General Information

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Admissions Information

Admissions Requirements

Applicants must complete at least a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent prior to enrollment in the Program.  Examples of undergraduate majors that normally constitute satisfactory preparation for graduate work in Neuroscience include but are not limited to: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Neurobiology, Neuroscience and Psychology.

The Genetics GIDP program does not have absolute criteria for GPA or GRE scores, characteristics of a strong application will generally include:

• GPA of 3.5 or higher
• GRE scores are optional
• 3 strong letters of recommendation from college professors, one of whom served as advisor for an independent research study; international students should provide at least one letter from a scientist who works in or is known well the U.S. system
• A strong personal statement indicating basis for interest in genetic graduate study in neuroscience, relevant background, and career goals
• A Curriculum Vitae

The Graduate Admissions Committee evaluates the entire admissions file. Deficiencies in one or two of the areas described above should not discourage interested applicants from applying.

 All required documents *must be* uploaded electronically; no paper copies will be accepted during the application process.

 

Standardized Tests

The following is a summary of all materials that should be prepared submitted online prior to the application deadline (December 1 for PhD) in order to complete your application:

• Graduate College Application for Genetics: https://apply.grad.arizona.edu/ 
• Scores from the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
• Scanned copies of transcripts from each college or university attended
• A Personal Statement (see below)
• Three (3) letters of recommendation (follow the instruction on the Graduate College application)
• International students must submit TOEFL scores 

It is recommended that you keep a hard-copy of all online forms, in case there are technical problems with online transmission.

If you are admitted, you will be required to submit 2 copies of your transcripts to:

Cora Varas-Nelson

Genetics GIDP

1548 E. Drachman St.

Tucson, AZ 85721-047

University of Arizona

Tucson, AZ 8572-0476

 

Problems submitting your application should be addressed to Cora Varas-Nelson, Program Coordinator, at cora@email.arizona.edu (520) 626-1452.

Personal Statement:

Your personal statement should be between 1000-1500 words long, and might include a discussion of your long-range goals; your reasons for pursuing an advanced degree; your interest in our program; information on your prior research experience or teaching (if any); and topics in genetics that are of particular interest to you and that might serve as the focus of your graduate program.

Letters of recommendation

All applicants must submit three letters of recommendation. These letters should be current or former advisors or instructors, and may address your previous research or laboratory experience, your academic qualification, your scientific potential, and your motivation for graduate work.

Required test(s):

Candidates for admission have the option to take the Verbal/Quantitative/Analytical Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Scores from the advanced examinations (e.g. biology, chemistry, physics, psychology) may also be included in the application, but are not required.

International students are required to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).  Minimum TOEFL: a score of 550 (paper based) or 79 (iBT) or higher.

 

Funding Opportunities

Financial Aid

The current funding package for doctoral students includes:

Annual Stipend (living expenses) $27,000
Benefit: tuition) $12,512
Benefit: Health Insurance $  1,875
Benefit: Out of State Tuition (if applicable) $18,322

The funds utilized by the Program to support the doctoral student stipends are derived from Faculty contributions, Graduate College Fellowships, and Teaching Assistantships.

Graduate students are guaranteed funding for their first-year during rotations (9 months) by the Genetics GIDP/ABBS programs, pallowing the new students to spend time durint their first year exploring different labs and finding the one best suited to their own research interests. After that, the students declar the lab in which they intend to do their dissertation, the student's funding is derived from support from their faculty advisor.

Because of uncertainties in funding sources, the intention of support cannot be construed as a guarantee of continuous support to any student. However, the Genetics GIDP Program makes every effort to provide financial support to our students throughout their academic careers.

 

Admissions Deadlines

Domestic Applicants:

• Fall: December 1
• No Spring Admission

International Applicants:

• Fall: December 1
• No Spring Admission

 

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: 4832

NRC Taxon(a) for this program: Genetics and Genomics

Completion Requirements

Minimum Credit Units

63 

Core Coursework Requirements

At the University of Arizona, the Graduate College sets the overall framework for the completion of the doctoral degree. Within these guidelines, the Genetics Graduate Interdisciplinary Program establishes specific requirements and monitors student progress to ensure:

Sufficient breadth of knowledge in genetics
Sufficient depth of knowledge in the students area of specialty
Rigorous research training
Training in career skills (writing, speaking, critical evaluation of the literature)
Training in teaching skills

Typically, successful completion of the Doctoral program takes 4.5 to 5.5 years of study. Doctoral students must complete 36 units of graduate-level coursework. 18 units must be in the major subject area, must be taken as letter-grade, and must be courses at the 500-level or greater.

Students must maintain a grade point average of 3.00 (letter grade of B) or better to receive financial support and to be awarded a Ph.D. degree. All students in the Doctoral degree program are also expected to comply with the regulations of the Graduate College with respect to residence, credit hour requirements, and the qualifying and comprehensive examinations (please refer to the Graduate College Policies for more information).

Doctoral students, with the input of their advisor, also develop a minor area of study based upon the student's research goals. The minor is satisfied with 9 units of relevant coursework in the minor department.

In addition, the Doctoral Program requires that each student complete a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 laboratory rotations within their first academic year. Furthermore, each Doctoral student must take a course in Ethics, in GENE670, and complete a semester as a teaching assistant to gain experience as a teacher.

