Other Information Information About this Department List of Faculty Dissertation Sponsors Degree Requirements Apply Online Visit the Department's Website Course List

Degree Requirements

For the M.A. Degree

See the Web site of the department for requirements for the M.A. degree at, http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology

For the M.Phil. Degree

Teaching requirement: Participation in the instructional and/or research activities of the department for a minimum of one year. All students gain teaching experience as part of their graduate training. Two semesters of teaching are usually required, which typically includes assisting in undergraduate laboratory or lecture courses. Teaching activities require about 5–10 hours per week.

Other M.Phil. requirements: See the Web site at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology.

For the Ph.D. Degree

Full-time Residence Units: Six.

Languages: None required.

Mathematics: One year of college-level of calculus is required. Students are required to take a course in statistics if they have not previously taken such a course.

Physical chemistry: One semester of undergraduate-level physical chemistry is required for those students who have not previously completed such a course.

Examinations: Satisfactory completion of parts I and II of the qualifying examination. Part I: successful completion of the two-semester Core course sequence.

Part II: presentation of a written thesis proposal and the oral defense of the proposal to be completed before July of the second year.

Graduate biology courses: Required courses include Biology G6001-G6002 (the Core course sequence), G9301, G9302 (preresearch seminar), a workshop on the conduct of science, and three graduate-level courses approved by the department.

Dissertation: All students are required to present and defend a dissertation. During the student’s second year, a Ph.D. advisory committee is assigned to each student. Each committee is appointed by the graduate student adviser in consultation with the Graduate Student Committee and consists of the student’s sponsor and two other faculty members of the department. Each Ph.D. advisory committee meets with the student at least once each year to discuss the progress of the student’s research and continues in this capacity until the Ph.D. degree is granted.

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