Program Requirements
General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 36
Required Courses:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| BIOL 8003 | Introduction to Graduate Research | 3 |
| BIOL 8220 | Seminar 1 | 3 |
| Three 8000-level Biology seminars 2 | 9 | |
| Two additional graduate-level courses 3 | 6 | |
| Electives | ||
| Select three from the following: | 9 | |
BIOL 5101 | Evolution | |
BIOL 5111 | Genomics in Medicine | |
BIOL 5112 | Fundamentals of Genomic Evolutionary Medicine | |
BIOL 5114 | Evolutionary Ecology | |
BIOL 5128 | Genomics and Infectious Disease Dynamics | |
BIOL 5241 | Genomics and Evolutionary Biology of Parasites and Other Dependent Species | |
BIOL 5254 | Animal Behavior | |
BIOL 5275 | Ecology of Invasive Species | |
BIOL 5301 | Cell Biology | |
BIOL 5307 | Conservation Biology | |
BIOL 5312 | Biostatistics | |
BIOL 5321 | Plant Community Ecology | |
BIOL 5322 | Biology of Plants | |
BIOL 5323 | Global Change Science: Analytics with R | |
BIOL 5335 | Polar Biology - Life at the Extremes | |
BIOL 5337 | Comparative Biomechanics | |
BIOL 5338 | Epigenetics | |
BIOL 5358 | Cellular/Molecular Neuroscience | |
BIOL 5361 | Molecular Neuropharmacology | |
BIOL 5366 | Stem Cell Biology | |
BIOL 5403 | Genomics | |
BIOL 5416 | Tropical Marine Biology: Belize | |
BIOL 5428 | Virology | |
BIOL 5429 | Developmental Genetics | |
BIOL 5436 | Freshwater Ecology | |
BIOL 5452 | Systems Neuroscience | |
BIOL 5454 | Neurological Basis of Animal Behavior | |
BIOL 5456 | Organization and Development of the Nervous System | |
BIOL 5464 | Biochemistry of Embryogenesis | |
BIOL 5465 | Mammalian Development | |
BIOL 5466 | Contemporary Biology | |
BIOL 5469 | Molecular Biology | |
BIOL 5471 | Cell Proliferation | |
BIOL 5474 | Physical Biochemistry | |
BIOL 5475 | General Biochemistry I | |
BIOL 5476 | General Biochemistry II | |
BIOL 5479 | Biotechnology | |
BIOL 5501 | Analytical Biotechnology | |
BIOL 5502 | Microbial Biotechnology | |
EES 5011 | Remote Sensing and GIS | |
| Research Courses 4 | 6 | |
BIOL 9994 | Preliminary Examination Preparation | |
BIOL 9998 | Pre-Dissertation Research / Elevation to Candidacy | |
BIOL 9999 | Dissertation Research | |
| Total Credit Hours | 36 | |
- 1
Students take 1 credit of BIOL 8220 in the Fall and 2 credits of BIOL 8220 in the Spring.
- 2
One 3-credit seminar may be replaced with three 1-credit seminars.
- 3
Additional courses are selected from 8000-level seminars or from 5000-level Biology courses. With approval from the student’s advisor and the Graduate Chair, two non-Biology graduate-level courses that align with the student’s career goals may be taken.
- 4
A minimum of 2 credits of BIOL 9999 must be taken.
Additional Requirements:
All graduate-level courses must be passed with a "B-" or better.
All PhD candidates must have experience teaching at Temple University. A minimum teaching requirement of two terms may be satisfied by serving as a Teaching Assistant in the Biology Department.
Attendance at scheduled departmental colloquia is required.
Culminating Events:
Preliminary Examination:
The student independently prepares a written proposal and submits it to the Graduate Committee by April 1 of the student's fourth term. The proposal should follow the general format of a postdoctoral proposal to a federal granting agency (e.g., NIH). It should include background surrounding a particular research problem, including literature related to the problem and a detailed methodological plan for investigating the problem. The sections of the written proposal should include Title; Abstract (not to exceed 300 words); Specific Aims; Background and Significance; Preliminary Data; Experimental Design (including Rationale, Specific Methods, Interpretation of Possible Results, and Pitfalls and Alternative Strategies); and References in PNAS format. The preliminary exam proposal should be 15 to 20 pages in length. The research advisor is not to make direct contributions to the brief.
The Area Committee has two weeks in which to review the written proposal, and the student is allowed only one re-write. If the proposal is not accepted after the first re-write, the student is considered to have failed the exam. If the written proposal is accepted, an oral examination is scheduled through the department and held within two weeks. The oral examination tests the student's understanding of the background and substance of the research proposal and understanding of the area of specialization in which the research is embedded.
The preliminary examination is administered by the Preliminary Examination Committee in the absence of the research advisor. A minimum of three examiners serve on the Preliminary Examination Committee. The full exam, both written and oral, is graded by the Preliminary Examination Committee, and one of the following grades is assigned: Fail, Promising, Pass, High Pass, or Pass with Distinction. The evaluators look for a breadth and depth of understanding of specific research areas; a critical application of that knowledge to specific biological phenomena; and an ability to write a proposal in a manner consistent with scientists in the student's specialization. The student is notified of the grade the day the exam is taken. A passing grade requires a 2/3 majority of the Preliminary Examination Committee. The grade of Promising denotes that an exam must be retaken. Examinations that are to be retaken must be completed before October 1 of the following academic year.
Dissertation:
The doctoral dissertation is an original empirical study that demonstrates the student's knowledge of research methods and mastery of their primary area of research.
The Doctoral Advisory Committee includes a minimum of four members: three from the department, including the advisor, and one from outside the department. Departmental members must be Graduate Faculty or equivalent research faculty and are chosen by the student and advisor. The Doctoral Advisory Committee is to be formed within two to three months after successful completion of the preliminary examination, with the exception of the outside member who may be chosen at a later date. The student may petition the Biology Department Graduate Committee to change an advisor or committee member if needed.
The Doctoral Defense is to consist of a formal departmental colloquium open to the public. It is conducted by the Doctoral Advisory Committee, with the outside examiner present. The Graduate School must be notified at least 10 working days in advance. Announcements of the dissertation defense are posted around the Biology Department and sent via e-mail or listserv.
The penultimate version of the dissertation must be approved by the Doctoral Advisory Committee at least two weeks before the Graduate School deadline for submission of final copies.