Curriculum

​Neurobiology and Behavior

Boot Camp and Program Orientation

At the end of August before the fall semester, the incoming cohort of graduate students participate in "Boot Camp" run by current students and a faculty mentor. The purpose of boot camp is to familiarize incoming students with techniques used in neuroscience research. This is done through lectures and laboratory demonstrations. Topics include basic methods in microscopy, biochemistry, electrophysiology, genetics, computational neuroscience, behavior, imaging, anatomy, and cell culture. Faculty, postdocs and students lecture and participate in lab demonstrations.

Laboratory Rotations

In their first year in the program, students engage in rotations in the labs of training faculty. Rotations are designed to help students choose a dissertation mentor, and broaden their practical and theoretical knowledge of neuroscience. Rotations are initiated by students according to individual interests and typically last one semester.

Coursework

  • First year: Crafting a Research Proposal; Responsible Conduct of Neuroscience Research/Policy; Survey of Neuroscience; Neurobiology II: Development & Systems; and Analysis for Neuroscientists
  • Second year: Two Advanced Seminars in Neurobiology & Behavior and Writing Skills for Neuroscientists II
  • Third year and beyond: Professional Skills for Neuroscientists and Writing Skills for Neuroscientists III

Qualifying Exam

The Qualifying Examination, taken near the end of year 2 in the program, establishes that students are ready to undertake the research required for the PhD degree. Students must possess an in-depth understanding of the literature in their field and formulate a research proposal addressing an important scientific problem. The written qualifying proposal follows the format of the NIH NRSA (F31); most address a proposed thesis project, though these may be based on any topic. The proposal is defended in an oral examination before an examining committee chosen by the student and thesis advisor.

  • Timing: Students are expected to pass this examination by the end of May of their second year in the graduate program.
  • Format: The Qualifying Examination is in two parts: a written research proposal and an oral defense of that proposal before an examining committee.
  • Examining Committee: The committee consists of four faculty members including the student's proposed thesis sponsor or co-sponsor. Members of the committee may come from outside the training program when appropriate. The Qualifying Exam Committee can remain as the student's Thesis Committee.
  • Initiation of the Examination Process: At least eight weeks in advance of the date desired by the student for the oral defense of the proposal, the Students must prepare a 1-2 page synopsis of the project. The synopsis should include a brief rationale, a set of aims, and a description of the experimental (or other) approach and receive approval by the mentor. It is then submitted to one of the co-directors, along with the proposed members of the examination committee, for review. A co-director must approve the committee composition. Students then provide the synopsis to the committee members. Once the members have agreed to serve on the committee, the student should schedule a mutually agreeable date for the exam. Composing a committee and disseminating the synopsis should take place at least six weeks prior to the expected exam date. Student may have general discussions with their mentor or other relevant colleagues during proposal preparation, but the final full-length version should be written independently. The finished proposal should be presented to members of the examining committee no later than one week before the oral exam. Details on the format of the qualifying exam written proposal can be found on the internal site for graduate students.
  • Oral Defense: The student will deliver a short (15-20 minute) presentation. Questions by the Examining Committee may initially focus on the proposal itself but can lead to questions on any area of neuroscience. Depending on the student's orientation, questions may cover other areas of contemporary science. The qualifying examination is comprehensive; students are therefore required to demonstrate an appropriately broad background in neuroscience and an understanding of underlying principles.

Thesis Advisory Committee

Thesis committee meetings are a key mentoring mechanism for doctoral students. They provide students an opportunity to receive focused feedback on their studies from a panel of program faculty. After successful completion of the qualifying exam, a co-director helps the student and their mentor choose three faculty members to join a thesis advisory committee. When appropriate, a colleague from outside the program or outside the university may be added to the committee. This committee has primary responsibility for advising the student until graduation.

For the first thesis committee meeting, students should prepare and distribute a brief written thesis proposal to guide discussion during the initial dissertation committee meeting; this proposal is updated as the thesis progresses. The text should provide brief background to the project that provides a motivation for the work and an outline of methodology. For subsequent meetings, the student prepares a report describing the progress since the last meeting in the context of the larger goals, and the work remaining for each current experiment. If aims are either added or abandoned, explain why.

Meetings should occur at at regular intervals (at least annually during the first two years of thesis research, every six months as the student prepares to defend their thesis, and a pre-defense meeting three months before the planned defense date). Following each meeting, the chair of the thesis advisory committee (chosen by the advisor) prepares a written report along with a copy of the student’s thesis report for submission to the Graduate office. The report summarizes the results of the meeting and recommends whether the next meeting should occur in 3, 6 or 12 months.