Students should expect to complete their graduate studies in five years or less and can choose to follow a training program in the Biochemistry Track or Biophysics Track. The first year is devoted to coursework and laboratory rotations, with the student choosing a thesis advisor and laboratory in late Spring. During the second year, students typically complete remaining course requirements, initiate thesis research, and complete the first phase of the qualifying exam. In the third year, students focus more intensively on thesis research and complete the second phase of the qualifying exam. The remaining years of study are largely devoted to thesis research, although students continue to attend seminars, journal clubs, tutorials, etc.
Students satisfy the requirements for the Ph.D. by completing an original body of research that is publishable in peer-reviewed research journals and by passing the final oral examination on the dissertation. Throughout the doctoral program, the Department’s emphasis is on the completion and publication of original research. Since our students typically publish their research in segments, publications primarily authored by the student may be incorporated intact into the dissertation.
A First Year Advisory Committee assists beginning students with coursework selection and the choice of laboratory rotations. Students then form a thesis advisory committee which they meet with on a regular basis in order for faculty to provide consistent guidance to the student and be kept apprised of the student's progress.
First-Year Laboratory-Rotations in BBSP
BBSP students must complete three ten-week lab rotations during the first year. You can choose from over 300 laboratories in any of the 12 participating PhD programs. At the end of the first year students typically choose their thesis lab from one of their lab rotations and matriculate into the Biochemistry and Biophysics program with which their thesis advisor is affiliated.
Course-Work
The Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics has set up a Curriculum geared to challenge students in their pursuit for knowledge. The curriculum is designed to emphasize basic skills and principles, and yet be sufficiently flexible to allow students to focus on different research areas.
Teaching
Our Department believes that teaching is an invaluable part of graduate education, as well as a benefit to the University. Hence, Ph.D. students are asked to serve as assistants in one semester of a course. These are typically courses for professional students in the Schools of Dentistry, Nursing, or Medicine. Most students satisfy their teaching requirements during their first year of study.
Examinations
Students are required to pass three qualifying examinations to be admitted to candidacy for a PhD degree. Our Department has chosen to administer the exams in the following stages: 1) an oral comprehensive exam of the initial thesis proposal is completed before the end of the second year, 2) a written comprehensive exam is taken at the beginning of the third year, and 3) the final thesis defense is completed at the conclusion of the student's graduate work.
For the oral exam, students first prepare a complete proposal (and submit it one week prior to the oral exam date for approval by their thesis committee), using an NIH-style grant application format, of their ongoing dissertation research. A required class in scientific writing that students are required to complete in Spring of their second year guides the students through this process. Based on this written proposal, the student then demonstrates expertise in the area with an oral presentation and defense of the proposal before a "site visit" committee of faculty reviewers.
For the written exam, students are provided exam topics and then then receive a take home exam and have one week to complete it (this occurs in October of the third year).
The final thesis defense on the dissertation is public and is the formal presentation of the student's completed body of work. The examination is divided into a public seminar presentation, followed by a more in-depth examination by the student’s five-member Thesis Committee.
For more information about these exams, please review the guidelines in the Graduate School Handbook.
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Biochemistry and Biophysics - UNC School of Medicine
