The University of Colorado Health Sciences Center has formed an interdisciplinary program that crosses classic department lines to provide an integrative approach to meet the training and research challenges of the rapidly expanding field of molecular biology. The program faculty includes members of the Departments of Biochemistry, Cellular and Structural Biology, Genetics, Medicine, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, and Physiology in the Graduate School and in the School of Medicine, enabling students to receive more diverse training than is typically available. Students take a limited number of core courses, thus having ample time to pursue individualized programs. Core courses include biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, and cell biology.
Elective courses cover a wide variety of advanced topics.
Students also participate in journal clubs, research seminars, and a broad selection of courses and other programs within the graduate and medical schools. During their first year, students typically take courses and spend one quarter in each of three different laboratories to familiarize themselves with laboratories in which they may choose to do their thesis research. During the second year, students take an oral comprehensive examination in which a research proposal is defended. After successful completion of this examination, students are advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Thesis research is generally completed within the next two years.