The specific program requirements differ depending on whether you have entered the M&I Graduate Program via the Bioscience program (Molecular Biology (MB) / Biological Chemistry (BC)), the MD/Ph.D. program, or as a Directly Admitted student. You can find information on the Direct Admit Program and MD/ PhD program courses and curriculum below. Detailed information on the Bioscience program can be found here.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL STUDENTS
A summary of the general requirements for obtaining a PhD degree from the M&I Graduate Program are:
- Obtain a grade of “B-” or better in all courses and a pass for laboratory rotations (if applicable) and dissertation research
- Choose a dissertation advisor
- Form a dissertation committee and hold annual committee meetings (bi-annual meetings from year 5 onwards)
- Complete and maintain an Individual Development Plan
- Pass the qualifying exam
- Write a grant application
- Submit a grant application
- Attend and participate in the academic events of the program, including seminars, thesis defenses and Research-in-Progress
- Have at least 1 first author primary research paper accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal (2 are expected)
- Write, successfully defend and submit a dissertation
- Fulfill Graduate School requirements and NIH recommendations such as undertaking training in research ethics and teaching assistant duty.
Classes are organized into the core curriculum and electives. The core curriculum provides you with a comprehensive background in essential areas that covers all required coursework, while the electives let you tailor your studies to your personal interests.
CURRICULUM FOR M&I GRADUTE STUDENTS
| YEAR 1 | ||||
|
Course |
Title |
Credits |
Semester |
|
|
PATH 7970 |
PhD thesis research credits |
9 minus total course credits |
Fall |
|
|
PATH 7880 |
Attendance and Participation in the Department of Pathology Research in Progress |
1 |
Fall |
|
|
PATH 6920 |
General Skills for Research in Immunology & Microbiology |
1.5 |
Fall |
|
|
MBIOL 7570 |
Scientific integrity and Ethics of Scientific Research |
1 |
Fall |
|
|
MBIOL 7960 |
Research Lab Rotation 1 and 2 (6 weeks) |
2 |
Fall |
|
|
|
Research Lab Rotation 3 (if applicable) |
|
Spring |
|
|
|
Electives |
1.5 - 3 each |
Fall |
|
|
|
Electives |
1.5 - 3 each |
Spring |
|
| YEAR 2 | ||||
|
Course |
Title |
Credits |
Semester |
|
|
PATH 7970 |
PhD thesis research credits |
9 minus total course credits |
Fall |
|
|
PATH 7880 |
Attendance and Participation in the Department of Pathology Research in Progress |
1 |
Fall |
|
|
PATH 7970 |
PhD thesis research credits |
9 minus total course credits |
Spring |
|
|
PATH 7150 |
Hypothesis design and Scientific Writing |
1 |
Spring |
|
|
PATH 7880 |
Attendance and Participation in the Department of Pathology Research in Progress |
1 |
Spring |
|
|
MBIOL6490
BMI6106
MDCRC 6050 |
Choose 1 course in statistics: Introduction to biostatistics and Probability for Biosciences Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Biomedical Data Science
Biostats: Basic Science |
2
3
1-2
|
Fall
Spring
Spring |
|
|
|
Elective 1 |
1.5 - 3 each |
|
|
|
|
Elective 2 |
1.5 - 3 each |
|
|
| YEAR 3 TO COMPLETION | ||||
|
Course |
Title |
Credits |
Semester |
|
|
PATH 7970 |
PhD thesis research credits |
8 |
Fall |
|
|
PATH 7880 |
Attendance and Participation in the Department of Pathology Research in Progress |
1 |
Fall |
|
|
PATH 7970 |
PhD thesis research credits |
8 |
Spring |
|
|
PATH 7880 |
Attendance and Participation in the Department of Pathology Research in Progress |
1 |
Spring |
|
REQUIRED COURSEWORK FOR MD/PHD STUDENTS
| YEAR 1 (MS1) | |||
|
Course |
Title |
Credits |
Semester |
|
|
Lab Rotation 1 & 2 (4 weeks each) |
0 |
Summer |
|
MD ID 7300 |
Foundations of Medicine |
17 |
Fall |
|
MD ID 7101 |
Layers of Medicine I |
1 |
Spring |
|
MD ID 7001 |
Clinical Method I |
3 |
Fall |
|
MD ID 7310 |
Molecules, Cells, Cancer |
8 |
Spring |
|
MD ID 7320 |
Host and Defense |
9 |
Spring |
|
MD ID 7102 |
Layers of Medicine 2 |
3 |
Spring |
|
MD ID 7002 |
Clinical Method II |
5 |
