A more extensive description of the requirements may be
found in the Biochemistry
Student Handbook and the
Brandeis University catalog.
Courses
The program of study consists of seven one-semester courses,
of which four must be satisfactorily completed in the student's
first year. In the first year, all students take BCHM 101a,
102a, BCBP 200b, and one elective course. In addition, students
take four 9-week laboratory rotations and the non-credit
course CONT 300b, which do not count among the seven courses
required.
Choice of dissertation advisor
At the end of the first year, each student chooses a Brandeis
faculty member as advisor for Ph.D. thesis research.
Teaching
Each student serves as a teaching assistant for two semesters,
in courses, sections, or labs, usually in the student's
second year of study.
Propositions
Proposition are mock-research proposals that the student
writes and then defends in oral presentations. Each student
must pass two propositions during the second academic year.
Each proposition is an original research proposal based
on an understanding of current literature in a specific
field of research. The student should identify an interesting
and experimentally tractable question at the forefront of
biochemistry, and should design a plan to attack this question.
Comprehensive examination
In May of the second year, a Comprehensive Exam will be
given. This will consist of a 3-hour written exam followed
several days later by a short oral exam. The exam will cover
fundamental principles of macromolecular biochemistry, and
will set for the student new problems in which these principles
are to be applied.
Progress Meetings
Starting in the third year of study, the student meets
with a faculty committee of three members at least once
every academic year to discuss progress towards completing
thesis research. Students should not view these meetings
as exams! Their sole purpose is to facilitate the
student's trajectory towards a successful dissertation.
Dissertation
The Ph.D. candidate must write a dissertation that summarizes
the results of an original investigation of an approved
subject and which demonstrates the competence of the candidate
in independent research. The student delivers a public lecture
on the dissertation research and defends the work in a meeting
with the dissertation committee.
The following links will provide you with additional information
about the graduate program in Biochemistry:
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