Immunology Graduate Program

Program Information

Curriculum

The curriculum consists of a sequence of required courses that provide didactic training in the conceptual and methodological aspects of immunology. There is ample opportunity for study in a variety of fields that interface with immunology. The following courses are required of all students:

148:201 Graduate Immunology; (3 sh – Spring year 1).

061:247 Survey in Immunology; (4 sh – Fall).
(may be recommended in the Fall of year 1 by the Advisor if the student
has not had sufficient background in immunology)

156:204 Biostatistics for Biomedical Research; (1 sh – Fall year 1).

Students will take 6 sh (modules) of the following. If undecided, 156:201,
202, and 203 are highly recommended.

156:201	Fundamentals of Gene Expression	Fall	1 sh
156:202	Fundamentals of Protein Regulation	Fall	1 sh
156:203	Fundamentals of Dynamic Cell Processes	Fall	1 sh

Molecular Biology

142:215	Transcription, RNA	Spring	1 sh
142:216	Chromatin and Disease	Spring	1 sh
142:217	Mouse Models, Cancer	Spring	1 sh

Cell Biology

142:220	Protein Processing	Fall	1 sh
142:221	Subcellular Motility	Fall	1 sh
142:222	Organelle Biogenesis	Fall	1 sh
142:225	Growth Factor Receptor Signaling	Spring	1 sh
142:226	Cell Cycle Control	Spring	1 sh
142:227	Cell Fate Decisions	Spring	1 sh

(These are 5-week 1-credit modules on various areas of cellular and molecular biology, taught for graduate-level students. This is not a requirement for MSTP students, with the exception of the 1 module of Biostatistics.)

148:221 Advanced Topics in Immunology; (3 sh – Fall year 2).

148:211 Immunology Graduate Student Seminar; (1 sh awarded during the fall semester of year one and the spring semesters of years one and two).

650:270 Principles of Scholarly Integrity; (1 sh).

Any student would have the option to take additional approved electives, on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with the student’s advisor and the Curriculum Committee.

After successful completion of the comprehensive examination, usually at the end of the second year of graduate study, students advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, devoting full time to thesis research and writing the dissertation. Upon successful completion of all requirements, including the dissertation and its oral defense, students are awarded the Ph.D. degree in Immunology.