Department of Immunology

Course#	Title	Semester	Year	Credits

FIRST YEAR:
IDPT 7811	Biomedical Sciences Core Course I	Fall	1st	2
IDPT 7812	Biomedical Sciences Core Course II	Fall	1st	2.5
IDPT 7813	Biomedical Sciences Core Course III	Fall	1st	2.5
IDPT 7814	Biomedical Sciences Core Course IV	Fall	1st	1.5
IDPT 7815	Biomedical Sciences Core Course V	Fall	1st	1.5
IMMU 7650	Research in Immunology (OV1)	Fall	1st	1
IMMU 7650	Research in Immunology (OV2)	Fall	1st	1
IMMU 7662	Immunology	Spring	1st	6
IMMU 7650	Research in Immunology (OV3)	Spring	1st	1
IMMU 7650	Research in Immunology (OV4)	Summer	1st	1

SECOND YEAR:
IMMU 7607	Science as a Profession	Fall	2nd	1
IMMU 7650	Research in Immunology	Fall	2nd	4
IMMU 7602	Special Topics in Tumor Immunology	Spring	2nd	1
IMMU 7603	Special Topics in Clinical Immunology	Spring	2nd	1
IMMU 7604	Spec Top in Signal Transduction in the Immune System	Spring	2nd	1
MICRO 7704	Host Response to Infectious Disease	Spring	2nd	2
*IMMU 8990	Doctoral Thesis	Summer	2nd	variable
*Only required if the comprehensive exam is completed before the end of fall semester.

THIRD-FIFTH YEARS:
IMMU 8990	Doctoral Thesis	Fall/Spring	3rd-5th	5
IMMU 8990	Doctoral Thesis	Summer	3rd-5th	1 (5 if defending)

Preliminary Exams

At the end of the first year, graduate students take a written preliminary exam meant to test the academic progress they have made in their first year, based on graduate core curriculum and required Immunology coursework.

Comprehensive Exam

Immunology students are required to take an oral qualifying exam (comprehensive exam) in order to advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Each student is required to submit an abstract on a project unrelated to their thesis research by Fall of their second year. After abstract submittal, each student is paired with a faculty member who guides them in preparing a written proposal formulated closely to an NIH R01 grant. When the proposal is complete, the student presents their proposal before a committee comprised of five faculty selected by the student, and chaired by their comprehensive exam advisor.
(Click here for a list of current Immunology Program 'In' Faculty)

Journal Club

Immunology students participate in a weekly journal club, guided and moderated by graduate students in the Immunology Program. Each week, one student will present a brief summary of a student-selected journal article, present data, and offer interpretation of figures. The attending Immunology students participate in a guided discussion on the journal article.

Lab Rotations

Laboratory skills are necessary for successful completion of any of the participating Ph.D. programs. A minimum of three laboratory rotations are required of first-year Immunology students, running concurrent with their enrollment in the graduate core curriculum and immunology course. First-year students may choose to perform laboratory rotations with any faculty in the Department of Immunology. After acceptance into the Graduate Program, rotations may begin during the summer semester prior to the start of the academic year. Most students, however, begin their first rotation during fall semester.

Thesis Research

Thesis labs and projects are selected by mutual consent of the student and the faculty member at the end of the first year. These research projects give graduate students the opportunity to learn scientific techniques, experimental design, scientific writing and presentation skills over a 3-5 year period. In the winter of their second year, students choose a thesis committee, consisting of four immunology faculty members and one non-immunology member. Immunology graduate students schedule meetings with their thesis committees every six to nine months, where they discuss their thesis project and the progress they’ve made. Although not required, immunology graduate students are encouraged to publish their thesis work in a peer-reviewed journal before graduation. Upon approval by their thesis committee, students write their thesis and present the work to the immunology department in an oral defense.