First Year Curriculum

The first year curriculum is evenly divided between coursework and spending time in potential thesis labs (Rotations).  

In the fall semester, the core curriculum consists of an interdisciplinary foundational course coordinated with a journal-based class that teaches students to embrace the primary literature while exposing them to fundamental experimental methods and quantitative data analysis. Students enroll in Fundamentals of Molecular Biosciences, Experimental Methods in Molecular Biosciences, and Essential Skills I. (See course descriptions below.)

In the spring semester, mini courses, which span four-week blocks, focus on specific topics that take advantage of faculty expertise and research interests on campus. Mini courses give students opportunities to develop writing, speaking, presentation, modeling, or other skills as appropriate. Mini courses allow for close interaction of small groups of students with faculty engaged in cutting-edge research. Students select a total of six mini courses for the spring semester and also enroll in Essential Skills II and Ethical Scientific Conduct.

Throughout the first year, students participate in three 8 to 10-week laboratory rotations to select a thesis lab. The last rotation ends in April, and most students have joined a lab by May.  See list of current rotation faculty.

First-year students also attend the weekly Graduate Student Research Seminar to become familiar with the research carried out by upper-level students.

Examples of previously held courses and past mini course topics can be found on the Archived Courses page.