First-Year Coursework

Students entering through any of the eight themes in the Graduate Biomedical Sciences will have several common courses throughout their first year, including basic biosciences ,biostatistics, and ethics. Intermingled with these common courses will be theme-specific courses. Lab rotations (3) are unique to the individual, although everyone's rotations begin and end at the same time.

For the students entering in Fall 2012, the tentative lab rotation schedule is as follows:

  • 1st Lab Rotation - 27 August through 16 November 2012
         Poster Sessions - 15 and 16 November 2012
  • 2nd Lab Rotation - 17 November 2012 through 6 February 2013
         Poster Sessions - 4 and 6 February 2013
  • 3rd Lab Rotation - 7 February through 17 April 2013
         Poster Sessions - 15 and 17 April 2013


NOTES: Students making a C or lower (considered a failure) in any course must retake and pass the course the following year. Any student receiving two C's (or more) are subject to being dismissed by the program.

FALL SEMESTER 2012

All students in the GBS themes take three basic core courses, which meet M-F, 8 a.m.-10 a.m., in BBRB 170:

GBS 707 - Basic Biochemistry and Metabolism
14 August 2012 - 17 September 2012    

  • Amino acids and primary protein structure
  • Protein secondary and tertiary structure
  • Postranslational modifications  and allosteric changes
  • Glycobiology
  • Lipid structure and metabolism
  • Thermodynamic principles of biochemical reactions
  • Enzyme kinetics
  • Enzyme mechanisms and regulation
  • Amino acid/nitrogen metabolism
  • Glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and citric acid cycle
  • Glycogenesis, glycogenolysis, and pentose phosphate pathway
  • Electron transport/oxidative phosphorylation  

GBS 708 - Basic Genetics and Molecular Biology
18 September 2012 - 22 October 2012

  • DNA recombination
  • Nucleic acids & DNA replication
  • Prokaryotic transcription, translation, and gene regulation 
  • Eukaryotic genome organization
  • Eukaryotic DNA replication
  • Eukaryotic transcription, translation, and gene regulation
  • Mendelian inheritance
  • Genetic variation and polymorphisms


After these courses, students break into their theme-specific coursework for the remainder of the Fall semester. Neuroscience students take:

  • GBS 731 - Principles of Cellular Neuroscience (M-F, 8 a.m.-10 a.m., 23 November - 21 December 2012)
  • GBS 734 - Neuroscience Historical Literature Discussion Group (September-December, 2012)

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SPRING SEMESTER 2013

2 January - 25 February
     GBS 732 - Grad Neuroscience
          This course is taken with dental and optometry students and includes a discussion group component. 
          Course meets Mondays & Wednesdays, 1 p.m.-2:50 p.m., and Fridays, 8 a.m.-11:50 a.m.;
           the discussion group meets Mondays & Wednesdays, 3:30pm-5:30pm.

26 February - 25 March
     GBS 714 - Developmental Neuroscience
          Meets Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.

26 March - 22 April
     GBS 733 - Diseases of the Nervous System
          Meets Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.

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SUMMER SEMESTER 2013

Neuroscience students will also attend the Student Summer Seminar Series (GBS 737), each Thursday at 1:30 p.m., 23 May -  September 2013. In this seminar series, advanced neuroscience students from across campus present their research work in a professional seinar setting. Each week, two students present to faculty and fellow students to gain valuable experience in this important component of scientific work.

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FALL SEMESTER 2013
GRD 717 - Bioethics (required for all GBS students beginning their 2nd year)
BY 755 - Biometry (stats course that meets Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, 2-3pm)

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Other advanced program requirements:

    • Seminar every semester (GBS 737 every summer semester)
    • Journal club every semester
    • 2 electives chosen by the student and permanent mentor
    • Theme-specific Qualifying exam (written and oral) in the summer of first year
    • Thesis committee formed early during second year
    • Defense of thesis proposal between October and March of student's third year (official Qualifying Exam)