The following program requirements for the interdisciplinary Ph.D. program
in Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB Program) are in addition to the requirements
of the Graduate School outlined in the University of Washington General Catalog.
Exceptions to these Program requirements may be considered in special circumstances
by petition to the Program Director and with approval from the MCB Steering
Committee.
Due to the broad nature of the program, the formal course requirements are
kept to a minimum to accommodate the different learning objectives of the individual
students. A major responsibility of the student's Doctoral Supervisory Committee
is to advise students of additional courses that would provide essential background
information in their chosen area of research beyond the program requirements.
Students form their doctoral Supervisory Committees by the end of March, define their doctoral projects, take additional elective courses, participate as teaching assistants for two quarters, and hold their committee meetings.
PLEASE NOTE: At the end of Summer Quarter, the MCB staff and directors
review each student's status, in particular his or her fulfillment of the
appropriate supervisory committee meeting. Failure to take care of this
requirement can and will result in the following actions:
MCB probation. MCB travel money frozen, and the directors disinclined
to help out the student, P.I. and/or lab with subsequent problems.
A freeze on new rotations in the corresponding laboratory. In other
words, laboratories and P.I.'s that have current students who have not
fulfilled their annual requirements will not be allowed to take on new
students.
Graduate School probation. Can result in expulsion from Graduate School
after three consecutive quarters without fulfilling annual program
requirements.
Most problems can be avoided simply with good communication with the MCB
office about your status and plans. Please communicate with the MCB office
early and often if you run into any problems or issues with the scheduling
and execution of your committee meetings during the academic year.
Credit Requirements
MCB students complete 21 graded credits of coursework with 9 credits of the CONJ
series and 12 credits of graded elective courses. MSTP students receiving a PhD
through the MCB Program are required to have 18 graded credits, and should petition
the MCB Directors to accept medical school courses in lieu of the remaining 3
credits.
First Year
Students complete most of their formal course requirements, select a permanent
advisor, and establish a Doctoral Supervisory Committee. A typical first year
class schedule includes 6 five-week modules of the MCB Conjoint series, 3 lab
rotations, 3 quarters of literature review and one or more graded elective classes.
Following the third rotation, students generally choose a permanent advisor in
whose lab they will pursue research for the rest of their educational career,
generally 3-4 years. During the summer, students complete the Biomedical Research
Integrity Lecture Series.
Second Year
Students form their doctoral Supervisory Committees by the end of March, define their doctoral projects, take additional elective courses, participate as teaching assistants for two quarters, and hold their committee meetings.
PLEASE NOTE: At the end of Summer Quarter, the MCB staff and directors
review each student's status, in particular his or her fulfillment of the
appropriate supervisory committee meeting. Failure to take care of this
requirement can and will result in the following actions:
MCB probation. MCB travel money frozen, and the directors disinclined
to help out the student, P.I. and/or lab with subsequent problems.
A freeze on new rotations in the corresponding laboratory. In other
words, laboratories and P.I.'s that have current students who have not
fulfilled their annual requirements will not be allowed to take on new
students.
Graduate School probation. Can result in expulsion from Graduate School
after three consecutive quarters without fulfilling annual program
requirements.
Most problems can be avoided simply with good communication with the MCB
office about your status and plans. Please communicate with the MCB office
early and often if you run into any problems or issues with the scheduling
and execution of your committee meetings during the academic year.
Third Year and Beyond
By the end of Spring Quarter of the third year, the student completes the General
Examination and is conferred official Ph.D. Candidacy by the Graduate School.
She/he then focuses on the dissertation research and continues to meet with the
Supervisory Committee each Spring Quarter to report on research progress and plans
for the coming year. When the Supervisory Committee agrees that a student is ready,
the Final Examination is scheduled. Upon successful completion of the Final Examination
and acceptance of the completed dissertation by the Graduate School, a student
is conferred the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
Guideposts for Student Progress
Students are encouraged to consider the following timeline for monitoring their
progression through the MCB Program:
By the end of the first year, all students will have chosen a lab and started
thesis research.
By the end of the second year, students should have a firm idea of what their
thesis project is going to be. This includes having a plan for how to go about
validating their approach or idea. Some students will have completed whatever
experiments are necessary to demonstrate feasibility. Unexpected results or technical
difficulties may necessitate changes in the plan but there should be a plan and
substantial data that can form the basis for the General Examination.
By the end of the third year all students will have taken their General Exam,
and many students will have published a first author paper, or have a viable outline
of a publication that may result from their research to date. Particularly innovative
approaches or experiments in complex systems may progress more slowly, but there
should be a detailed outline that will guide future research.
By the end of the fourth year, a first author publication will typically be
published or in press, and significant progress will be made on subsequent publications.
Many students will have a detailed plan for how to complete their thesis. The
MCB office will inform the Directors of all students in their fourth and fifth
years, and the Directors will begin contacting students and advisors to monitor
graduate student progress. Significant problems, such as lack of a viable project,
may prompt the Supervisory Committee to provide the student with written guidelines
and suggestions. In terms of planning for completion of their doctoral career,
students should realize that finding an appropriate postdoctoral position often
takes more than a year, and they will begin contacting prospective postdoctoral
mentors.
By the end of the fifth year, all students should have a detailed plan for
how to complete their thesis research, and this plan will be communicated to both
the thesis committee and the MCB Directors. It is expected that most students
will receive their degree by the end of their fifth year, or halfway through their
sixth year. Supervisory Committees should meet at six-month intervals if a student
is not on-track to graduate by the end of the sixth year. The MCB Directors will
continue to directly contact students and mentors to monitor progress.
By the end of the sixth year, most students should have graduated. Those who
have not, should have completed their research or be within a few experiments
of doing so. Students without solid future plans or who wish to finish additional
experiments not essential for graduation may elect to remain in the laboratory
as a short-term postdoctoral fellow.
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