Getting Started in the Anatomy and Cell Biology Graduate Program

Welcome to the Cell Biology and Anatomy Graduate Program!  Here are a few things that will help orient you to our program, and hopefully guide you through enrollment, courses, committees, comprehensive exams, seminar requirements and teaching requirements. 

1. General timeline:
   1. Year 1 (Fall-Spring):  IGPBS courses
   2. Year 1-2 (Summer – Fall): Begin research project, form committee.  Hold first committee meeting by December 31 in year 2.  Also take coursework and research credit hours.
   3. Year 2-3 (Spring – Summer – Fall): Prepare for and take comprehensive exam.  Complete comprehensive exam by December 31 in year 3.  Also take coursework and research credit hours.
   4. Years 3-~5: Research.  You will likely be done with elective coursework and will focus heavily on research, writing papers, and preparing a dissertation.
2. Enrollment: 
   1. Summer full time = 3 credits
   2. Fall, Spring full time = 6 credits

   These hours may be filled by taking research hours (ANAT990/your mentor’s section) and/or courses.

3. Required courses:
   1. ANAT 885 Seminar (1 hour, Saadi):  Every Fall and Spring semesters unless a specific waiver is granted
   2. ANAT 900 Analysis of Scientific Papers (1 hour, Instructor Christianson): Every Fall and Spring semester unless a specific waiver is granted
   3. ANAT 845 Graduate Histology (3 hours, Abrahamson): taught every Spring semester. A specific waiver may be granted to MD/PhD students.
   4. 2 hours of advanced coursework/electives: These can be from any department and should be completed prior to comprehensive exams.  Discuss with your mentor what courses will complement your specific research program.
4. Advisory Committee:
   1. Consists of at least 5 members.
   2. 3 must be from Cell Biology and Physiology Department.
      1. 1 will be your mentor
      2. 1 must be a member of the Graduate Studies Committee (Rongish, Wright, Christianson, Durham, Kinsey, Tran, Saadi).
   3. 1 must be a faculty member of a department outside of Anatomy with regular or dissertation graduate faculty status.
5. Comprehensive exam:
   1. Administered by your advisory committee
   2. Consists of written and oral components.
   3. Written portion is an NIH-style proposal based on your research and must be approved for the oral examination to proceed.
   4. Must be taken by December 31 of Year 3.
6. Seminar requirement:
   1. 2 seminars required
   2. 1 must be in front of the Department during the Cell Biology & Physiology Seminar Series.
7. Teaching requirement:
   1. Teaching requirement is usually met post comprehensive exams.
   2. Opportunities include classroom instruction or mentoring of undergraduate or rotation students in the laboratory.
   3. Other opportunities can be discussed with your mentor and the Graduate Education Director.