Core Curriculum

The first year of study consists of five basic components:

• A core curriculum offering a menu of courses in the Fall and Spring semesters, which together cover the "Fundamentals of Biomedical Science"
.
The Fall core curriculum will consist of a molecular biology and a cell biology core course.  Additional Fall core course options will be available for students interested in some advanced programs.
The Spring core curriculum will consist of a menu of core and intermediate level courses developed by the advanced programs. 
First-year students should have a good idea of which advanced program they wish to enter by the end of the Fall semester, so they can select the appropriate Spring courses.
• Essentials of Graduate Research & Professional Development (GMS 6003) - Fall semester core course (required), includes:

• First and second laboratory rotations

• A weekly seminar program, including research seminars and career development seminars

• Responsible Conduct of Biomedical Research (GMS 7003) - Spring semester core course (required), includes:

• Third laboratory rotation

Core Curriculum

The Fall semester will include a molecular biology and a cell biology course, which will together cover major topics such as:  Structural Biology;  Molecular Biology;  Genetics;  Cell Biology - Transport;  Cell Biology - Cytoskeleton;  and Signal Transduction.  Additional course options will be available for students interested in some advanced programs.  In the Spring semester, all students will be required to register for 8 credits of biomedical science courses from the core and/or advanced curriculum.  Faculty advisors are available to provide guidance about Spring semester course selection.

Essentials of Graduate Research & Professional Development (GMS 6003) is a required, 1 credit course for all IDP students.  First-year students will enroll in the course during the fall semester.  This course is designed to help graduate students gain an understanding of the issues that will increase their chances for a successful graduate education and professional career in the biomedical sciences, and includes the Fall semester lab rotations. 

Lab Rotations:  During the first year of study, all IDP doctoral students are required to undertake three 7-week rotations in three different IDP laboratories.  The rotations consist of small research projects in a given laboratory.  The purpose of the rotations is to enable the student to become well acquainted with individual faculty members and other graduate students, to learn about their research, to acquire some research techniques and skills, and to establish a basis for selecting a major professor.  The first and second rotations take place in the Fall semester, and the third rotation occurs in Spring semester.

First year students may conduct rotations in any available laboratory, regardless of the mentor's advanced program affiliation.  Given the large number of potential mentors available among the graduate faculty, the mentor selection process requires careful organization and assistance, provided by the IDP Graduate Studies Committee and the Advanced Program Directors.  During the first four weeks of the first year, the Graduate Studies Committee and the Advanced Program Directors organize presentations by the faculty for the first year students to assist students in selecting laboratory rotations.  First year students are also encouraged to interview potential mentors on an informal basis.  By the end of week six, students submit prioritized choices of rotation mentors to the Graduate Studies Committee, who then coordinate rotation mentor selection, ensuring that the students' preference for mentors is honored.

Responsible Conduct of Biomedical Research (GMS 7003) is a required, 1 credit course for all IDP students.  First-year students will enroll in the course during the spring semester. This course includes the Spring semester lab rotation. 

Advanced Curriculum

Advanced Modules

The six Advanced Programs each run a series of advanced courses, or modules.  Many advanced modules are one credit, last about 5 weeks, and generally occupy 15 contact hours of lectures and/or paper discussions.  The minimum requirement for advanced coursework beyond the first year of graduate study is 6 credits of advanced coursework, plus journal club each Fall & Spring semester.  Individual IDP advanced programs may set higher standards by requiring specific courses or a higher minimum number of credits.  See the Advanced Program web pages for more information about specific requirements.  Although many IDP students probably take most of their advanced courses in their second year, in part to prepare them for their qualifying exam, they can be taken at any time.  Please see listing of advanced modules for Fall and Spring semesters.   

Journal Clubs

All advanced IDP students (second-year and beyond) are required to register for a journal club course each Fall and Spring semester throughout their graduate studies.  Some advanced programs may require students to enroll in a specific journal club course, whereas as other advanced programs allow students to register for any journal club of their choice.  See the Advanced Program web pages for more information about specific requirements.

Electives

Some available electives are listed with the advanced modules for Fall and Spring semesters.  Others may be found in the UF Graduate Catalog.  Elective courses are offered to provide additional training in areas that will supplement IDP core and advanced courses, and to help you explore and pursue whatever research career path you may be interested in.  Electives may not be taken by first-year students in the Fall semester.  IDP electives do not count toward the minimum 12 credits beyond the first semester (e.g., typically 6 credits of core courses in the Spring of year 1 and 6 credits of advanced coursework beyond the first year).  Elective course credits do count toward the minimum of 90 credits required for the Ph.D. degree, subject to the rules of the UF Graduate School.  Some professional development courses, such as those about grant-writing and teaching skills, are considered as electives, and do not count toward minimum core or advanced course requirements.

Last updated on 12/7/10   wtm