The College also offers the Doctor of Philosophy degree focused on depth of understanding across disciplines, acquisition of research skills and the conducting of original research.
In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Veterinary Medicine, students must meet the requirements specified below.
Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology
The student must complete a minimum of 18 credits of non-research courses, with at least 12 credits in courses at the 800 level and above. All students are required to take the following courses, with at least two enrollments in Veterinary Medicine 820:
| EPI |
827 |
The Nature and Practice of Scientific Integrity |
3 |
| VM |
820 |
Current Topics in Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology
|
2 |
| |
|
|
|
|
All students are required to take at least one course from each of four major areas: molecular life sciences, integrative biology, pathology, and statistics and epidemiology. A list of approved courses is available from the major advisor. In rare cases, a student may lack sufficient background in certain areas and may be asked to complete collateral courses at the 400 or 500 level. Credits earned in such collateral courses are not counted towards the degree.
The doctor of philosophy degree program in comparative medicine and integrative biology is conducted in two phases:
Phase I consists of acquiring and/or documenting a high degree of competence in fundamental and basic biomedical sciences and developing research skills. Phase I culminates with a comprehensive examination, submission of a research proposal, and presentation of a research seminar outlining the research proposal including preliminary data. Students may elect to take their comprehensive exam after completion of at least 12 credit hours of course work.
Phase II consists of conducting research, continuing to expand knowledge by taking additional courses and seminars as necessary, and completing 24 credits in and successfully defending the Ph.D. Dissertation.