N&B Ph.D. Requirements

Introduction

The goal of the Graduate Program in Neurobiology & Behavior is to produce the best Neuroscientists possible. The breath of our faculty allow us to provide interdisciplinary training from many points of view, including neuroanatomy, biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, pharmacology, computional modeling and behavior. A graduate of our program will therefore be equipped to pursue a variety of career paths.

To download the entire Ph.D. requirements document click here: [PDF]

Curriculum

All students in the Program take a three-quarter graduate level neuroscience course (NEUBEH 501, 502, & 503) covering cellular neurophysiology, cellular and molecular neurobiology, developmental neurobiology, neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology, and systems, cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. The three-quarter neuroscience course includes the core of general neuroscience knowledge that all students need to have. Students also take two 5-week courses offered Autumn Quarter: The Molecular Basis of Cellular Function (CONJ 531 & CONJ 532), which covers cell physiology, synaptic transmission, and signal transduction mechanisms. They also enroll in a quarter-long discussion group (NEUBEH 532) which is designed to complement the NEUBEH 501 course.

Students participate in a weekly Program-wide journal club (NEUBEH 527) with presentations by both students and faculty in the Program. Students receive credit for this course during their first two years. They are encouraged to attend throughout the remainder of their graduate careers. In addition, students earn credit for attending the Program seminar series (NEUBEH 510) throughout their graduate careers.

During the first year, students are required to complete three one-quarter laboratory rotations (NEUBEH 526), and may elect a fourth rotation in the summer quarter of the first year. At the conclusion of each rotation, students will submit an abstract and deliver a short oral presentation describing their work. The rotation advisor will provide a written evaluation of the student’s performance. Students should contact the Program Office at the beginning of each quarter with the name of their rotation advisor. All students in the Program are expected to attend the quarterly rotation talks.

Students will be expected to take at least 10 credits of elective courses. These do not have to be graded credits. Single credit courses that represent lab meetings, departmental journal clubs, etc., do not fulfill the elective requirement. Students are encouraged to consult their advisor and supervisory committee (once established) to determine an appropriate curricula of elective courses. Entering graduate students should consult with the Program Directors or Mentor Advisor for advice on appropriate elective courses to take during the 2nd and 3rd quarters of the 1st year. The N&B Program’s Electives List provides a comprehensive list of approved electives. In addition, a student may petition the Directors to receive credit for courses that are not part of the pre-approved list, but are deemed important for that the student’s dissertation project. Students may also petition for credit for summer courses taken at other institutions.

Required Graduate Student Courses

It is the responsibility of the student to meet the following minimum graduate school requirements. Most are met by the program requirements but they should be considered when selecting your elective courses.

NEUBEH 501: Introduction to Neurobiology: Molecular & Cellular Neurobiology. (3) (Offered: A) Carlson, Bothwell
Concepts and techniques of molecular and cell biology as applied to understanding development and function of the nervous system. Required for all first year students.

NEUBEH 502: Introduction to Neurobiology: Sensory & Motor Systems. (3) (Offered: W) Sherk
Introduction to neuroanatomy and modules on sensory and motor systems, examination of macroscopic and microscopic neural tissues. Required for all first year students.

NEUBEH 503: Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience (3) (Offered: Sp) Shadlen
A discussion of higher neural processes like learning, memory, and neuroendocrinology. Lecture and laboratory discussion of original literature, observation of demonstrations and simulations. Required for all first year students.

NEUBEH 510: Seminar in Neurobiology (0.5) (Offered: A, W, Sp)
Bi-weekly seminar on current topics in neuroscience. To be taken for credit throughout graduate training. Alt weeks with NEUBEH 527.

NEUBEH 515: Teaching Practicum (1.0-3.0) (Offered: A, W, Sp, S)

NEUBEH 526: Introduction to Laboratory Research in Neurobiology & Behavior (4) (Offered: A, W, Sp, S)
Students carry out research projects in the laboratories of different faculty members on a quarterly rotation basis.

