PhD in Genetics Area Program
Degree Requirements
Prerequisites include the following courses or their equivalents: BIO_SC 2200 General Genetics, BIOCHM 4270 Biochemistry, STAT 1400 Elementary Statistics for Life Sciences.
In general, the minimum requirements for the PhD degree, beyond the requirements of the Graduate School, are outlined below. Others are determined in consultation between the student and faculty advisor.
- advanced courses in genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology
- regular participation in the genetics area seminar program
- successful completion of a comprehensive examination
- at least one semester of teaching in a genetics course
- 3 seminar presentations
- research, dissertation and oral defense
| BIO_SC 8060 | Ethical Conduct of Research | 1 |
| BIO_SC 8050 | Professional Survival Skills | 2 |
| Core Courses - select one from each of 2 areas | ||
| At least one must be graduate level, and you must receive a grade of B or better. | ||
| Molecular Genetics | ||
| Molecular Biology | ||
| Topics in Chemistry (Bioorganic Chemistry of Nucleic Acids) | ||
| Molecular Biology II | ||
or BIOCHM 9432 | Molecular Biology II | |
| Molecular Methods in Nucleic Acids | ||
| Developmental Genetics | ||
| Developmental Genetics | ||
| Molecular Biology of Plant Growth and Development | ||
| Population and Quantitative Genetics | ||
| Advanced Plant Breeding | ||
| Applied Quantitative and Statistical Genetics | ||
| Applied Livestock Genetics | ||
| Genetics of Populations | ||
| Ecological Genetics | ||
| Specialty Courses - pick any two | ||
| At least one must be graduate level, and you must receive a grade of B or better. | ||
| Genetics of Particular Organisms | ||
| Evolution | ||
| Human Inherited Diseases | ||
| Advanced Plant Genetics | ||
| Speciation | ||
| Topics in Computer Science (Bioinformatics) | ||
| Foundations in Bacterial Pathogenesis | ||
| Genetics of Plant-Microorganism Interaction | ||
| Immunogenetics | ||
| Immunology | ||
| Advanced Immunology | ||
| Electives | ||
| One elective approved by student's committee in life science, including genetics or ancillary subjects such as statistics, computer science, etc. Must be 3000 level or above with at least 3 credit hours. | ||
| GAP Seminar | ||
| All students must be enrolled every semester. | ||
| Student Seminars | ||
| Students are required to present 3 research seminars during their tenure. At least 1 must be given in the GAP seminar after the student's second year in the program. Other acceptable presentations, with approval of the student's committee, include a 15 minute talk or an in-person poster presentation at a national or international meeting, or in a public, advertised forum. | ||
Financial Aid from the Program
To be considered for internal assistantships, fellowships or other funding packages, application should include a current CV and a summary of research experience in addition to a personal statement.
Application Deadline
Fall deadline: January 15
Admission Criteria
- Minimum GPA: 3.0 in last 60 hours
- Bachelor's degree
- One or more courses in each of the following areas: organic chemistry, biochemistry, mathematics (calculus and statistics), physics, introductory genetics
- Required language test scores for international applicants. Requirement may be found on the Graduate School website.
- Broad background in biology
- Scientific Research is very important
Note: Deficiencies in the subjects listed can be remedied after admission.
Required Application Materials
The following required application materials must be submitted to the Graduate School via the Slate application system:
- Copy of all postsecondary education transcripts
- 3 letters of recommendation
- Personal Statement
- Current CV
- Summary of research experience