Prerequisites
Successful applicants must have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Biology or allied sciences. Students entering the Cell Biology program will be expected to have demonstrated academic excellence in their prior training. In addition, they are expected to have appreciable experience in independent laboratory research. Prospective students should apply for admission through the Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) Graduate Program.
Program Information
All students are required to successfully complete the Core Course in Integrative Biosciences (BIMS 6000) in their first semester, and will complete three laboratory research rotations to select a dissertation laboratory. This foundation is followed by advanced modular courses in the Spring of the first year and Fall of the second year. In addition to the required modules for the Cell Biology degree (listed below), a wide variety of modules offered by all of the Biomedical Sciences programs are available that may be relevant to the particular research project being undertaken for the dissertation and can be taken as electives. The second year culminates in the qualifying exam, in which students are evaluated both on the written thesis proposal and an oral exam for advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Upon completion of the required coursework and successful advancement to candidacy, students may also elect to obtain an en route M.S. in Biological & Physical Sciences.
With advancement to candidacy, students then focus on their dissertation research. One of the primary expectations for the Ph.D. degree in Cell Biology is the ability of the student to carry out independent research while matriculating, with the goal of becoming an independent investigator upon completion of the program. The dissertation must represent an original and significant contribution to science and must be of merit sufficient to achieve publication in a professional peer-reviewed journal. Students are required to publish a minimum of one article as the first-author in a peer reviewed professional journal prior to the dissertation defense.
Requirements for Ph.D. in Cell Biology
Required Courses
All BIMS students must complete a minimum of 72 hours of graduate credit. A minimum of 24 out of the 72 credit hours must be graded coursework, and no more than 48 of the 72 credit hours can be comprised of Non-Topical Research.