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The Department of Biology offers programs leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Biological Sciences. Specialized programs of study are provided in the following core disciplines: applied and environmental microbiology, cellular and molecular biology and physiology, molecular genetics and biochemistry, and neurobiology and behavior, molecular genetics & biochemistry with interdisciplinary specialization in bioinformatics.
General Requirements: At least 90 hours of graduate credit are required for the Ph.D. in Biological Sciences. To satisfy the minimum requirements for the degree, the student must complete successfully:
- 32 hours of graduate classroom coursework, which must include:
- Discipline-specific core courses (8 hours)
- Discipline-specific electives (8 hours)
- Discipline-specific topics/concepts and seminar (14 hours, which must include at least 6 hours of topics or concepts and two hours of BIOL 8550 and three hours of BIOL 6801 )
- BIOL 9991 or BIOL 9992 (2 hours to be taken during qualifying exam)
- Proficiency in biochemistry. This requirement can be fulfilled by completion of CHEM 6600 or waived if the student has completed an equivalent undergraduate or graduate level course with a grade of B or higher. Substitution of an equivalent discipline-related subject (appropriate to the student’s program of study) will be considered on a case-by-case basis and requires prior written approval of the Area Program Director.
- 58 hours of biology research (BIOL 8800 or BIOL 9999 ). At least 30 hours must be BIOL 9999 .
- A qualifying examination.
- A dissertation.
- A final oral presentation, directed primarily to the defense of the dissertation.
Specific Requirements: The following coursework constitutes the minimum core requirements for each discipline. Substitutions in the curriculum may be made based on the recommendation of the student’s research adviser and require the prior written approval of the Biology Graduate Committee. Students will be expected, however, to demonstrate knowledge of all material covered in discipline-specific core courses (below) during the qualifying examination.
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