FAQs—

All first year PhD students take the following courses:

1. Foundations in Biomedical Sciences, which covers fundamental and advanced topics in biochemistry and cell biology.
2. Graduate Student Research Opportunities in which representatives from each of the 6 Biomedical Sciences Programs describe the research interests of their faculty.
3. Journal Club, which provides practice in analyzing published research papers and giving oral presentations.
4. 3 Research Rotations, which provide students with diverse research experiences to help them select a lab in which to carry out their thesis research.

Each of the 6 degree-granting programs has its own set of requirements for advanced coursework. By the end of the 2nd year, students must pass a qualifying exam to go on as candidates for the doctoral degree. By this time, most students have completed all of their coursework and are devoting full time to their dissertation research. Students also take electives in areas that interest them.

The qualifying exam is a written/oral exam, covering areas appropriate to the student's training and research interests, given by a committee of 6 faculty members representing at least 3 different departments. The specific exam format is set by the student's degree-granting program, but typically, the exam involves writing a thesis research proposal and doing a literature search to answer a question outside the student's main area of interest. The written exam is then defended in an oral exam before the examining committee. All PhD students must pass this exam by the end of their 2nd year in order to go on as candidates for the doctoral degree.

Most first year courses are scheduled for mornings so that afternoons and evenings are available for research rotations.

The average time to degree for PhD students at Upstate is 5.5 years.

This is discouraged because completing an independent research project requires full-time effort.

The academic and stipend calendars run for a full year, which includes the summer. There are scheduled breaks noted on the academic calendar that first year students typically take. Additional time off can be taken with the approval of the Advisory Committee. Once students have entered their dissertation labs, time off is determined in consultation with the dissertation advisor.

Most of our PhD students are NOT required to teach. However, there are numerous opportunities to gain teaching experience; for example, graduate students may assist in medical school laboratory courses such as Gross Anatomy, Histology, Neuroanatomy, and Microbiology.

At the request of the faculty advisor, students may take courses at Syracuse University and SUNY ESF. Students must meet the prerequisites set by S.U. and SUNY ESF for taking courses.