The aim of the molecular biophysics core curriculum is to
select and educate researchers who are capable of applying the tools and
concepts of the physical sciences to the solution of significant biological
problems. Many important contributions in molecular biophysics are a synthesis
of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics not found in a single
traditional discipline. The molecular biophysics core curriculum therefore goes
beyond the curricula of individual academic disciplines and sets its own
guidelines for courses and the character of dissertation research. The
requirements are, nevertheless, consistent with those of existing graduate
programs at Rutgers so that the students can earn a Ph.D. in one of the major
academic disciplines with a concentration in molecular biophysics.Supplemental work for molecular biophysics is designed to
enable the students to do the following: (1) receive broad exposure to the
principles and methods of molecular biophysics along with rigorous training in
the relevant physical science, (2) combine course requirements with those in
existing predoctoral programs, (3) choose from a wide range of courses in
molecular biophysics not specifically included in the requirements, and (4)
master a curriculum that meets his or her individual needs.
Because students in the program come from a variety of
backgrounds and have different interests, the course structure is flexible.
Formal course requirements are limited to a core program in biophysical
chemistry and a choice of two advanced courses.
All students are expected to complete a sequence of
laboratory rotations and to register every semester for the core curriculum
seminar. The laboratory rotation is intended to provide students with broad
exposure to the methods of molecular biophysics and to assist them in choosing
dissertation advisers. The aim of the seminar course is to provide in-depth
exposure to new developments in the field as well as to unify the molecular
biophysics students and faculty. Students also work in depth with a faculty
mentor on a dissertation problem. The emphasis of the research training is on
the structures, interactions, and physicochemical properties of biological
macromolecules.
The program additionally offers wide latitude in the choice
of advanced electives, allowing students and faculty to design curricula to
match individual needs. Students in the program are expected to have a common
minimal background in the physical and biological sciences. Courses are taken
to fill gaps in background as well as to provide intensive training in the
particular area in which the student plans to carry out research. The
departmental courses offered at Rutgers provide a rich resource for this
purpose. Most students are expected to take four to five years to complete
degree requirements.
