Biochemistry: Curriculum

The PhD degree is a research degree conferred in recognition of proficiency in research, breadth and soundness of scholarship and a thorough acquaintance with a specific field of knowledge as determined by the faculty. To attain these goals, the curriculum includes the following:

1. Graduate College “core curriculum” courses (GCC courses) provide a common knowledge base in molecular and cell biology for most graduate students in all divisions.
2. A core of required biochemistry courses (BCH courses), which provide the basis for the students to pursue their own, specialized biochemistry research programs.
3. A variety of elective courses, which provide the students with the flexibility to tailor their course work to their research interests or needs.
4. Initiation of research as soon as possible following completion of the Preliminary Examination at the end of the student's first academic year.

During the first year, the student will complete all required biochemistry and Graduate College core curriculum courses. By the end of the second year, the elective course requirements should be completed. By the end of the spring quarter of their first academic year, before they become doctoral candidates, the students are encouraged to submit three names of potential advisors in order of preference in writing to the Director of Graduate Education, who will present the names to the Chair of the Division for presentation to and final approval by the Graduate Program Committee.

At the end of the summer quarter of the student's first academic year (usually at the beginning of September; the academic year begins with the fall quarter), the student sits for the Preliminary Examination, which is a combination of a written examination, take-home examination and oral examination. By the end of his/her second academic year (i.e., before the fall quarter of the student's third academic year begins) the student is required to submit and defend a written dissertation proposal before the student's Dissertation Advisory Committee. Following this, the successful student continues his/her research work, as approved by the Dissertation Advisory Committee.

When the student's advisor and his/her Dissertation Advisory Committee agree that the student has completed his/her task, which is evaluated at an announced "Permission to Write Meeting," he/she writes a dissertation, which is defended in a public seminar and in a separate executive session with the student's Dissertation Examination Committee. Another requirement is that one or more manuscripts, based on the student's dissertation work, be published, accepted, or submitted for publication in a full-length peer-reviewed journal, with the student listed as first author. To participate in the June commencement ceremony, all requirements for the PhD degree must be met by mid-May.

Required Formal Courses for the PhD Degree
Any portion of this may be waived for advanced students on a case-by-case basis as recommended by the Credentials Subcommittee.

Quarter Hours Required
Total credit hours required for full-time student status and for graduation are determined by The Graduate College. The student must check with the Office of the Registrar before anticipated graduation as to whether or not all formal Graduate College requirements have been met.

Required Courses
A total of 51 quarter hours of formal course work are required, as shown below.

A full-time student registers for a minimum of 12 credit hours each quarter. Credit hours not allocated to formal courses are made up by BCH-699 Biochemistry Doctoral Research for PhD students or BCH-598 Biochemistry Master Research for MS students. A student, however, should register for at least one BCH-699 or BCH-598 credit each quarter even though the student may not have begun dissertation laboratory research. A student not taking any formal courses must register for 12 hours in BCH-699 of BCH-598. The 10 elective hours may be selected from other courses offered by the Division of Biochemistry or from course work offered by other divisions, including those of other universities. Electives can be taken only after consultation with the student's advisor and the Director of Graduate Educational and final approval by the Director. Most required courses taken by the student must carry a letter grade (A, B, C, or F), however BCH-698 Introduction to Research, BCH-598 Biochemistry Master's Research, BCH-699 Biochemistry Doctoral Research and some BCH-595 Journal Club credits are taken for a pass/no pass grade. Students must obtain a grade of "B" or better in BCH-571 and BCH-572, which are considered the biochemistry "core" courses. Elective courses may be taken for a letter grade or a pass/no pass grade. Graduate students must maintain at least a "B" average (3.0) to remain in good academic standing in The Graduate College. The Department's seminar program and the weekly workshops are to be considered as part of a student's research experience. Attendance at seminars is mandatory throughout the entire graduate study at Rush. Attendance at the workshops is highly recommended since these sessions can greatly help a student prepare for and conduct their dissertation work. Since many of the themes presented at the workshops relate to dissertation projects, students may be queried as to their knowledge of seminar and workshop presentations at their Preliminary examination or "Dissertation Progress Meetings."

Suggested Program
A suggested program for the PhD student is displayed herein. Please note that all required courses are to be taken in the first and second years of the student's tenure at Rush University. Electives are normally taken during the second year. A research advisor should be selected by the end of the third quarter of the student's first year, or earlier. Students are expected to remain on campus during the summer quarter, registering for 12 quarter hours of BCH-699 (unless taking a formal course). The summer quarter provides a welcomed opportunity to do uninterrupted research work. Reasonable vacation time is permitted after consultation with the student's advisor and two weeks are allowed annually, according to NIH fellowship guidelines. The program of study for MS students is similar to that for the PhD students except master's students register for BCH-598 Biochemistry Master's Research instead of BCH-699. Master's students do not take a Preliminary Examination. The MS program should be completed in two years, where the first year is devoted primarily to course work and the second year to MS research.