The Department’s Graduate Program in Genetics and Genomics aims to teach our students not only how to apply the approaches of classical genetics and modern genomics to biomedical research, but also how to function as active members of the scientific community who can clearly communicate ideas, critically evaluate biomedical research, and mentor others in scientific scholarship. Towards this end, we have designed a complementary set of degree requirements to meet these goals consisting of traditional coursework, journal clubs, seminar series, and a research proposal-based qualifying examination (for Ph.D. students). The coursework will be completed during the first two years of study, and further details about the courses themselves are available here. The rest of the academic program is described below.
Laboratory Rotations
Our Ph.D. candidates participate in a minimum of three laboratory rotations to ensure exposure to a variety of scientific approaches. These rotations will last ten weeks each with one during the fall semester and two during the spring semester. Due to time constraints, M.D.-Ph.D. students will have the option of joining a dissertation laboratory after two rotations. In contrast, M.A. candidates participate in a minimum of two abbreviated laboratory rotations to introduce the students to diverse scientific approaches. These condensed rotations will last seven weeks each, with both taking place during the fall semester. This accelerated rotation schedule will put the M.A. candidates in a position to choose a thesis advisor from the pool of rotation advisors at the end of the first semester.
The placement of the Ph.D. students in their rotations will occur during the first week of the fall semester. This will allow the students to have a chance to meet the faculty members in person during the recruitment weekend or the start of the term before choosing their first rotation advisor. Subsequent rotation choices will be based on information gathered by the students at the Department Retreat in November and from informal meetings between the students and professors. Similarly, M.A. rotation choices will be made upon arrival to Boston University once the students have had the opportunity to meet with individual faculty members.
Teaching Requirement
Upon successful completion of the core courses, Ph.D. students will be required to serve as teaching assistants for one of the Department's courses. The teaching assistants will serve to lead discussion and review sections as well as support exam and homework grading. The TA assignments will be made according to academic performance in the courses in question. Going through a TA training workshop and acting as a TA for one semester will satisfy the teaching requirement for the Ph.D. degree, but further teaching opportunities will be available for students who are interested in developing these skills.
The Qualifying Process
Successful completion of the coursework and rotations during the first two years of graduate study will prepare the Ph.D. students to advance to Ph.D. candidacy through the qualifying process. This process depends on the following sequence of events:
- Completion of all required core and elective courses with a passing grade (A to B average for all courses with the exception of 900-level courses which are graded on a Pass/Fail scale).
- Skilled preparation of a five page, written, grant-style dissertation proposal based on their thesis research as well as an additional two page proposal on an unrelated topic in genetics and genomics. The inclusion of a written component in the qualification process will serve to normalize the process across the student body and to allow reserved personalities to demonstrate their aptitude. Furthermore, this portion of the qualifying process will satisfy the written qualification requirement of the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences.
- Skillful performance in an oral examination based on the written proposals. This forum will test the student's ability to critically think about the area of their thesis research and about biological problems in general. The examining panel will also be free to explore outside topics in order to assess the student's knowledge of genetics and genomics broadly. The examining panel will be chosen by the student and dissertation advisor based on related areas of expertise to the proposed dissertation research. The panel will be composed of five faculty members, three members who must be faculty of the Department of Genetics and Genomics and two additional members who are faculty members at Boston University but outside the Department of Genetics and Genomics. The examining panel will be required to adhere to the written guidelines of the Qualifying Examination Format Committee to ensure equitable administration of the exam.
These milestones will be completed by June 30th of the second year.
Dissertation Research
Upon advancing to Ph.D. candidacy, graduate students will focus on their dissertation research. This research will be conducted under the supervision of their chosen graduate advisor. The student will be responsible for conducting a rigorous, in-depth program of investigation into an area of research that is within the scope of their graduate advisor's expertise and interests. The student's progress will be assessed continuously by the graduate advisor and annually by a dissertation advisory committee. This committee will be composed of the student's advisor and at least four other faculty members with a minimum of two faculty members from the Department of Genetics and Genomics and one Division faculty member from an outside department. The dissertation advisory committee will serve to provide outside perspectives on the research program.
In the case of M.A. students, after joining a thesis lab the students will immediately assemble a Thesis Advisory Committee (including the thesis advisor and three additional members). This committee will meet each semester to ensure that the proposed thesis project is of appropriate scope for an 18-month Master's project, to monitor the student's progress, and to give final approval on the written thesis, its oral presentation, and its oral defense.
While the student is conducting their dissertation research, they are expected to actively participate in department seminar series, lab meetings, and other research activities of their thesis lab. It should be noted that the Department currently hosts two independent seminar series -- one where prominent scientists from other institutions visit and a second that hosts scientists with overlapping interests to the Department here at BU. Students also have the opportunity to interact more privately with visiting seminar speakers through organized student lunch forums. Furthermore, students will be expected to attend the semiannual series of seminars on "The Responsible Conduct of Research" that is currently available to the Boston University School of Medicine community.
Although the period of dissertation research will not be limited in maximal duration, it is the job of the dissertation advisory committee to facilitate expeditious progress towards the Ph.D. degree. Once the research has developed into several chapters of publication quality work, the advisory committee will ask the student to begin compiling her written thesis, and a date for the Division public seminar and formal dissertation defense will be scheduled. The public seminar will be delivered to a general audience of Division of Graduate Medical Sciences faculty, students, and researchers. Later that day, the public seminar will be followed by a formal dissertation defense which will occur behind closed doors in the presence of the Dissertation Advisory Committee. This committee will evaluate the student's thesis defense for satisfactory completion of the degree requirements.
Further details and a timeline of the many steps outlined in this proposed curriculum can be found on the graduate program web site at http://gg.bu.edu/grad_program/
