Program Guidelines

This page provides a brief overview of the structure of the program. For more detailed and up-to-date information, please see the Handbook.

Laboratory Rotations and Thesis Lab Selection

Laboratory rotations allow students and faculty to explore their match before the important choice of the thesis lab. During this period first-year students have a chance to learn about the laboratory research, the mentoring style of the advisor, the laboratory environment and more.

During program orientation, students are introduced to trainers looking to recruit students into their labs, who will give introductory talks about their group research areas. Students arrange, on their own, three rotations with professors they are interested in working with. Laboratory rotations occur during the first semester in the program, with each rotation period lasting approximately 4-5 weeks. After rotations are complete, students work with the professors they rotated with to join the lab they are most interested in.

Course Requirements

The Biophysics program has flexible course requirements that support the training and education of our interdisciplinary body of students. The curriculum includes two core courses (Biophysical Chemistry and Biophysical Spectroscopy) and 6 credits of Advanced Electives that can chosen from different specialty areas based on each student’s research interest. The Biophysics seminar is a literature-based course that provides a foundation of cutting-edge biophysical topics. First-year students also are required to take a Responsible Conduct of Research course. Optional Specialty courses, chosen based on individual research needs, complete the curriculum.

For more information, visit our Courses page.

Thesis Committee

The Thesis Committee comprises at least four members: the Thesis Advisor and at least three other faculty members selected by the student in consultation with the Thesis Advisor. The committee meets yearly and helps guide the student throughout their independent research until completion of the PhD Degree. Two of the four committee members must be trainers in the Biophysics Program. At least one of the three members must be in a different department than your advisor. If appropriate, one committee member can be an external expert in a field closely related to the thesis project and can be a faculty member at a different University in the United States or abroad, upon approval by the Biophysics Office. It is recommended that students start thinking about forming their Thesis Committee soon after their project is defined.

Preliminary Exam

The preliminary exam (prelim) occurs at the end of the Spring semester of the second year and is administered by the student thesis committee. It consists of a written research proposal and an oral defense, based on the student thesis research. The prelim represent an opportunity for a student to spend time focusing on the long-term objectives of their project, study the literature and practice their ability to defend their ideas. With the completion of the course requirements, passing the prelim promotes the student to dissertator status.

Thesis Defense

Successful completion of a research program culminates in a written thesis and oral presentation of the work, consisting of a public seminar and a defense in front of the thesis committee. The average time to degree for a PhD in the Biophysics program is 5.2 years.

Doctoral Minors

The Biophysics program does not require a minor; however, many of our students have special interests and choose to pursue minors. Examples of minor options pursued by some Biophysics students include:

  • Quantitative Biology for students interested in biophysics, systems biology, bioinformatics or biostatistics. This interdisciplinary minor includes coursework in quantitative methods, biological science, and integration of quantitative biology.
  • Life Science Communication for students interested in the ethical, legal, and social implications of emerging technologies or the future.