Academic Standards
Students must maintain a minimum overall cumulative GPA of 3.00. In addition, a minimum of a B grade must be earned in each of the required courses and in each of the degree-granting program core courses.
General Degree Requirements - All Interdisciplinary Biomedical Graduate Students
The first term core course, Foundations of Biomedical Science, is required of all students and is followed by increasingly specialized course work in the discipline-specific program the student has chosen. A course in biomedical experimental design and analysis and a course in research ethics are also required of all students. The first year includes three laboratory research rotations. (See listing of Required Courses below.) Students are guided through their first year of graduate study by a faculty mentor assigned by the program.
The mentor helps to identify rotation laboratories, provides advice on classes, and ensures that students reach appropriate milestones in the first year of the program. At the end of the first year, a preliminary student performance evaluation is conducted by the Program Steering Committee. When a student has successfully completed the preliminary evaluation and chosen a dissertation advisor, the student transfers into one of the degree-granting programs.
Evaluation following the first year is undertaken by the degree-granting program and includes course performance and a comprehensive exam at the end of the second year of study. The comprehensive exam is in the form of an original research proposal followed by an oral examination before a faculty committee. Upon successful completion of the comprehensive exam, the student nominates a dissertation advisory committee composed of a minimum of 5 members. A majority of the committee (including the major advisor) must have graduate faculty status. The student then presents a dissertation proposal to the committee and is admitted to candidacy. The training program is completed by execution of an original and independent research project and defending a dissertation. Please see Regulations Pertaining to Doctoral Degrees.
Required Courses-All Students
The following courses are required of all students in the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Graduate Program:
INTBP 2000 - FOUNDTNS OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
INTBP 2005 - FOUNDATIONS CONFERENCE
INTBP 2013 - D2K: FROM DATA TO KNOWLEDGE- BIOMEDICAL EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND ANALYSIS
INTBP 2290 - SCIENTIFIC ETHICS AND THE RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH
INTBP 2010 - LABORATORY RESEARCH ROTATION
A minimum of 72 credits (32 course credits and 40 PhD dissertation research credits) beyond the baccalaureate degree is required for the PhD degree.
