General Information

Request Information

Admissions Information

Admissions Requirements

3 letters of recommendation
Statement of purpose

 

Standardized Tests

GRE is not required 

English Proficiency: https://grad.arizona.edu/admissions/requirements/international-applicants#english-proficiency

 

Funding Opportunities

Financial aid is available through Graduate Research Assistantships, fellowships and donated funds. All students admitted to the ABBS program are supported financially. After 3 rotations a research advisor will be determined and this advisor will provide the financial support.

 

Admissions Deadlines

Domestic Applicants:

• Fall: December 1

International Applicants:

• Fall: December 1

 

International Conditional Admission

International applicants will not be considered for conditional admission by this program.

Other Information

The GRE Institution Code for The University of Arizona is 4832

ETS Major Field Code(s) for this program: 0206

NRC Taxon(a) for this program: Cell and Developmental Biology, Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health

Completion Requirements

Minimum Credit Units

63 

Core Coursework Requirements

Minumum credits: 36 credits of coursework, 18 credits of dissertation, 9 credits of minor coursework
Core coursework: Core courses must be completed and awarded a Grade of A or B during the first two years in the program.
See Other Requirements for Successful Completion of the Program below for more details.
Language requirements: None
Other requirements: Cancer Biology Graduate Interdisciplinary Program satisfactory academic progress guidelines

Year One (ABBS Program through mid-March):
Complete first year core courses, no less than a B grade
Rotate through at 3-4 laboratories to identify a research lab, complete lab rotation evaluation
Attend final oral defense of fellow students
Participate in student research meetings

By July 1 of first year:
Identify research advisor and lab
Select minor
Complete annual evaluation for meeting with Progress Committee

Year Two:
Complete second year core courses, no less than a B grade
January 1 identify research project area and, with mentor, select potential supervisory committee members
By March 1 contact committee members and plan first committee meeting, plan for preliminary exam

Years 3-5:

Pass comprehensive exam by September 15 of third year
Complete dissertation research and publish results in at least one peer-reviewed journal
Limit of 7 years for completion of degree


Core Courses:
Must be completed in the first two years (or with permission of Chair)
Grade of B or better
63 total credits requred: 36 coursework credits (22 of which must be graded units) and 18 dissertation credits, plus 9 credits of minor area coursework 

BIOS 576A: Biostatistics

CBIO 552: Cancer Biology

CBIO 553: Advanced Topics in Cancer Biology

IMB 521: Scientific Grantsmanship

CBIO 561: Clinical Experience

CBIO 596H: Cancer Biology Seminar (taken each semester)

CBIO 595C: Cancer Biology Colloquium (taken every fall)

PHCL 595B: Scientific Writing Strategies, Skills and Ethics OR MCB 695E: Science, Society and Ethics

Annual Evaluation
Provide annual report to Progress Committee at meeting at the end of Spring semester

Comprehensive exam:
Please see handbook for most up-to-date information on comprehensive exam requirements

Milestones
Core courses complete by end of fourth semester
Research laboratory identified by July 1 of first year
Comprehensive exam no later than September 15 of third year
Final oral defense no later than seven years from start of program

 

 

Elective Coursework

Students may choose from any elective coursework at the university approved by their PI. 

Commonly selected electives include:

CBIO 515: Mechanisms of Human Disease

CBIO 524: Contrast Agents, Molecular Imaging and Kinetics

CBIO 530: Proteins and Nucleic Acids as Drug Targets

CBIO 531: Nutrition and Cancer

CBIO 550: Drug Disposition and Metabolism

CBIO 595A: Oncogenes and Signal Transduction

CBIO 602A: General and Systems Toxicology

CBIO 610: Molecular and Cellular Toxicology

CBIO 630A: Cell Communication and Signal Transduction, Part I

CBIO 630B: Cell Communication and Signal Transduction, Part II

CMM 579: Art of Scientific Discovery

CMM 695D: Human Genetic Disease Colloquium

PCOL 601A: Epigenetics in Development and Disease

PHSC 670: Principles in Drug Discovery, Design, Development

 

Additional Requirements

No additional requirements

 

Minor Requirements for Doctoral Students in this Program

A minor in Cancer Biology requires 9 units. A review of the minor plan with the Program Chair is highly encouraged before classes are taken.

Cancer Biology students may major in any graduate-level program with the approval of their PI, including Cancer Biology.

 

Student Handbook

Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.

 

Program StatisticsInformation about these numbers

Program-level Information
Application Acceptance Rate	75%
Avg. Time-to-degree (years)	5.41
Department-level Information
Enrollment Percent Male	36.36%
Enrollment Percent Female	63.64%
Enrollment Percent International	9.09%
Enrollment Percent URM	13.64%

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