PhD in Translational Biosciences

The PhD in Translational Biosciences will span the entire breadth of the biomedical research spectrum, from basic science discoveries to improved clinical outcomes. Through close collaborations with the outstanding scientists and clinicians of the Precision Health Institute, the Translational Biosciences PhD program will provide state-of-the-art training to young biomedical scientists at the beginning of their scientific careers.

Degree Requirements

Total credits required: 72
Consistent with the requirements of the MU Graduate school for full-time enrollment of graduate students, all students in the PhD Translational Biosciences program will be full-time graduate students and will register for 9-12 credit hours per Fall or Spring semester and 4 credit hours in the Summer semester until they pass their comprehensive exam.  Students will take their comprehensive exam during their second year.  After completing their comprehensive exam, students will take a minimum of 2 credit hours per Fall or Spring semester and 1 credit hour in the Summer Semester.  The schedule of courses is based on the assumption of a five-year plan of study
for PhD students.

A total of 72 credit hours of graduate coursework (including both didactic coursework and research) is required to earn a PhD.  The 72 credit hours of graduate coursework required for a PhD degree in the Translational Biosciences PhD program is divided into five categories:

(1) Didactic coursework determined by the Program;
(2) Didactic coursework determined by each Emphasis Area;
(3) Seminars and Journal Clubs, including both Program-specific and Emphasis Area-specific;
(4) Rotation Research;
(5) Dissertation Research.

Although the amount of didactic coursework required for each individual Emphasis Area will vary, an average coursework across all Emphasis Areas was used to determine the distribution of credit hours between these different categories for an “average” student who takes 5 years to complete the PhD.