During your first academic year, in the second semester, you perform two or three research rotations in the laboratories of Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences faculty members. This allows you to explore coursework and lab rotations across multiple disciplines as part of a truly open program. Our students become biomedical professionals with the skills to translate fundamental biological insights into solutions for the complex biomedical problems impacting our society at large.

The PhD program aims to meet four key learning goals:

1. provide depth in defined disciplines
2. establish a foundation of competence in data analysis
3. foster skills in science communication
4. contextualize the societal impact of scientific contributions across biomedical disciplines

Coursework

All PhD candidates complete a core curriculum and elective courses to fulfill the degree. The curriculum is centered on four main pillars, in line with our learning goals:

1. Systems Biomedicine and Society
2. Science Communications
3. Data Analysis and Statistics
4. Depth in Scientific Discipline

We offer a flexible menu of elective courses that allow for the build of a personalized curriculum. The flexibility in elective courses meets the growing trend of inter- and trans-disciplinary science and encourages merging quantitative and qualitative content to rigorously train in chosen fields. Mentors will work with all first-year students to recommend a curriculum that aligns not only with their interests, but with their previous academic record, experience, and expectations of the discipline. Maintaining flexible course requirements also allows the faculty to adjust course offerings to meet the needs of their changing field. For information about specific course schedules, instructors, and syllabi, see the PhD course catalog.

Academic Timeline

Orientation and courses begin in August.

Pre-candidacy: Begin Open Program, Complete Rotations, Take Qualifying Exam

All students entering our open program are provided a pre-candidacy advisor (PCA) mentor to guide them through their first year of training and select appropriate coursework and rotations.

The first semester is devoted to full-time coursework, with students taking 14-16 credits. Courses include:

1. A PhD Experience (APEX)
2. Systems Biomedicine and Society
3. Scientific Integrity and Responsible Conduct in Research

Rotations

First-year students conduct two to three research rotations in the spring semester of their first year to gain experience working in labs of their interest. The goal of these rotations is to help students choose a thesis lab at the end of the first year providing time for both the student and the faculty to evaluate the potential working relationship.

Rotations run from January to June and are 8 weeks long:

Rotation 1: January 5 – February 27
Rotation 2: March 2 – April 24
Rotation 3: April 27 – June 19

Students select a thesis advisor and begin working on their thesis project in the lab by July 1 of their first year.

Qualifying Exam

The goal of the qualifying exam is to provide students with a rigorous, fair, and objective checkpoint that allows our students to advance to PhD candidacy while ensuring their competency in disciplines.

The qualifying exam, taken at the end of the first year, places an emphasis on core content and foundational knowledge. The exam will focus on the core curriculum (Data Analysis and Biostatistics with R as well as the fall and spring foundational electives taken). Depending on the courses taken, the style of exam will vary (problems, multiple choice or long answer). In most cases, all 3 parts are administered on the same day (closed book, no notes).

After you have completed your required coursework and passed the qualifying exam, you are eligible to apply for an MPhil. Please notify us of your qualifying exam date by completing the qualifying exam notification found on the student community.

Post-Candidacy: Conduct Full-Time Research and Schedule Frequent Committee Meetings

After you have passed your qualifying exam, you participate in full-time research. It is normal for experimental-discovery timelines to vary widely. If your research is further along, you may be determining which results are suitable for journal publication and what additional scientific questions should be pursued for inclusion in your thesis. Regular committee meetings are essential to ensure progress. Students also attend programmatic Works in Progress Series, where you learn about research performed by graduate students in other labs.

Works in Progress Series: Across Scales

The works in progress series is separated into four broad themes: Tissues, Genes, Society, and Cells. This series is open to faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and lab members, intended to foster interdisciplinary exchange of ideas, create community, and provide opportunities for graduate students to present and receive feedback from a diverse audience.

All students in their second year will register for one WIP where they intend to present. WIPS are held weekly, with two 20 minute presentations, each with 10 minutes for questions.