Program Overview

Oral and Craniofacial Sciences (PhD)

The Oral and Craniofacial Sciences (OCS) interdisciplinary PhD program provides students with the knowledge and research tools needed to study oral and craniofacial tissue and organ systems. From a variety of approaches, students learn about the functions of these tissues and systems, and about the conditions and diseases to which these tissues and systems are susceptible. The OCS program emphasizes the importance of translating scientific discovery into advances in patient treatment and clinical care.

Program Description

The OCS graduate program aims to develop world leaders in scientific discovery, who will be able to translate their research into health benefits for patients worldwide. Recognizing that significant scientific discovery occurs at the crossroads of different disciplines, students acquire an outstanding level of competence in cell and molecular biology, which is incorporated with an in-depth examination of the key developmental, molecular, materials sciences questions related to oral and craniofacial sciences.

Faculty

Fifty faculty members are associated with the OCS program, representing several departments in the UCSF School of Dentistry as well as many departments in the UCSF School of Medicine. This ensures a program curriculum that spans a range of disciplines.

Admission Requirements

The requirements for admission are as follows:

• Completion of an undergraduate degree.
• Statement of purpose (one page, single spaced)
• Three letters of recommendation (preferably from professors who are familiar with your research experience)
• Original transcripts from all baccalaureate/graduate schools
• Original Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), if English is not your native language
• Completed Graduate Division application, due by Dec. 1

Learning Outcomes

• To provide our students with a foundation in biological sciences that will allow them to address a wide range of scientific questions in oral and craniofacial research.
• To instill in our students our core scientific values of interdisciplinary collaboration and approaches to scientific questions; to work independently and as part of a team, and to value the contributions of others.
• To prepare the next generation of leaders in their fields and careers.

Degree Requirements

• Minimum GPA of 3.0
• All core courses and required activities taken and passed
• Pass qualifying examination
• Completion, submission and presentation of the dissertation

Core Courses

Course List Code | Title | Units
---|---|---
OR CRA FAC 215| Laboratory Rotation| 6
BIOMED SCI 225A| Biostatistics and Computational Biology| 2.5
OR CRA FAC 221A| Current Concepts in Oral Biology| 2.5
OR CRA FAC 222| OCS PhD Seminar Series| 1
OR CRA FAC 270| Journal Club| 1

Non-Course Core Requirements

Public presentation of dissertation work.