Most students satsify their formal course requirements within one year of entry into the program. Laboratory Rotation Entering students select two to three laboratoires according to their research interests for their laboratory rotation. Approximately four to six weeks is spent with each laboratory group where the student participates in discussions with the laboratory director, laboratory meetings, and journal clubs. Many students work on laboratory projects during this rotation. The main purpose of the laboratory rotation is to identify an appropriate laboratory in which the student will conduct his or her thesis research.
Most students select a laboratory by the end of the first semester.
Examinations Three examinations are administered during the course of a student's graduate study. The Qualifying Examination is taken following completion of the student's formal course work and within two years of entry into the program. This examination tests knowledge in cell biology and peripheral areas. The Preliminary Examination is scheduled after the student and adviosr have selected a research topic and focuses upon the student's research proposal and background knowledge in the field of interest. The Thesis Defense completes the examination series.