Program Overview

Introduction to the Biomedical Sciences Program

The graduate program offered by the group in Biomedical Sciences (BMS) is designed to lead students to the PhD through a combination of didactic study, laboratory rotations, and thesis research in basic and translational biomedical sciences. Research opportunities in BMS span a wide spectrum of biological and medical sciences, permitting students the options of selecting molecular, cellular, organismal, and integrated systems approaches in their research projects.

The Graduate Program

The graduate program is interdepartmental and interdisciplinary; it includes faculty in the Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Medicine, Pathology, Pediatrics, Pharmacology, Neurosciences, Reproductive Medicine, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biology, Bioengineering, Psychiatry, Orthopaedics, Anesthesiology, the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Sanford-Burnham Institute, the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Admission Requirements

Undergraduate preparation must include courses in mathematics (through calculus), chemistry (including organic, physical, and biochemistry), and preferably participation in research. Students whose undergraduate backgrounds are significantly different will be considered provided there is sufficient evidence of interest in cell and molecular biology, genetics, pathology, physiology, pharmacology, or other disciplines in biomedical sciences, and a strong commitment to enter a field of active research and academic excellence.

Doctoral Degree Program

During the first year, the students enroll in two core courses followed by specialized courses associated with BMS training. In a required laboratory rotation program, students develop laboratory skills and the ability to formulate scientific hypotheses and become familiar with the research activities of the faculty. Students will have access to research organization in nine areas:

• cancer biology
• computational biology and data science
• genetics and genomics
• cell and developmental biology
• immunology
• microbiome and microbial sciences
• molecular and structural biology
• neurobiology of disease
• molecular pharmacology and drug discovery

PhD Specializations

PhD specializations in

• Anthropogeny
• Bioinformatics
• Multiscale Biology
• Quantitative Biology are available, which have distinct elective requirements. BMS students are required to select their thesis advisers and begin their thesis research by the end of the first year in the program, and the average matriculation time among BMS students is between five to six years.

Examinations

Students obtain letter grades in the core and research area courses. Candidacy for the PhD is granted following the successful completion of two research-oriented examinations.

• The first examination, the Research Proposition Exam, tests the student's preparation for his or her thesis research.
• The second examination is the Advancement to PhD candidacy, which takes place after the students finalize their thesis research plan, and should be completed by the end of the third summer quarter.

Thesis Research Progress

Thereafter, the students' thesis research progress is reviewed annually by the thesis committee. The thesis committee also approves the final dissertation. After the preparation of the dissertation, a public oral defense of the thesis completes the requirement for the PhD in the Biomedical Sciences Program.

Specialization in Immunology

A graduate specialization in immunology is offered as part of graduate training in the biomedical sciences (BMS) and School of Biological Sciences (BioSci) graduate programs. Students accepted to the biomedical sciences (BMS) graduate program will satisfy all of the degree requirements of that program.

Admission to the Specialization

Students admitted to the BMS program may enroll in the specialization in immunology after entering the program or after the first year with rotations complete. Admitted students will have satisfied the requirements for admission specified for the BMS program.

Course Requirements

• Completion of at least three approved immunology elective courses
• Thesis research must be completed in an approved immunology laboratory

Time Limits

Students admitted to the specialization in immunology must meet the time limit requirements as all other doctoral students in the BMS program. It is expected that students will retain the same time to degree as students not pursuing this specialization.