Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry Graduate Program
PhD Program
Doctoral study in MCB culminates in the PhD degree. Students may pursue training along 3 tracks: aging; genetics, genomics and systems biology; and computational molecular biology.
PhD Program
Doctoral study in MCB culminates in the PhD degree. Students may pursue training along 3 tracks: aging; genetics, genomics and systems biology; and computational molecular biology.
Basic Degree Requirements
Brown University requires a minimum of 24 tuition credits for the PhD degree, of which a maximum of eight can be transferred from other institutions. Students are also expected to participate in academic activities such as the Colloquia, Research Seminars, and Journal Clubs.
Within the Program, the major requirements for the PhD are:
- Completion of a program of courses covering core areas of required expertise
- Demonstration of proficiency in teaching
- Synthesis of a core body of knowledge, evaluated via written examination
- Demonstration of readiness to undertake original research, via oral presentation and defense of a written dissertation proposal (oral exam)
- Completion and oral defense of a dissertation that makes an original contribution in the chosen field of study.
The methods for meeting these requirements may differ depending on the individual program of study.
In each of the first three semesters, students will register for 4 tuition credits through a combination of coursework and graduate research. Beyond the first three semesters, students will fulfill this requirement primarily through their independent dissertation research, but students may also continue to register for courses that are related to their training throughout their time at Brown.
The student, in consultation with the Advisory Committee, will design an individualized curriculum, tailored to his or her unique interests.
Professional Development
The Sheridan Center works closely with the faculty, administration, post-doctoral, graduate and undergraduate students to improve the quality of teaching at Brown.
The Brown Center for Career Exploration supports students and recent graduates as they chart a path toward rewarding, meaningful careers.
BioMed Postdocs and Early Career Programs works to enhance the training environment for postdoctoral appointees and early career researchers in the Division of Biology and Medicine at Brown.
Our goal is to train the next generation of scientific leaders in biomedical research.
MCB Graduate Program Retreat
The MCB graduate retreat is full-day retreat is held in Bristol, a thirty-minute drive from campus, each year during the week before the start of the fall semester. This forum provides an opportunity to reconnect and exchange ideas across the program. New students and faculty members are introduced to the community at the beginning of the retreat. The morning session consists of research seminars delivered by both faculty members and students. In the afternoon, all students not speaking in the morning session are expected to present a poster on their work. Faculty members serve as judges in a poster contest, in which prizes are awarded. The students presenting the three “top” posters are invited to present their work in oral format at the retreat the following year. Scientific sessions are interspersed with meals and opportunities for social interaction.