Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree

Course Requirements. During their first year, students in the graduate program in computational biology and molecular biophysics must take at least two core courses and two additional courses of 3 credits each that are either core courses or elective courses. During their graduate career, BioMaPS students are required to take:

   - 6 credits of core courses

   - 12 credits of core or elective (3-credit courses)

   - 16:696:601 or 602  Seminar in Molecular Biophysics. This course, or a similar seminar course, must be taken twice (1 credit each).

   - 16:118:616 or 617  Special Topics in Computational Biology and Molecular Biophysics: BioMaPS Summer School. Course must be taken twice (1 credit each).

   - 16:115:556  Ethical Scientific Conduct (1 credit)

Depending on their previous experience, students may be required to take particular core courses. In general, these requirements will be decided by the graduate program director and the student's thesis adviser. Students with a limited background in biology and/or chemistry are required to take either 01:694:315  Introduction to Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Research (3 credits) or 01:360:344  Introduction to Molecular Biophysics Research (3 credits) or 16:115:511 and 512  Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (3 credits each; students who wish to take 16:115:511 and 512 will have more intensive background training in the life sciences but must have previously completed at least one semester of undergraduate organic chemistry).

Research Rotations. Students are required to complete three research rotations during their first academic year--typically, one rotation in the fall semester and two rotations in the spring semester (16:118:621 and 622; 1 credit for each rotation). Research rotations will consist of two-month research projects in research groups selected by students, and will allow students to sample prospective dissertation projects in different research environments.  

Teaching Requirement. After the first year, students will serve as teaching assistants for two one-semester courses--typically leading discussions for at least one semester. The curriculum places strong emphasis on training students to speak and write about science effectively in order to communicate the results of their work. Teaching is included in the program as part of this training in scientific communication.  

Examination and Thesis Requirements. To complete the Ph.D. degree, each student will be required to pass two oral qualifying examinations (exam A, exam B) and submit and defend a dissertation. During the second year, each student will be required to demonstrate an aptitude for independent research by presenting a literature review or research talk before their faculty committee (exam A). At the beginning of the third year, each student will be required to submit and defend a proposal for dissertation research (exam B). Students are expected to submit and defend a dissertation within five years of starting the program.