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Programs

Genetics

The graduate program in genetics offers doctoral training in genetics with emphasis on molecular and cellular biology, developmental biology, and computational biology. The program takes a broad view of genetics, a discipline that unites diverse areas of the modern biomedical sciences. This perspective offers students a wide variety of interdisciplinary and collaborative opportunities in fundamental biomedical research, disease models, and translational research. While the program is based in the Department of Biomedical Genetics, it also includes affiliated faculty from many other departments and centers in the Medical Center and Arts, Sciences and Engineering.

Training in the first year of the program comprises introductory graduate-level classes in in the biomedical sciences along with an advanced course in genetics. These classes lay the foundation for a variety of advanced courses and electives on specialized topics, such as developmental biology and cancer biology. Three laboratory rotations are a major component of the first year. During these rotations, graduate students perform research projects in program faculty laboratories. Students gain experience in independent research and an in-depth view of the scope of faculty research, choosing one of the labs in which to carry out their thesis research.

Training in the second and the following years includes carrying out thesis research as well as in-depth specialized elective courses and participation and presentation in departmental and laboratory seminars and journal clubs. Depending on their interests, students can take either Concentrations in either Cancer Biology or Bioinformatics. Students also serve as teaching assistants for at least one semester and learn about issues of science ethics. A weekly seminar series provides a venue to present research, receive feedback, and learn about the wide variety of research in the program. Graduate student research projects are supported and monitored by the student’s mentor and a thesis committee that consists of four faculty members. By the beginning of the third year, students complete a qualifying exam that allows them to enter candidacy for the doctorate.

Information about faculty and research can be found on the Genetics website.

AdmissionsLink to section

Applying to Doctoral ProgramsLink to section

The genetics admissions committee takes an integrative, holistic approach to assessing a candidate’s qualifications and goals. No one factor has a “make-or-break” influence on the committee’s assessments; rather, the committee individually evaluates each candidate’s background, opportunities, and achievements with an eye toward assessing their potential for success in graduate school and the degree to which enrollment in our program will benefit them. Transcripts of all post-secondary education (associate’s, bachelor’s, and/or master’s degrees, or their equivalents) are required and allow the assessment of the candidate’s academic record. A minimum of three letters of reference, ideally from referees who can provide informed, detailed, honest assessments of the candidate’s potential for success in a research-intensive PhD program, are required. A required personal statement allows the candidate a free-form opportunity to describe their background and explain the motivations for their interest in our program.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or equivalent is not required; not submitting GRE scores will not disadvantage a candidate’s application. However, test scores may be submitted voluntarily, in which case they will be integrated into the committee’s holistic assessment of the application.

For students whose primary language is not English, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Duolingo English Test (DET) is a requirement, unless applicants have successfully completed secondary instruction at an English-language institution.

AcademicsLink to section

Master's Degrees and RequirementsLink to section

The BGG program awards a master of science in genetics degree en passant to students upon successful completion of their qualifying exam, which must be taken by the second month of their third year. The program does not offer a terminal master’s degree.

Doctoral Degrees and RequirementsLink to section

The program awards the PhD in genetics. The curriculum has several key requirements: core courses, seminars, elective courses, and experimental and/or computational research. In this context, research is the most important aspect of the BGG program. As such, the PhD degree is awarded only after a student has conducted an independent research project and successfully written and defended a dissertation that demonstrates a high level of research aptitude, intellectual competence, and original thought. Students are typically expected to publish their thesis work in peer-reviewed journals by the time of their defense.

Additional important parts of the PhD training include teaching assistantships, professional development activities guided by an individual development plan (IDP), and training in science communication and outreach. Students may also be subject to the requirements of the sponsoring advisor’s academic department. Students in the BGG program may optionally choose to enroll in concentrations in cancer biology and in bioinformatics, each of which has an associated set of required coursework and seminar participation. Students may fulfill concentration requirements at any time during their PhD studies.

Graduate Course TitlesLink to section

  • ANA 513: Neuroinflammation
  • BCH 412: Advanced Topics in Biological Macromolecules
  • BCH 521: Bioinformatics for Life Scientists
  • BIO 457: Applied Genomics
  • BIO 414: Biostatistics
  • BIO 426: Developmental Biology
  • BIO 443: Eukaryotic Gene Regulation
  • BST 432: High Dimensional Data Analysis
  • BST 434: Genomic Data Analysis
  • BST 467: Applied Statistics in the Biomedical Sciences
  • DSC 462: Computational Introduction to Statistics
  • GEN 503: Genetics Seminar (Fall)
  • GEN 504: Genetics Seminar (Spring)
  • GEN 506: Principles in Stem Cell Biology
  • GEN 507: Advanced Genetics and Genomics
  • GEN 508: Development, Homeostasis, and Aging: Biological Systems from Conception to Decline
  • GEN 595: PhD Research
  • IND 419: Introduction to Quantitative Biology
  • IND 426: Science Communication
  • IND 431: Foundations in Modern Biology I
  • IND 432: Foundations in Modern Biology II
  • IND 439: Leadership and Management for Scientists
  • IND 484: Current Topics in Bioinformatics
  • IND 501: Ethics and Professional Integrity in Research
  • IND 507: Cancer Biology Seminar
  • IND 517: Clinical and Translational Oncology
  • MBI 414: Microbial Pathogenesis
  • MBI 421: Microbial Genetics and Physiology
  • MBI 456: Virology
  • MBI 473: Immunology
  • MBI 515: Advanced Immunology
  • NSC 512: Cellular Neuroscience
  • NSC 525: Biology of Neurological Disease
  • PHP 404: Principles of Pharmacology
  • PHP 447: Signal Transduction
  • PTH 507: Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cancer
  • TOX 521: Biochemical Toxicology
  • TOX 522: Organ Systems Toxicology