Spring |
|
MD ID 7500 |
Year 1 Assessment |
1 |
Spring |
|
UUHSC 6201 |
Foundations of IPE |
0.5 |
Spring |
| YEAR 2 (MS2) | |||
|
Course |
Title |
Credits |
Semester |
|
|
Lab Rotation 3 & 4 (5 weeks each) |
0 |
Summer |
|
MD ID 7350 |
Metabolism & Reproduction |
9 |
Fall |
|
MD ID 7360 |
Circulation, Respiration, Regulation |
12 |
Fall |
|
MD ID 7103 |
Layers of Medicine 3 |
5 |
Fall |
|
MD ID 7003 |
CMC 3 |
5 |
Fall |
|
MD ID 7340 |
Brain & Behavior |
9 |
Spring |
|
MD ID 7370 |
Skin, Muscle, Bone, Joint |
7 |
Spring |
|
MD ID 7103 |
Layers of Medicine 4 |
1 |
Spring |
|
MD ID 7003 |
CMC 4 |
5 |
Spring |
|
UUHSC 6301 |
Interprofessional Telemedicine |
0.5 |
Spring |
| YEAR 3 (GS1) | |||
|
Course |
Title |
Credits |
Semester |
|
|
Capstone Course and Examination |
0 |
Summer |
|
MBIOL 7570 |
Scientific integrity and Ethics of Scientific Research |
1 |
Fall |
|
PATH 7150 |
Hypothesis design and Grant Writing |
1 |
Spring |
|
PATH 7970 |
PhD thesis research credits |
|
Spring |
|
PATH 7880 |
Attendance and Participation in the Department of Pathology Research in Progress |
1 |
Spring |
|
PATH 6000+ |
Graduate-level didactic course |
|
Fall |
|
PATH 7970 |
PhD thesis research credits |
|
Spring |
|
PATH 7880 |
Attendance and Participation in the Department of Pathology Research in Progress |
1 |
Spring |
|
PATH 6000+ |
Graduate-level special topics course |
|
Spring |
|
|
|
|
|
YEAR 1
In the summer before the fall semester of medical school, MD/Ph.D. students will complete two four-week lab rotations. In addition, MD/Ph.D. students are required to successfully pass the courses listed above and an End of Year One Assessment Exam.
YEAR 2
In the summer before the fall semester of Year 2, MD/Ph.D. students will complete two five-week lab rotations and an off-topic research presentation. MD/Ph.D. students are also required to successfully pass the courses listed above and USMLE STEP 1 (Board Examination).
YEAR 3 TO COMPLETION (ANNUAL REQUIREMENTS)
In the summer before the fall semester of GS1, MD/Ph.D. students are expected to join a lab and to successfully complete an on-topic Capstone Course and Examination as well as complete any graduate courses required by the student’s Thesis Advisory Committee in addition to those listed above.
REQUIRED COURSEWORK FOR ALL STUDENTS
- Cumulation of at least 20 credit hours of PATH 7970 (PhD Thesis Research). Each semester all students must complete 9 credit hours in total made up of classes and PhD thesis research. Only those taking their qualifying exam or defending their thesis are eligible to register for Summer Semester. Those that are on T32, F awards, or have exceeded their TBP, or used XTB should check with Kim Springer prior to registering for Summer courses.
- Teaching Assistant (TA) duty is required for one semester or two half-semester courses, regardless of the source of individual stipends, for all students who have entered the M&I Graduate Program. Available TA assignments can be obtained from Kim Springer for various courses offered by the departments who participate in the combined MB/BC programs. International students are required to successfully pass a SPEAK test and attend the International TA Program Workshop prior to fulfilling their TA responsibilities. MD/PhD students are not required to fulfill this TA duty requirement.
- Ethics Training An examination of research integrity and other ethical issues involved in scientific research. Topics may include scientific fraud, conflicts of interest, plagiarism and authorship designation, and the role of science in formulating social policy. The MBIOL 7570 course is designed for graduate students, post-docs and regular faculty in the sciences. This course is mandatory for all M&I Graduate students, but students admitted from the MB/BC program are exempt if they have already taken this course in their first year.
- NIH F31 / F30 proposal After completing your qualifying exam, the “PATH 7150-001: Hypothesis design and Scientific Writing” course will take you through mentored writing of an NIH F31 / F30 proposal that can be used to craft other grant applications.
