Program Curriculum

The selection of courses is largely governed by individual student interests and needs, in consultation with his/her committee. However, all degree candidates are required to complete the following coursework as part of the CDB Program.

All courses can be found on the Rutgers University Schedule of Classes.

CDB PROGRAM REQUIRED Core COURSES

CDB graduate students are required to complete a one-credit CDB seminar or MBS Mini Course in the second year of the curriculum, earning a grade of B or better.  See the complete list of Core Courses with descriptions below.

Students may fulfill the remaining credits through courses in the Cell and Developmental Biology program or the broader Molecular Biosciences umbrella.  Students may use their lab rotation credits to fulfill their formal course credit requirement.  

Seminars are highly encouraged to expose students to the current research literature in the discipline and to serve as a training ground for oral presentations and the critical evaluation of papers. It is recommended that students (1) take courses in a variety of different topic areas in order to sample different disciplines; and (2) informally audit seminars to gain experience by observing other student presentations, particularly in the early semesters.

A list of pre-approved courses and seminars can be provided upon request. The Graduate Program Director should approve any other courses or seminars that are of interest. 

BIOSTATISTICS REQUIREMENT

All graduate students are required to complete one of the available Biostatistics courses listed on the School of Graduate Studies Rigor and Reproducibility Training website.  This course should be taken in either the second or third year.  For special permission numbers (SPNs), please email the Molecular Biosciences Graduate Program Office (molbiosci@rutgers.edu).

Progress Reports of Graduate Students in Molecular Biosciences

The Graduate Student Research Seminar brings together students from all the Graduate Programs in Molecular Biosciences on a weekly basis to learn about the science conducted by their colleagues. As a speaker, the opportunity to present in a friendly and constructive environment is a great way to prepare for delivering presentations at regional and national scientific meetings, or to a prospective post-doc advisor or employer. Audience members learn about the science, approaches, techniques, and ideas of their fellow students. Thesis advisors are expected to attend, and students are strongly encouraged to invite members of their thesis committees to their talks.

Research in biology

CDB graduate students should register for Research in Biology each semester until completion. (24 credits minimum/40 credits suggested).

• 16:148:701:(PI Section #) (Fall) Research in Biology
• 16:148:702:(PI Section #) (Spring) Research in Biology

Your PI or Advisor section number can be found under the Research in Biology listing in the schedule of courses.  If you do not see your PI/Advisor listed, please notify the graduate office at molbiosci@rutgers.edu to add their section.  *Note: The section numbers are subject to change, so please be sure to check the schedule of courses each semester.

RU-NB students should start taking as many credits of research as possible (12 max.) right away to bring the total semester’s credits to full-time status. The definition of full-time status for graduate students is a minimum of 9 credits per semester.  The program encourages students to register for up to 16 credits per semester to reach the desired 40 credits of research as early as possible.

Once students have earned 40 research credits, the School of Graduate Studies requires only 1 research credit per semester until graduation. For students who have successfully passed both qualifying exams, full-time status is defined as at least 1 credit per semester until graduation. If reduced credit waivers are required for loan deferral or international visa status, please notify the MBS Graduate Program Office for further instructions, as needed.

RBHS students (with UM billing code) should register for 9 credits of research each semester until graduation, regardless of the credits they have accumulated or their post-qualifying status.

Funding type

RU-NB graduate students must register for their GA, TA, or Fellowship funding.   Using one of the course numbers below that matches your funding type, students are required to register for 6 credits as a GA, 6 credits as a TA, or 0 credits as Fellows. The credits for the GA and TA registration are designated with an E prefix and are not applied toward your degree credits but are calculated into the total full-time credit allotment per semester.

• 16:148:811 Graduate Fellowship (0 credits)
• 16:148:866 Full GA Appointment (6 E credits)
• 16:148:877 Full TA Appointment (6 E credits)

RBHS graduate students DO NOT register for their funding type.

Ethical Scientific Conduct Refresher

The School of Graduate Studies offers an annual Ethical Scientific Conduct course for the purposes of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training that is compliant with NIH requirements.  This course is required of all 5th-year graduate students as well as MD/PhD students in the 3rd year of PhD. This is a case-based course that reviews the most important topics in Responsible Conduct of Research.