Curriculum - General Description
All four tracks are research-oriented and will combine coursework with sufficient time for intensive research activity. Previous students on average have completed the Ph.D. in five years or less, and the M.S. program in about 3 years. Graduates progress to post-doctoral training (Ph.D. degree graduates) or to research, teaching, and other positions in academia, industry, and the government (Ph.D. and M.S. degree graduates).
All incoming Ph.D. and M.S. students enter the program without officially declaring a track, although they may be certain which track they plan to join. All students take a common core of coursework (see tables below) and rotate though faculty laboratories during the first year. Students then align with a faculty major advisor and advisor’s track, and begin the Ph.D. dissertation or M.S. thesis research project within the first year. Students complete any additional track-specific coursework and their research project during ensuing years. The common core of coursework all students take in the first year is rigorous, integrated, and helps to promote fruitful cross-fertilization between disciplines. Upon completion of the course work and laboratory research, students are well prepared for successful careers in academia, industry, and government agencies.
Our recent graduates from the Ph.D./M.S. in Biomedical Science program have received research positions at leading academic institutions, government, and industry. Institutions include Centers for Disease Control, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories, Columbia University, Cornell University, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Gliatech, Immusol, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, Merck, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Pfizer, Salk Research Institute, Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt University, University of Michigan, and Yale University.