NEUBEH 527: Current Topics in Neurobiology & Behavior (1) (Offered: A, W, Sp)
Presentations by students and faculty from the scientific literature on research in Neurobiology & Behavior. To be taken for credit throughout the first two years; attendance is encouraged throughout graduate training. (This course is concurrent with NEUBEH 510, alt weeks) Required for 1st and 2nd Year students.

NEUBEH 532: Discussion in Cell Signaling and Molecular Physiology. (2) (Offered: W) Rieke
Discusses fundamental issues in cell excitability and molecular and cellular physiology. Focuses on problem solving and reading from original literature. Emphasizes student participation. Required for all first year students.

CONJ 531, 532: (Each is a 5 week course) Molecular Basis of Cell Function. (3) (Offered: W)
Plasma membrane, including membrane structure, ion channels, transmembrane signaling. Conj 531 & Conj 532 are required for all first year students.

NEUBEH 600: Neurobiology & Behavior Research/Independent Study. (Variable-max 10 cr.) (Offered: A, W, Sp, S)
Independent research. Taken prior to General Examination.

NEUBEH 800: Doctoral Dissertation (Variable-max 10 cr.) (Offered: A, W, Sp, S)
Dissertation Research. Limited to graduate students in the program.

Graduate School Minimum Requirements

It is the responsibility of the student to meet the following minimum graduate school requirements. Most are met by the program requirements but they should be considered when selecting your elective courses.

1. At least 18 credits of your course work must be at the 500 level and above and must be completed prior to scheduling your General Exam.
2. Presentation of a minimum of three years (nine full-time quarters) of resident study, two of them at the UW with at least one year in continuous full-time residence. The continuous year may be satisfied by completing three full-time quarters out of any four consecutive quarters at the UW and must be completed prior to the General Examination. The residence requirement for the doctoral degree cannot be met solely by part-time study. A minimum of two academic years of resident study must be completed prior to scheduling the General Examination.
3. Numerical grades must be received in at least 18 quarter credits of course work taken at the UW prior to scheduling the General Examination. The Graduate School accepts numerical grades in 400-level courses approved as part of the major and all 500-level courses. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required for a graduate degree.
4. The student must pass the General Exam. Registration as a graduate student is required the quarter the exam is taken.
5. The student must prepare a dissertation that is a significant contribution to knowledge and clearly indicates training in research. Credit for the dissertation ordinarily should be at least one-third of the total credit. The Candidate must register for a minimum of 27 credits of dissertation over a period of at least three-quarters. At least one quarter must come after the student passes the General Examination. With the exception of summer, students are limited to a maximum of 10 credits per quarter of dissertation (NEUBEH 800).
6. The student must pass a Final Examination, usually devoted to the defense of the dissertation. The General and Final Examinations cannot be scheduled during the same quarter. Registration as a graduate student is required the quarter the exam is taken and the degree is conferred.
7. Completion of all work for the doctoral degree must be done within ten years. This includes quarters spent On-Leave or out of status as well as applicable work from the master's degree from the University of Washington or a master's degree from another institution, if applied toward one year of resident study other than the continuous full-time year of study.
8. Registration must be maintained as a full- or part-time graduate student at the University for the quarter in which the degree is conferred (see detailed information under Final Quarter Registration).
9. A student must satisfy the requirements that are in force at the time the degree is to be awarded.

Supervisory Committee

By Winter Quarter of the student’s second year in the Program, he or she must select a Supervisory Committee. This Committee will serve several important functions, including evaluating the student’s progress, advising the student on their research, and conducting the student’s General Exam. Students will meet with their Supervisory Committees as often as necessary, with a minimum of once per year to ensure that adequate and timely progress is being maintained. It is expected that the first meeting will take place soon after the committee has been formed, well before the General Exam is scheduled. These meetings are not examinations but should be a presentation and discussion of research to benefit the student and mentor. The Committee should approve the student’s progress before the General Exam is scheduled. (See Appendix C: Doctoral Supervisory Committee - Annual Meeting).

