Criteria for Courses to Meet MCRO Ph.D. Requirement

Courses must be graduate level (600 or above)

It is fine to take an undergraduate course to fill a knowledge gap, but such a course does not count toward our Ph.D.

Courses must be a semester in length

Courses are counted by length, not units, i.e., a 1 unit class and a 4 unit course count equally toward our requirement. To get credit for modular courses (i.e., courses less than a semester in length), sufficient modules (typically three) must be completed to equal one semester long course. Modular courses do not need to be taken in the same semester. BBSP710 Biostatistics counts two modules toward the MCRO degree. BBSP705 Rigor & Reproducibility does not count toward the MCRO degree.

Courses must be plausibly relevant to the scientific/research goals of the student

The rationale for this restriction is that the goal of earning a Ph.D. is to learn how to become an independent scientist. Each case is decided on the individual merits. Generally speaking, courses in computer science, math, statistics, etc. would be counted, whereas courses in humanities, business, or professional development would not.

Courses can be used to fulfill requirements for both the MCRO Ph.D. and a formal Certificate

Due to the restrictions on allowable content, courses toward Certificates in Translational Medicine or Bioinformatics & Computational Biology would generally be counted, whereas courses used for the Certificate in Innovation, Leadership, & Management would not.

The Director of Graduate Studies must approve non-MCRO seminar/tutorial courses

MCRO students must take at least one of MCRO710, MCRO711, or MCRO712. Because the content changes each time these classes are offered, MCRO710/711/712 can be taken more than once for credit. To receive degree credit, the Director of Graduate Studies must approve seminar/tutorial courses outside the department. The decision is based on whether or not the syllabus and other material supplied by the student demonstrate that the course centers on discussion of the primary literature.

Last updated 2/3/2025.