PhD Programs: Overview
Students are accepted into one of the four Ph.D. programs representing
the main disciplines of the Department:
Upon entry into the program, students are encouraged to do a laboratory
rotation to choose a major professor who will play a significant role
in the student's graduate education. The major professor advises the student
in choosing a curriculum appropriate to the student's interest and guides
the student in research.
All Ph.D. students are supported by stipends which can be supplemented
by research grants and teaching.
The Department of Biology offers many additional opportunities for students
to gain experience and knowledge. These include a weekly
seminar series and journal
clubs. There are also opportunities to volunteer in community
outreach projects.
By their second year, students should be well on their way to completing
their core coursework, as well as engaging in research projects
with their major professor. 28 hours of graduate classroom coursework,
including core courses, electives, seminars and topics courses are
required. In addition, students must complete 60 credit hours of
biology research.
Following their courses (and usually by the end of their second year),
students take a written and an oral qualifying examination in their
concentration. Students then form a dissertation committee, write
a dissertation proposal and focus their research efforts on a specific
topic. Once the research has been completed, students are required
to write a dissertation and present findings at a seminar of biology
students and faculty. A common time frame for students to complete
the program is four to six years.
In addition to the Research Faculty on campus, there are opportunities
for collaboration with researchers at Emory University, Georgia
Tech, Morehouse School of Medicine, and the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC).
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