qualified students at the department level. Additionally, admitted students may be eligible to compete for Graduate School competitive awards, which provide tuition remission and a stipend during the academic year. Research assistants and teaching assistants work no more than 20 hours a week under the program's direction, usually in support of faculty research (research assistants) or in support of assigned courses (teaching assistants). Please see the Funding website for more detailed information.