Curriculum

General Information

Graduate programs in the Biomedical Sciences are located at the Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois approximately 10 miles west of downtown Chicago. The rapidly expanding medical center features a modern campus with state-of-the-art facilities for education and biomedical research.

Approximately 175 graduate students are currently enrolled in the 8 Biomedical Science programs that offer graduate degrees. New Ph.D. and M.S.graduate students enroll in a Core Curriculum in the first semester, after which they take advanced coursework and research training in their chosen area of specialization. Ph.D. students do three rotations through potential dissertation laboratories during the second semester. After completing the laboratory rotations, students choose an advisor that will mentor their training, and together with their advisor they assemble a committee. Applications to the Stritch School of Medicine can be combined with an application to the Graduate School for purposes of pursuing the M.D./Ph.D. program.

Financial Support

Students accepted into a Ph.D. program are provided complete tuition remission for 48 credit hours of study including Dissertation Supervision, and a stipend of $23,000 per year, paid in monthly installments. Out of pocket expenses include university fees for health services, student activity fee, and the Health and Fitness Center membership. All students are required to have medical insurance coverage and we are pleased to announce that Loyola now pays the health insurance premium for eligible students. There is no on-campus student housing.

Although M.S. students are not provided a stipend or tuition remission, all research supplies and equipment required for their research projects are provided at no cost to the students. Tuition for the current academic year (2009-2010) is $790/credit hour, and M.S. students are required to take a minimum of 24 credits over the two year course of study.

Curriculum

The curriculum for the Ph.D. Program in Molecular Biology consists of a first semester core of four courses (Molecular Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Systems Biology and Methods in Biomedical Sciences), courses from the basic science departments of the Medical School, and courses taught by the faculty of the Program.

The M.S. Curriculum consists of a first semester core of three courses (Molecular Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Methods in Biomedical Sciences), courses from the basic science departments of the Medical School, and courses taught by the Program faculty.

Classes

Graduate classes are small, and there is a strong emphasis on the current scientific literature. The program holds a weekly Journal Club where students present seminars on recent important research articles of their choice. A dynamic seminar series brings twenty or more nationally recognized molecular biologists to the Medical Center each year to present their research and meet with graduate students.

Course of Study

In the first year of study, Ph.D. students complete three elective rotations in the laboratories of faculty members of their choice, and select an advisor by the end of the second semester. Required and elective courses are taken throughout the first and second years. The student must take and pass a qualifying examination by the end of the second year in order to be admitted to Ph.D. candidacy.

Independent research is carried out in state-of-the-art laboratories under the direction of the student's advisor, with regularly scheduled meetings with the Ph.D. committee selected by the student and advisor. A formal written dissertation on the student's research is required, and must be successfully defended at a public examination. The normal period required for completion of the degree ranges from four to six years.

In addition to these classes, all students must enroll in Molecular Biology Journal Club and Molecular Biology Seminar every semester until graduation. Students conduct independent, original research projects after identifying an advisor and joining a lab. This occurs after the second semester for Ph.D. students and at the end of the first semester for M.S. students.

Goal

The goal of the Ph.D. program in Molecular Biology is to train students as independent investigators who will go on to post-doctoral fellowships following the completion of the degree, and eventually become independent academic researchers and teachers.

The goal of the M.S. program in Molecular Biology is to train students in the basic science and methodology of Molecular Biology, to allow them to apply this knowledge in jobs as research assistants in academy or the biotechnology industry, or as teachers in primary or secondary education.

If you have any questions, please e-mail: gradapp@luc.edu

A personal interview is required for admission. For foreign applicants an interview by telephone must be arranged.

Contact Us

To request more information which will answer questions you may have about the Molecular Biology Graduate Program admission and application process, please complete our online request form:  www.luc.edu/gpem/request