Degree Requirements
All course work taken within the Department of Integrative Biology and applied toward the degree must be at the 5000 level or above. Core courses required for the program include: principles of biological research, pedagogy, problems in integrative and systems biology, biostatistics, directed reading/grant writing, 3 electives, journal club, research, and graduate seminar. A course plan is developed jointly by the student and faculty advisor and is approved by the student’s graduate committee. Students are required to maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA throughout the program. In addition to regular meetings throughout the semester, all students must meet with their faculty advisor at the beginning of each semester to determine course schedules and upcoming deadlines.
In year one of the program, students are required to take a qualifying written exam covering first year course work. In year two of the program, all students are required to form a five-person dissertation committee. A formal research proposal (written and oral) is defended in the second year of the program. In the third year of the program, students take a comprehensive exam, which comprises an original and state-of-field grant proposal followed by an oral defense. In the final year of the program, a dissertation is completed and defended in an open forum. Degrees will not be awarded solely because students finish required course work and achieve other milestones, including passing comprehensive examinations. Graduation is contingent upon students completing a dissertation that is based on original, publishable research, submitting for publication in peer-reviewed journals, and demonstration by the student of a comprehensive understanding of the literature surrounding the chosen dissertation topic.
Stipends for students are provided for all years of the program.
Per Graduate School rules , the minimum enrollment requirement at CU Denver for doctoral students is six (6) semesters of full time scholarly work beyond the attainment of a bachelor’s degree. Two (2) semesters of enrollment credit may be allowed for an earned master’s degree from another institution; however, at least four (4) semesters of credit must be earned for work performed while enrolled at CU Denver. PhD students are expected to participate in the life of the program by attending colloquia, seminars, orientations and other program activities and by spending time on campus interacting with other students and faculty outside of normal class hours. Students should discuss with their advisors how to fulfill the spirit of this requirement.
Required Courses