During their second academic year, Doctoral students should form a Comprehensive Committee and, by the end of the second or third academic year, they must pass their written and oral Comprehensive Exams based  their the major and minor areas of study.

After a successful performance on the Comprehensive Exams, the Doctoral student will form a Dissertation Committee and complete their dissertation project to earn the Ph.D. degree.

Minumum credits: 63
Core coursework: Vary according to selected degree-granting program; see links to five participating life science graduate programs at <http://www.abbs.arizona.edu>;
 

Major: 36 units of coursework, combining units from the core curriculum and units from the student's specific area of interest (see below: typical curriculum).

Dissertation Units: At least 18 units of dissertation credit are taken after successful completion of the comprehensive examinations. Other units come from independent study and research credit.

Teaching Requirement: Students are required to teach for one semester in a course that complements their interests. Additional opportunities for teaching may also be available.

Seminars: In addition to the weekly GIDP Current Topics Seminar, students are required to attend seminars and journal clubs as determined in consultation with their mentor and mentoring committee.

 

Elective Coursework

Genetics Program students must select additional courses to complete their PoS. Courses are generally at the will of the student and the student’s advisory committee. However, to assure sufficient breadth for the students of the Genetics Program, students must choose one course from each of two of three lists, determined by the Genetics Curriculum Committee and maintained on the Genetics GIDP web page. The three lists are broadly divided into three categories: Organismal Genetics; Biochemistry; Genomics, Informatics, and Population Genetics. For example, a student must pass CMM518, and one course from Organismal Genetics, and one from Biochemistry, or he or she may pass CMM518 and one from Organismal Genetics and one from Genomics, Informatics, and Population Genetics.

The inclusion of a new course offered by the University on one of the lists can be done by your advisor by contacting the Genetics Curriculum Committee, the Chair, or the Vice-Chair of the GIDP.

GENE 670 (Recent Advances in Genetics): This the genetics graduate seminar. Eight semesters (i.e., 16 credit units) of this 2-unit course, offered in the Fall and Spring semesters, is required of all students.  This course consists of work-in-progress, research presentations, presentations of journal club articles from the current literature, and research seminars in genetics.  it is a letter-graded course.

CMM 518 (Fundamental Genetic Mechanisms): This is a 3-unit course, offered in the Fall semester, required of all students. This course is an introductory graduate-level course in advanced concepts in genetics. The course covers a wide array of genetic concepts, including gene interaction, genetic analysis, chromosome structure and mechanics, meiotic mechanisms, gene regulation, dosage compensation, sex determination, and somatic mutation. 

GENE 795A (Laboratory Research Rotations):  For first-year students who have not chosen a major advisor at the beginning of their graduate career, the Program requires they take three rotations from the beginning of the first semester, usually Fall, to the midpoint of the second semester, usually Spring.  These three nine-week lab rotations are 3 units each (9 credit units total). Students are asked to present a summary of their rotation project in the graduate seminar. The supervising faculty assign a letter grade for the rotations.

MCB 695E  Ethics (1 unit),  PHCL 595B Scientific Writing Strategies, Skills and Ethics (2 units), or SP H 649 Survival Skills and Ethics  (3 units)

GENE 920 (Dissertation):  18 units, as required by UA Graduate College

Students are required to complete two courses, one from each of two of the 3 class groups A. Genetics, B. Biochemistry, and C. Genomics and Bioinformatics.  as a distribution requirement. 

A. Genetics

CMM 695D

GENE 530

Conservation Genetics

MCB 572A

Cell Systems

PLP 528R

Microbial Genetics

 

 

B. Biochemistry

BIOC 568 Nucleic Acids, Metabolism and

Signaling

BIOC 565

Proteins and Enzymes

BIOC 555  Methods of Physical Biochemistry

BIOC 573 Recombinant DNA Methods and Applications

CHEM 523A Bioanalytical Chemistry

C. Genomics and Bioinformatics

ABE 587 Metagenomics: From Genes to Ecosystems

MCB 553 Functional and Evolutionary Genomics

GENE 677 Principles of Genetic Association Studies

MCB 546 Genetic and Molecular Networks

Gene 526 Population Genetics

MCB 516A Statistical Bioinformatics and Genomic Analysis

 

 

Additional Requirements

The Graduate College expects students to maintain an overall grade-point average of at least 3.0 (B). One semester < 3.0 and the student is on probation. Two semesters < 3.0 and the Graduate College will remove the student from the program. The Genetics Program has a more stringent requirement that students must not have more than two (2) grades of C in their coursework. Failure to achieve such a record can result in dismissal from the Program. In this case, the Program asks the Graduate College to remove the student. Students who are removed from the Program or College may apply for non-degree status is they want. Students in non-degree status may be ineligible for continuing financial support, depending on the source of the funding.

 

Minor Requirements for Doctoral Students in this Program

Minor: At least 9 units are required by the minor department. Students may choose to minor in: Biochemistry, Molecular & Cellular Biology, Pharmacology, Psychology, Cell Biology & Anatomy, Genetics, Physiological Sciences, Speech & Hearing Sciences, or another related area.

 

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	31.82%
Med. Time-to-degree (years)	5.00
Department-level Information
Enrollment Percent Male	35%
Enrollment Percent Female	65%
Enrollment Percent International	30%
Enrollment Percent URM	10%

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