Many candidates enrolled in the PhD training program at Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences complete their doctoral degree within 6 years. Once you obtain the required 72 credits and pass the qualifying exam, you will receive the Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree. This is considered advancing to doctoral candidacy.

If you already have a master’s degree, you can transfer a maximum of 40 credits of coursework, with a grade of 3.0 (B) or higher in each course, from graduate programs at other institutions. Courses must meet our institutional standards and be approved by Program Leadership.

Academic Requirements for the PhD

All PhD candidates must meet the following academic requirements:

• enroll in full-time doctoral study at NYU Grossman School of Medicine or approved affiliate laboratories
• complete 72 credits—32 credits of coursework and 40 credits of research and seminar work—within 10 years of your initial date of matriculation or 7 years from the date of transfer into the program
• maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 for the required 32 credits of coursework; grades below C-minus do not count toward the 32 credits
• pass a qualifying examinationn
• lead or co-lead a significant scientific effort to be published in a peer-reviewed journal
• present and defend a written thesis