MCP-PHD - Molecular and Cellular Physiology (PhD)

Candidates for Ph.D. degrees at Stanford must satisfactorily complete a program of study that includes 135 units of graduate course work and research.

Study toward the Ph.D. is expected to occupy five years, including summers. The MCP course requirements for the program are as follows:

• courseAdvanced Cell Biology 

• course MCP Bootcamp

  course MCP Journal Club and Professional Development Series

• course How Cells Work: Energetics, Compartments, and Coupling in Cell Biology

• course Foundations in Experimental Biology

• BIOS 217 Foundations of statistics and reproducible research

• course The Responsible Conduct of Research, if funded on NSF or NIH training grants

·       Basic competency in molecular biology

This requirement can be met based on undergrad curriculum/research. If not met, then the Stanford undergrad course BIO 83 can be taken to meet the requirement.

·      Selected courses 

Take the equivalent of two (2) courses from the following list, where mini-courses count as ½ course

o   BIOC 241 (Biological Macromolecules)

o   MCP 222 (Imaging: Biological Light Microscopy) or BIOPHYS 232 (Advanced Imaging Lab in Biophysics)

o   Minicourse BIOS 294 (Chemistry for Biologists and Others)

o   Minicourse BIOS 202 (Understanding Kinetics for Biologists and Biology)

o   Minicourse NEPR 204 (Neuroscience Molecular Core; requires instructor approval)

o   Minicourse NEPR 201 (Neuro-Cellular Core; requires instructor approval)

·       Advanced graduate courses or minicourses for a minimum of 6 units total. These courses do not need to be MCP courses but must be in a relevant scientific topic and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

• Attend MCP Seminar Series

• Attend MCP Annual Retreat

• Any additional courses required by your training grant or Qualifying Committee

• Service Requirement: Minimum of 40 hours prior to 5th year of study (MCP Handbook)

  Courses taken to meet program requirements must be taken for a letter grade, and students must earn a minimum grade of at least a 'B' in every individual required course. Students must also maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 by University policy. Failure to maintain the required grades and grade point average is taken as evidence of unsatisfactory progress in the program.

Students should complete their required courses within the first two years of study. Exceptions may be made in cases where it was impossible to schedule courses because they were not offered within a student’s first two years. Students may petition the DGS for variances in the specific courses required, and such petitions may be granted in special circumstances in cases where a student’s progress is otherwise exemplary. The DGS may consult with the MCP Graduate Program Committee on these variances.

Laboratory Rotations

In addition to the course requirements detailed above, a student is expected to complete laboratory rotations during the first year. While students typically explore three rotations, a student may opt to do a greater number of shorter rotations, as long as the rotation process is completed by May 15 of the first academic year of study. The first two of these rotations must be in a laboratory within the Department, while subsequent rotations may be in any laboratory within the Stanford Biosciences Program. The first rotation should last 8 to 10 weeks and each subsequent rotation shall last no longer than 8 weeks. Shorter rotations are encouraged, as long as the total length of the rotations is between 20 and 26 weeks. MCP requires a lab rotation evaluation to be completed by faculty member and student at the end of the rotation. Continuation of rotations beyond May 15 will require the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. Additional rotations and/or time for rotations will be considered in special circumstances, but in all cases, students should plan to join a dissertation lab no later than the beginning of Fall Quarter of the second year. Dissertation and University Oral Examination

The results of independent, original work by the students are presented in a dissertation. The oral examination is largely a defense of the dissertation.

Qualifying Examination

All students in the program must pass a qualifying examination to advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. It is expected that students take the qualifying examination by the end of the Autumn Quarter in the second year of study. Failure to take the qualifying exam by the end of Autumn Quarter of the second year of study is taken as evidence of unsatisfactory progress in the program. In any case, where a student thinks they need additional time to schedule and take their exam, a request must be submitted in writing to the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) by November 15 of Autumn Quarter. The DGS may opt to grant additional time in compelling circumstances that do not indicate poor progress or may refer the matter to the graduate committee for further action.

Students are given two chances to unconditionally pass the qualifying examination. Failure to achieve an unconditional pass of the qualifying examination by the end of the Spring Quarter of the second year is grounds for dismissal from the program.

Students form a qualifying examination committee consisting of at least 3 faculty members (members of the academic council, including the dissertation advisor), at least one of whom must be a member of MCP. This committee should be formed by the end of Spring Quarter of the first year of study. The composition of this committee should be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. Students should also check with the department's student services office to make sure to file all required paperwork by the end of Spring Quarter. The University maintains certain deadlines for filing for candidacy, and it is the student’s responsibility to be aware of these deadlines.

Advisers and Advisory Committees

A graduate advisory committee, currently professors Feng, Lewis, Maduke, and Madison, advises students during the period before the formation of their qualifying committees.

Financial Aid

Students may be funded by their advisers' research grants, training grants, department funds, or extramural funds. Students are encouraged to obtain funding from outside sources such as NIH and NSF.