PhD in Anatomy & Neurobiology (And Vesalius Module)

This 64 credit doctoral program includes courses in Anatomy and Neuroscience that are part of the Medical School curriculum, are offered within this department or are offered by related departments on the Medical Campus. An integral part of the program is the requirement for students to participate as Teaching Fellows in Medical and Graduate school courses as part of our Vesalius Teaching Apprenticeship. The PhD program is designed to produce well-rounded biomedical scientists who expect to include both research and teaching in their career.

 The PhD curriculum consists of required courses, seminars and electives as well as Dissertation Research. Overview of the 64-credit PhD program:

• Required Courses: 44-48 credits, including 4 credits of Department Seminar Courses.
• Electives and/or Research: 20-24 credits

To see more details on the courses we offer, please visit the Course Description page.

Required Courses (Anatomy focus: 48; Neuroscience focus: 44)

One Departmental Advanced Seminar Courses:

Department Elective Courses include:

Requirements for the PhD Vesalius Module:

Students are required to have taken at least two of the following prerequisite courses to pursue the Vesalius Module:

The Module consists of three courses/components, two of which (Vesalius 1 & 2) are included in the list of required courses for all PhD students. The program begins with a course on the development of teaching skills in the biomedical sciences. This is followed by a teaching apprenticeship (160 hours service as a Teaching Fellow in one or more of the medical or graduate required courses, above), and concludes with a Mentored Teaching Project that involves the development of a didactic lesson or exercise under the direct mentorship of experienced and award-winning faculty.

Example of a typical curriculum for PhD students (see required courses and options above)

Year 1: Fall

Medical Gross Anatomy or Systems Neurobiology                  8cr/4cr   AN 701/AN 810

Medical Neuroscience (Credits assigned in Spring)                 4 cr        AN 703

10-12 cr

Year 1: Spring

Cognitive Neuroscience and/or Advanced Neuroanatomy      4 cr/4 cr AN 811/AN724

Vesalius 1: Teaching in the Biomedical Sciences                        2 cr    AN 806

Research Colloquium (Journal Club)**                                        2 cr    AN 801/802

**Journal club is taken once every year but only one time for credit

Elective(s) (see list above)                                                                2-4 cr

10-14 cr

PhD students typically rotate through 2-3 labs during the Spring semester. This enables them (and faculty research mentors)
to find a lab in which dissertation research will be performed.

Year 2: Fall

Fundamentals of Cell & Molecular Neurobiology                      4 cr    AN 777

Exptl. Design & Statistical Methods or Elementary Biostats.  2 cr    AN 704/MS 700

Cells, Organs and Tissues (Histology) or elective(s)                  4 cr    AN 722

Scientific Writing                                                    2 cr    AN 815

10-12 cr

Year 2: Spring (Note this is when most students take their PhD qualifying exam)

Advanced Seminar (1 required, see list above)                                   2 cr    (see list above)

Professional Skills for Students in the Biomedical Sciences            2 cr    AN 715

Elective(s)                                                                                                   Variable

Year 3: Fall

Research                                                                                        Variable

Elective(s) (see list above)                                                         Variable

Vesalius 2: Teaching Apprenticeship
(continues to 160 hrs)                                                                 6 Cr    AN 805

Year 3: Spring

Research                                                                                          Variable

Elective(s) (see list above)                                                            Variable

Advanced Seminar (see list above)                                             Variable

Year 4: Spring-Fall

Research and Dissertation                                                           Variable

Year 5: Spring-Fall

Research and Dissertation                                                           Variable

Dissertation Defense