Curriculum
Core course work will be composed of five one-semester courses in the following areas: Genetics, Metabolism, Physical Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology. These will be taken during the first and second years. In subsequent years training will be developed by student and the dissertation committee and will normally involve 2-4 additional courses selected from the nearly 50 available in relevant disciplines.
| Courses & Exam Schedule | Year 1 Fall | Year 1 Spring | Year 1 Summer | Year 2 Fall | Year 2 Spring | Year 2 Summer |
| Plant Molecular Biology & Genomics | X | |||||
| Advanced Genetics | X | |||||
| Plant Cell & Developmental Biology | X | |||||
| Plant Biochemistry | X | |||||
| Journal Colloquium | X | X | X | X | ||
| Lab Rotations | X | X | ||||
| Electives | X | |||||
| Written Exam | X | |||||
| Oral Exam | X |
Journal Colloquium are organized around 3 topics each semester. Attendance in at least one Journal Colloquium is required each Fall and Spring semester.
PhD students take the written exam is at the end of spring semester of their first year. and if this is successfully completed the oral exam is completed by the end of summer semester of their second year. In preparation for the oral examination, the student prepares a NSF-style written proposal for the committee and presents a public seminar covering their proposed research.
All PMCB students (Ph.D. and M. S.) present a public exit seminar prior to graduation.
