Biology Graduate Programs
Doctor of Philosophy in Biology
A minimum of 84 credit hours is required for the Ph.D. degree in biology. Students should consult the section "Transfer Credits" for rules on how many credit hours may be transferred from another institution. Completion of an M.S. degree is not normally required for admission to the full-time program for the Ph.D. degree but may be required of part-time students. Students must pass the Ph.D. qualifying examination in their respective areas of specialization: biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, or microbiology (see "Departmental Graduation Examinations").
Each student, in addition, will be required to pass a comprehensive examination (which serves partly as an oral defense of the thesis proposal) taken prior to performing the major portion of the dissertation research, and in any event, prior to the sixth semester of study and at least one year before oral defense of the thesis. The final examination for the Ph.D. degree consists of an oral presentation and defense of the dissertation.
Degree Requirements
The Ph.D. program is tailored to fit the student's background and goals and is subject to approval at the time of filing of the program of study (Form #401). Programs of study may be designed in any of the three areas of concentration. However, all programs of study must include at least 36 credits hours in formal courses (exclusive of BIOL 591 and BIOL 691).
Formal courses must include the classes listed below:
| BIOL 445 | Cell Biology | 3 Credits |
| BIOL 512 | Advanced Biochemistry | 3 Credits |
| BIOL 515 | Molecular Biology | 3 Credits |
| BIOL 526 | Developmental Biology | 3 Credits |
| BIOL 542 | Advanced Microbiology Lectures | 3 Credits |
| BIOL 550 | Bioinformatics and Biotechnology | 3 Credits |
| BIOL 555 | Macromolecular Structure Determination | 3 Credits |
| BIOL 562 | Functional Genomics | 3 Credits |
| BIOL 584 | Graduate Seminar in Biology | 3 Credits |
| BIOL 595 | Colloquium (4 Semesters) | 4 Credits |
In addition, Ph.D. candidates take the following laboratory courses:
| BIOL 519 | Biochemistry | 3 Credits |
| BIOL 520 | Advanced Biochemistry | 3 Credits |
| BIOL 533 | Cell and Molecular Biology | 3 Credits |
| BIOL 539 | Advanced Cell Biology | 3 Credits |
| BIOL 691 | Ph.D. Thesis Research | Credit Variable |
All research for the dissertation must be carried out under the direct supervision of a faculty research advisor. The faculty research adviser will also act as the candidate's academic adviser. Students must have passed the written qualifying examination before registering for BIOL 691. Students may complete all formal course requirements for the Ph.D. degree as either full-time or part-time students.