PhD Requirements

Requirements for the PhD program - Biological Sciences, Columbia University

Requirements (for a more detailed treatment read also the Grad Student Handbook)

The Ph.D. Program in Biological Sciences can be described in terms of 4 components: course work, qualifying examinations, teaching, and research.

Course requirements

The core course in cell and molecular biology (G6001 - G6002). Two semesters of this intensive course (3-4 meetings/week) cover molecular biology, cell biology, developmental biology, structural biochemistry, and neurobiology.
Three graduate seminar courses. Two courses for students with a Masters degree.
Pre-research Seminar (G9301): Faculty describe their research, plus discussions on the conduct of science.
Students who have not had Physical Chemistry (one semester) and 3 semesters of college-level math, are required to make up those undergraduate courses.
Attendance at the weekly Departmental colloquium (outside speakers) is required. Seminars are usually held Mondays and Wednesdays at noon in Room 700 Fairchild.
For a typical program and a list of elective courses go to Program and Courses.

Qualifying exams

Part I: Successful completion of the Core Course.(G6001 - G6002).
Part II:a written research proposal describing an intended thesis project (~10 double-spaced pages) followed by an oral defense before a 2-person faculty committee. This exam takes place during the Spring semester of the second year.

Teaching

Experience in teaching is deemed an important and essential part of Ph.D. training. Three semesters are required for most students. Assignments include leading a recitation section and supervising a laboratory section. Extra credit is given for more demanding assignments. Students are given a short workshop in teaching technique at the start of this training. More information on teaching can be found on the Graduate Student Teaching Guidelines page.

Research

Research constitutes the single most important component of the training program. Laboratory rotations begin in the first semester of the first year. Further rotations are encouraged but not required. Two or three rotations can be carried out during the first academic year, with a longer rotation during the first summer. By the start of the second year, most students will have settled into laboratories for their thesis research.

Student committees

Staring in the second year, each student meets with an advisory committee consisting of their research sponsor plus two other faculty. This committee stays with the student until the completion of the program, the defense of the thesis.

Residence Requirements

Residence at the University is required for each advanced degree and is completed through the accumulation of Residence Units during the autumn and spring terms. The Residence Unit, rather than registration for individual courses, provides the basis for tuition charges. Two Residence Units are required for the Master of Arts degree and six Residence Units, including the two for the M.A. degree, are required for the Master of Philosophy degree. The residence requirement for the Doctor of Philosophy degree is satisfied by the six Residence Units earned for the Master of Philosophy degree. The M.A. degree is not normally awarded to students who go on to complete the Ph.D. program.

Retreat

Every other year, the entire department spends a weekend in the mountains discussing research projects. Mohonk Mountain House and Arden House are two of our favorite locations for this Mini-Symposium.