Typical Schedule

Course requirements for Biosciences Program students are flexible to allow students to concentrate on their research rotations and selection of a research laboratory and program affiliation to begin their thesis research. Fall                                                                  156:201 Prin Mol & Cell Biology               156:265 Biosciences Seminar                 156:302 Biosciences Research                (1) Elective                                     Spring 156:265 Biosciences Seminar 156:302 Biosciences Research 650:270 Responsible Conduct in Research (2) Electives

University of Iowa Health Science Campus

Course Descriptions

156:265 Biosciences Seminar

Biosciences Program Seminar dovetails with current seminar series run by the participating departments and programs of the Biosciences Program. Students meet at the beginning of each semester and choose a smorgasbord of about 12 seminars from the list of weekly seminars offered by the departments and programs. Students decide the choice of seminars, with advisement from the course instructor, who insures that all students contribute to the selection of seminars. During the first semester student groups are formed and each group selects a paper from a chosen speaker and presents the paper the week the seminar will be attended. During the second semester individual students select and present a paper the week the seminar is attended.

156:302 Biosciences Research

Students enjoy the flexibility of investigating several disciplines before deciding on a thesis project leading to the Ph.D. degree by performing three 10-week research rotations in the laboratories of any of the Biosciences Program faculty, regardless of their departmental or program affiliation. The rotation decisions will be on a rolling basis so that only the first rotation will be chosen during the orientation period. This will allow maximum flexibility for the student as his/her interests develop over the first year. The student’s primary advisor will coordinate advisement of potential labs for rotations. Biosciences students provide a short oral presentation following each research rotation to an audience comprised of their primary advisor, research advisor(s), and Biosciences students. Rotation advisors provide rotation reports and rotations are evaluated by the student's primary advisor. The student's primary advisor also meets with student to discuss course grades, subsequent rotations, and the student’s selection of a department or program and lab for thesis research.

650:270 Responsible Conduct in Research

Ethics, scientific misconduct, good research practices. Course begins in December and ends in March.