Required for Ph.D. in Genetics (Major)
GENE 670 (Recent Advances in Genetics): This the genetics graduate seminar. Eight semesters (i.e., 16 credit units) of this 2-unit course, offered in the Fall and Spring semesters, is required of all students. This course consists of work-in-progress, research presentations, presentations of journal club articles from the current literature, and research seminars in genetics. it is a letter-graded course.
CMM 518 (Fundamental Genetic Mechanisms): This is a 3-unit course, offered in the Fall semerster, required of all students. This course is an introductory graduate-level course in advanced concepts in genetics. The course covers a wide array of genetic concepts, including gene interaction, genetic analysis, chromosome structure and mechanics, meiotic mechanisms, gene regulation, dosage compensation, sex determination, and somatic mutation.
GENE 792A (Laboratory Research Rotations): For first-year students who have not chosen a major advisor at the beginning of their graduate career, the Program requires they take three rotations from the beginning of the first semester, usually Fall, to the midpoint of the second semester, usually Spring. These three nine-week lab rotations are 2 units each (6 credit units total). Students are asked to present a summary of their rotation project in the graduate seminar. The supervising faculty assign a letter grade for the rotations.
GENE 671 Morality and Ethics in Science (1 unit), MCB 695E Science, Society, and Ethics (1 unit), PHCL 595B Scientific Writing, Presentation and Bioethics (2 units), or SLHS 649 Survival Skills and Ethics (3 units)
GENE 900 (Research): Prior to the taking the comprehensive exam, students take two to nine research credits each semester.
GENE 920 (Dissertation): 18 units, as required by UA Graduate College
Students are required to complete two courses, one from each of two of the three columns in the table below, as a distribution requirement.
Genetics | Biochemistry | Genomics and Bioinformatics |
|---|---|---|
| CMM 695D Advanced Analysis of Human Genetic Disease | BIOC 568 Nucleic Acids, Metabolism and Signaling | MCB 585 Multidisciplinary Approaches to Solving Biological Problems |
| GENE 530 Conservation Genetics | BIOC 565 Proteins and Enzymes | BE 587 Metagenomics: From Genes to Ecosystems |
| MCB 546 Genetics and Molecular Network | BIOC 555 Methods of Physical Biochemistry | GENE 677 Principles of Genetic Association Studies |
| MCB 572A Cell Systems | BIOC 573 Recombinant DNA Methods and Applications | MCB 516A Statistical Bioinformatics and Genomic Analysis |
| PLP 528R Microbial Genetics | CHEM 523A Bioanalytical Chemistry | MCB 547 Big Data in Molecular Biology and Biomedicine |
| GENE 526 Population Genetics | MCB 580 Introduction to Systems Biology | |
| PLS 539 Methods in Cell Bio and Genomics | ||
All students are required to submit a Doctoral Plan of Study (PoS) as they progress to their Comprehensive Examination. The PoS should be developed in consultation with his or her mentor in consultation the students advisory committee. The PoS should (1) list specific courses that satisfy the unit requirements of the graduate school and the program, and (2) provide a specific timeline for the completion of coursework that has to be completed. Because it will be impossible to predict the background education of each incoming student and their specific Ph.D. research project, this format allows for maximum flexibility in constructing the specific curricula that will add to each students’ knowledge while also complementing their proposed area of research. The PoS progress will be evaluated a minimum of once per year by the student’s dissertation committee and changes to the PoS shall be approved by the student's advisory committee.
Required for a Doctoral Minor in Genetics
GENE 670 (Recent Advances in Genetics): 2 semesters = 4 credit units.
Remaining 5 units: Graded courses as approved on student’s PoS by the two Dissertation Committee members who are faculty members of the Genetics GIDP (see Faculty Members for official listing). There must also be two Comprehensive Examination Committee members who are faculty members of the Genetics GIDP. The Comprehensive Examination is written and oral questions must include material from the student’s genetics coursework.
Required for MS Degree in Genetics
The University of Arizona Genetics program requires a minimum of 32 units of graduate credit, of which at least 26 credits must be in non-thesis credits, and 6 of thesis credits.
All students will be required to submit a Masters's Plan of Study (PoS) by the end of their first year. The PoS will be developed by the student and his/her mentor in consultation with committee members.
Required Courses:
GENE 670 (Recent Advances in Genetics): 4 semesters = 8 credit units; requirement may be reduced or waived with the approval of the program chair
CMM 518 (Fundamental Genetic Mechanisms): This is a 3-unit course, offered in the Fall semester, required of all students. This course is an introductory graduate-level course in advanced concepts in genetics. The course covers a wide array of genetic concepts, including gene interaction, genetic analysis, chromosome structure and mechanics, meiotic mechanisms, gene regulation, dosage compensation, sex determination, and somatic mutation.
Gene 910 (MS Thesis Credit): 6 units required
One Genomics or Bioinformatics Course from the table above