The College of Graduate Studies offers graduate programs leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in biochemistry and molecular biology, cell and tissue engineering, developmental biology and teratology, genetics, immunology, microbiology and molecular virology, molecular pharmacology and structural biology, pathology and cell biology, and physiology. The College also offers graduate programs leading to the degree of Master of Science in biomedical chemistry, developmental biology and teratology, microbiology, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacology, and physical therapy. The Ph.D. student generally enrolls in graduate-level courses during the first two years and participates in seminars throughout the period of study, usually a total of five years. Research is often begun at the end of the first year, and the student takes a comprehensive examination, commonly after two years of study.
Research culminates in a scholarly dissertation that is defended during a final examination.
D. program is available to students who have been accepted into Jefferson Medical College and wish to pursue a career in academic medicine and medical research. During the first two years, students complete the basic medical preclinical curriculum in Jefferson Medical College. The next three years are spent in the Graduate College in pursuit of the Ph.D. degree. The final two years involve completion of medical studies in Jefferson Medical College. The Bluemle Life Sciences Building, with 157,000 square feet of laboratory space, serves as the primary research facility for molecular biology and genetics, molecular virology, microbiology, and immunology.