Elective Courses
Regardless of the M&I Graduate Program track, you can choose electives to tailor your studies to your interests. It is advisable to talk with your thesis advisor about your elective choices. You will need to take at least one graduate-level didactic course (numbered 6000 or above) and at least one graduate-level special topics course (numbered 6000 or above). The specific elective courses you choose must be approved by your Thesis Advisor and/or Thesis Advisory Committee. Courses numbered 5000-5999 may be taken for graduate credit with prior approval by the student's Thesis Advisor and/or Thesis Advisory Committee.
Elective courses might change from year to year but possible electives include:
| Course | Title | Department |
| MBIOL6480 | Cell Biology | Molecular Biology |
| MBIOL6410 | Protein and Nucleic Acid Biochemistry | Molecular Biology |
| MBIOL6300 | Guided Proposal Preparation | Molecular Biology |
| MBIOL6200 | Critical Thinking in Research | Molecular Biology |
| MBIOL6420 | G3: Genetics, Genomes, and Gene Expression | Molecular Biology |
| MBIOL6490 | Introduction to Biostatistics and Probability for Biosciences | Molecular Biology |
| PATH7310 | Host Pathogen Interactions and Human Disease | Pathology |
| PATH7320 | Topics in Immunology | Pathology |
| PATH7330 | Basic Immunology | Pathology |
| PATH7360 | Advanced Immunology | Pathology |
| PATH7800 | History of Science and Medicine Pathology | Pathology |
| PATH7907 | Immunity to Infectious Disease | Pathology |
| PATH7380 | Biochemical Genetics | Pathology |
| PATH6410 | Molecular Virology | Pathology |
| PATH6910 | Noncoding RNAs and Immune Responses | Pathology |
| NEUSC6060 | Neuroanatomy | Neuroscience |
| NEUSC6100 | Visual Neuroscience I | Neuroscience |
| NEUSC6050 | Systems Neuroscience: Functioning of the Nervous System | Neuroscience |
| NEUSC6010 | Frontiers in Neuroscience | Neuroscience |
| NEUSC7750 | Developmental Neurobiology | Neuroscience |
| NEUSC6040 | Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience | Neuroscience |
| NEUSC7790 | Light Microscopy and Digital Imaging | Neuroscience |
| BMI6115 | Biomedical Text Processing | Biomedical Informatics |
| BMI6019 | Bioinformatics in Practice: RNA-Seq Data Analysis | Biomedical Informatics |
| BMI6105 | Statistics for Biomedical Informatics | Biomedical Informatics |
| BMI6030 | Foundations of Bioinformatics | Biomedical Informatics |
| BMI5030 | Foundations of Bioinformatics | Biomedical Informatics |
| BMI6106 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Biomedical Data Science in talks with Karen Eilbeck (includes R) | Biomedical Informatics |
| BMI6018 | Introduction to Programming for Biomedical Data Science | Biomedical Informatics |
| BMI6114 | Applied Deep Learning in Biomedicine | Biomedical Informatics |
| BMI6060 | Applied Computational Genomics | Biomedical Informatics |
| BMI6015 | Applied Machine Learning in Biomedical Informatics | Biomedical Informatics |
| BMI6017 | Computer Science Fundamentals | Biomedical Informatics |
| BMI7051 | Data Science for Health I | Biomedical Informatics |
| BMI7052 | Data Science for Health II | Biomedical Informatics |
| PHS7050 | Statistical Practice | Population Health Sciences |
| PHS7100 | Epidemiologic Theory and Methods | Population Health Sciences |
| PHS7040 | Machine Learning | Population Health Sciences |
| PHS7120 | Molecular Epidemiology | Population Health |
| BIOL6500 | Advanced Statistical Modeling for Biologists | Biology |
| H GEN6092 | Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics | Human Genetics |
Laboratory Rotations
Students entering the M&I program will complete up to 3 lab rotations to help select a thesis mentor and lab (2 are required for the M&I rotational program and 3 are required for the MB/BC program). The rotations last for 8-10 weeks. Students are expected to spend about 20 hours/week in the rotation lab. There will be two rotations in the Fall semester and one rotation at the beginning of the Spring semester. Students choose a thesis advisor and lab at the end of the Spring semester. For your rotation, you may choose any of the M&I Graduate Program Faculty that are actively accepting students. For help with choosing your advisor, you will work with the Director of Graduate Studies for the M&I program upon starting at the University of Utah.
Students entering the M&I Ph.D. Program through the MD/Ph.D. program are expected to complete 4 lab rotations to help select a thesis mentor and lab. The two four-week lab rotations occur in the summer before the Fall semester of Year 1, and two five-week lab rotations occur in the summer before the Fall semester of Year 2. Students may do any number of rotations in other departments, as long as one rotation is with an M&I Graduate Program Faculty.