Early in the first year faculty give short presentations on their research to familiarize students with the many possibilities for graduate research projects. Course work Molecular Biology students enroll in graduate core courses, which are two semesters in length and provide a foundation of basic knowledge in biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics and cell biology. By the end of the first year students should have chosen a lab for their dissertation research. Year 2 Research Students continue their dissertation research. Course work Additional courses, beyond the graduate core courses, are taken.
All students enroll in required seminar courses.
Other courses are chosen based on choice of research area or to remove deficiences in earlier preparation. The qualifying exam, or prelim, occurs during spring of the second year. The student prepares a written research proposal, in the form of a grant proposal, and defends the proposal in an oral presentation to a committe of faculty members. The proposal is not related to the anticipated dissertation research proposal. After passing the prelim, the student writes and defends a second research proposal based on the planned dissertation research.