Typical Program Timeline
Below is a quick guide to the standards of progress through the BCDB Graduate Program. For more detailed information, please refer to the complete BCDB Guidelines and the Laney Graduate School Handbook.
| Year 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Spring | Summer | |
| Foundations in BCDB | |||
| Introductory Graduate Seminar, Ethics, and Professionalization Workshop | |||
| Qualifying Exam Part I (written) | |||
| Laboratory Rotations (may start in previous summer) | |||
| Choose PhD Mentor | Dissertation Research | ||
| Enter Advanced Standing (24 credits coursework) | |||
| Year 2 | |||
| Fall | Spring | Summer | |
| Hypothesis Design & Science Writing | Statistics for Experimental Biology | ||
| Advanced Graduate Seminar, Ethics, and Professionalization Workshop | |||
| Dissertation Research | |||
| Choose dissertation committee | Qualifying Exam Part II (oral) | ||
| Teaching Assistant Training and Teaching Opportunity (TATTO) | |||
| Teaching assistantship for one semester | |||
| Year 3 | |||
| Fall | Spring | Summer | |
| Advanced Graduate Seminar | |||
| Elective course(s), if applicable | |||
| Dissertation Research | |||
| First committee meeting (within 6 months after passing Qualifying Exam Part II | Dissertation committee meeting every 6 months | ||
| Enter Candidacy (16 additional credits coursework, 32 credits research) | |||
| Candidacy (Years 4+) | |||
| Fall | Spring | Summer | |
| Advanced Graduate Seminar | |||
| Dissertation Research | |||
| Dissertation committee meeting every 6 months (every 4 months after the 5th year) | |||
| Graduating (~Year 6) | |||
| Formally apply for the degree | |||
| Prepare and defend dissertation | |||
| Submit completed disseration to the graduate school | |||
| Check the LGS Academic Calendar for important deadlines. | |||
| Graduation | |||