PhD Curriculum in Biomedical Sciences

Your lectures and first-year training programs are highly interactive. They spark stimulating discussions of the latest research findings, theory, methods and ethical issues.

First-year coursework and trainings include:

• Fundamental Topics in Biology, with courses on Genes to Proteins, Cell Biology and Developmental Biology.
• Biological Insights into Disease and Therapy, with courses on Cancer, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Pharmacology and Chemical Biology.
• Topics in Clinical and Translational Research, which exposes students to the fundamental trajectory of patient care through six modules with experiential and conceptual components.
• Biostatistics and Computational Biology, with sections on Biostatistical Methods and Introduction to Computational Approaches to Answer Biological Questions.
• Lab Rotations, which immerse you in three different laboratories for six focused weeks at a time (coursework is limited during rotations).  See our list of world-class research faculty.

For details on coursework, rotations and training experiences, see our Academic Catalog.

During your Year 1 lab rotations, you have had an inside look into three possible settings for your dissertation research. As you move from Year 1 to Year 2, you choose your laboratory and your Dissertation Committee.

In Year 2, you begin experiments for your dissertation research, take a Scientific Writing and Communications course, continue learning through seminars and laboratory meetings and prepare for your Candidacy Qualifying Examination.  The exam evaluates the student’s readiness and aptitude to move to full-time dissertation research and includes a written grant proposal on the topic of your dissertation research project and an oral question and answer session related to your proposal and field of study with your Dissertation Committee.  

You continue the research you began in Year 2 through degree completion. You will work with your Doctoral Advisor to refine the proposal that you wrote for your Candidacy Qualifying Exam and submit as a grant application. Lab meetings and seminars keep you learning outside your own work.

To complete your dissertation, you conduct original research, analyze and compile the data, report the results and significance of the work, and orally defend the dissertation. You will also be required to publish a minimum of at least one first author or co-first author primary research manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal.

Years 4+ are focused on writing manuscripts, completing your research project, and writing your dissertation. This is how you launch your life’s work as a biomedical scientist.

Throughout the program, career and professional development training will be provided to ensure your successful career in science.

For more details on the process, consult our Academic Catalog and Student Handbook (PDF)