DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
The degree of Doctor of Philosophy is awarded for mastery of subject matters and demonstration of research ability. It is given to recognition of the candidate’s superior attainments and ability in his or her major field. A student must maintain high academic standards to retain matriculated status in the doctoral program. Normally, three or more years of full-time study and research beyond the bachelor’s degree are needed to complete the doctoral program. At least 60 credits of approved graduate work are required for the degree.

Students are required to complete core courses in general biochemistry (bioenergetics, enzymology, metabolism and molecular biology), bioorganic chemistry, and physical biochemistry. Also required are two advanced course in biology and advanced biochemistry topics. In addition, students must actively participate in biochemistry seminars for five semesters by making at least one oral presentation during each semester. Further course work inside or outside of the Ph.D. Program in Biochemistry is undertaken with the advice of the student’s mentor, doctoral dissertation committee and Executive Officer. Matriculated Graduate Center doctoral students may cross register for doctoral study among member institutions of the Interuniversity Doctoral Consortium. Permission of the Executive Officer is required.

In addition to the course requirements, the student is required to complete two qualifying examinations dealing with course and literature material, and to present a dissertation defense.

Qualifying Examinations
The First Examination is taken in two parts: Part I after the student’s first semester in the program and Part II at the end of the first year. This examination tests his/her competence with the material covered in the core biochemistry courses.

The Second Examination, which the student is expected to complete within two years after passing the First Level Examination, tests the student’s ability to define a significant research problem and to devise approaches toward it’s solution. This involves both written and oral presentation by the student to the doctoral dissertation committee.

Dissertation Thesis
At the heart of the program leading to the Ph.D. is the dissertation requirement. The degree is viewed fundamentally as a research degree, and the student is expected to begin laboratory work toward the dissertation by the end of the first year in residence. To assist the student in the choice of a project and mentor, a laboratory rotation during his/her first year of residence is scheduled in which the student participates in the research efforts of several laboratories. This serves both to expose the student to a wide variety of biochemistry laboratory techniques and to give a detailed view of various research efforts in progress at CUNY.