Program Requirements
Core Curriculum
You must complete the course requirements for one of the program’s curricular tracks. Most coursework is completed during your first year. All incoming doctoral students take our Graduate Boot Camp and Graduate School Fundamentals courses during their first quarter.
Lectures in molecular biology, cell biology, and genetics that provide an advanced foundation in these fundamental disciplines are complemented by small group discussions with faculty moderators focused on the critical evaluation of the primary scientific literature.
Flexibility for each student to pursue individual interests during the first year is provided not only through rotations, but also through elective courses.
Once the core course load is completed, you are welcome to take any other courses that enhance your education and research experience.See a complete list of graduate level courses offered in the Division.
Rotation Program
A series of 6‐week rotations allows you to sample research across the biological sciences and obtain mentored training in general and specialized research methods and approaches.
Laboratory research meetings and research seminars provide training in effective scientific communication, while also introducing you to the research community at UCSD and the Salk Institute, including advanced graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and prospective thesis advisors.
Students complete a minimum of 4 rotations (by the end of the Winter Quarter), after which you are eligible to request to join their selected dissertation lab.
You may opt to complete more rotations your their first year, but all students have joined labs by the end of June.
Teaching Experience
One important goal of our program is to provide our students with the training and mentorship that will enable them to become experienced and effective teachers of science at the college level.
Independent of your ultimate career path, we expect all students will develop a high regard for excellence in teaching as well as research.
Our program also develops each student’s ability to convey ideas accurately and persuasively in a variety of contexts and hones their skills to make presentations with poise and impact.
The program requires each student to serve as a Teaching Assistant for 1 laboratory course and 2 upper division lecture courses under the direct mentorship of the course instructor. Normally, students serve as a TA in one course in each of their second, third and fourth years in the program.
Additional Coursework
In addition to the core curriculum, students are expected to complete other requirements to help develop into leaders in their selected field.
- Scientific Ethics – you must complete a course in scientific ethics. Students normally take this course during the Spring Quarter of their second year.
- Graduate Student Seminars – we feel it is critically important for students to practice their presentation skills. We offer a course in which students in their second, third and fourth years present their research (second-year students do not present, but attend to observe).
Annual Meetings with Doc Committee and Thesis Advisor
Each student must meet with their primary advisory committee (Doctoral Committee) at least annually (usually during the Spring quarter).
These formal meetings are designed to evaluate your research accomplished to date and to redefine goals and expectations. The meetings are designed to help you plan your research and give faculty advisors a chance to give effective feedback and support, to ensure you stay on track and are making progress toward the PhD.
Dissertation Requirements
The final PhD is awarded once you have completed your dissertation and conducted the oral (and public) defense of your work.
The defense is facilitated by your advisor and Doctoral Committee. The dissertation must be organized and written in a form approved by the Thesis Advisor and the UCSD Dean of Graduate Studies.
The Dissertation Defense is an examination that consists of:
- A meeting with your Doctoral Committee (referred to as the Pre-Defense Meeting).
- The formal presentation of the research in a public divisional seminar.