The Committee is made up of Faculty that the student selects, in consultation with the Supervisor. The Supervisory Committee must contain at least three individuals who are members of the Program training faculty. At least one member of the Committee should represent an area of neuroscience outside the student’s immediate area of research. A criterion for "outside" status is membership in a focus group outside the field of the dissertation advisor. In addition, the Graduate School will appoint a Graduate Faculty Representative (GSR) to the Supervisory Committee. (See Appendix B: To Appoint Supervisory Committee). It is suggested that the Committee contain at least four members (in addition to the Graduate Faculty Representative) to avoid having to cancel the General Exam if a committee member cannot attend. While it is not always possible to have all of the Supervisory Committee members attend each meeting, it is a requirement of the Graduate School that the GSR attend your General Exam. It is your responsibility to contact this person right away and to make sure that he or she is available for your exam. NOTE: The Supervisory Committee must be appointed at least 4 months before the warrant (request to schedule the exam) is submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School.

General Examination

Students should take the general exam within one to one-and-half years after joining their dissertation laboratories. The General Exam will consist of a written part and an oral part. The written part will be a research proposal that describes your dissertation research. This proposal should be no longer than 10 single-spaced pages. It should be distributed to your committee at least 2 weeks prior to the Exam. For the oral part of the examination, the student should prepare a 30-minute talk based on the proposal. The Committee may also question the student on material covered in the first year neurobiology core courses and recommended additional coursework to ensure that the student has acquired a sufficient breadth of knowledge in the neurosciences.

Prior to the Examination, the dissertation advisor should designate a member of the Committee to serve as the de facto chair of the General Examination who will be responsible for administering the General Examination. You will also need to find a room for your exam. If you have difficulty finding one, please contact the Program Office and we will assist you.

Important:

In order to schedule your General Exam, you will need to submit a warrant to the Dean of the Graduate School. You can obtain a warrant from the Graduate School's website and follow the most current instructions for submission. Warrant requests must be filled out, signed and delivered to the Graduate School at least 3 weeks before the General Exam.

*Please Note: The General Examination format is under review during Autumn Quarter 2004 and will be subject to change. Students who entered the N&B Program in 2004 or earlier will have the option to use the current format or the new format adopted in academic year 2004-2005.

Dissertation and Final Exam

The Dissertation and Final Exam will proceed according to the rules of the Graduate School. See the UW Graduate School Style and Policy Manual for Thesis and Dissertations

Training and Teaching

We expect our students to develop proficiency in teaching neurobiology to undergraduate and/or graduate students. A minimum of two teaching credits are required for graduation. These can be fulfilled by assisting in the graduate or undergraduate neurobiology courses for two quarters. Some courses provide two teaching credits for one quarter. The requirement is typically fulfilled in year 2 or 3. The mechanism for matching students with teaching experiences is under revision, but a list of the current opportunities can be found in Appendix A. Students must obtain approval before beginning a teaching opportunity.

Student Progress Evaluations

At the end of each academic year, all students who have been in a dissertation lab for the past year must have an evaluation of progress by their dissertation advisor. (First year students are evaluated during their rotations.) The advisor and student must complete the evaluation form, sign and return it to the Program Office by the established deadline. Each student must attach a brief summary of their progress during the past year. The evaluations are reviewed by the Graduate Training Committee and any concerns and/or problems are referred to the directors.

Satisfactory Progress

Satisfactory progress is not just a matter of maintaining a satisfactory (3.0) GPA. The N&B Program also expects that students enter a dissertation laboratory by the end of their third rotation (a fourth rotation will be allowed at the approval of the directors), and that the student will reach their academic milestones (Supervisory Committee, General Examination, Final Examination) in a timely manner. Each student will be expected to meet with their Supervisory Committee at least once a year. Each student will be evaluated by their advisor and this evaluation will be reviewed by the Graduate Training Committee. Any student who is judged not to be making satisfactory progress may be reviewed by the Graduate Training Committee and the directors at any time, and action will be taken to address the lack of progress.