Program Information
Student Committees
Graduate students, primarily doctoral students, are recruited nationally and internationally. Each incoming student is offered financial support for the first academic year, during which time s/he will rotate through the laboratories of participating faculty, with the purpose of identifying a mentor. Three, 2 month rotations are required, and by the end of the first year, each student will be required to have identified a mentor. The mentor will then assume financial responsibility for the student. Within the first semester of identifying a mentor, and joining the mentor’s laboratory, each student will be required to choose an Advisory Committee, in consultation with his/her mentor who will chair the Committee. The student’s Advisory Committee will consist of 5 members (doctoral committees) or 3 members (Master’s committees), one of whom will be from outside the Program. The Committee will meet at least twice per year and will provide advice and consultation on all aspects of the student’s coursework and research planning and execution. The Advisory Committee will also serve as the student’s Examination Committee for the Comprehensive Examination and for the Final Examination (Defense of Thesis). It will be the responsibility of each student to call regular meetings of his/her Advisory Committee.
The doctoral Comprehensive Examination will consist of 1) a written NIH-style research proposal on the topic of the student’s proposed thesis research (distributed to the Committee at least two weeks before the scheduled examination), and 2) the oral defense of this proposal before the student’s Advisory (Examination) Committee. The student may be questioned on all aspects of the proposal, as well as the underlying principles, hypotheses and methods. At the conclusion of the examination, each committee member may vote: 1) satisfactory, 2) reservations, or 3) unsatisfactory. The student may elect to re-take the examination, but only after at least 4 months have elapsed. The examination may be repeated only once.
The doctoral Final Examination (Defense of Thesis) will consist of two parts: 1) an oral presentation of the research results, and 2) questioning by interested persons and by the Committee. At the conclusion of the Final Examination, the Committee may recommend 1) a “Satisfactory” completion of the examination, or 2) that the student’s performance was “unsatisfactory”. At the option of the Program, a reexamination may take place, but not until the next semester. The examination may be repeated only once.
Requirements for the Master’s degree include a Final Examination (Defense of Thesis) that will be evaluated by the examining committee (student’s advisory committee) as satisfactory or unsatisfactory, with two unsatisfactory votes making the committee report unsatisfactory. A candidate who fails the examination may present himself or herself for reexamination, but not sooner than the next regularly scheduled examination period in the following semester. The examination may be repeated only once.
Faculty Committees
An Admissions Committee, consisting of 5 members of the Program Faculty representing diverse areas of research interest will be constituted and charged with reviewing all applications for admission to the Program. The criteria for admission will be chosen to select students who are likely to be successful in the Program, and will include:
- A minimum undergraduate GPA higher than 3.0, or the demonstration of success in graduate work, in fields of study within the scientific disciplines, such as chemistry, biology, physics, engineering and the health-related disciplines;
- A minimum GRE score of 1100 (sum of the first two parts);
- For international applicants, a minimum TOEFL of 600 (paper), 250 (computer), or 100 (internet based);
- At least three letters of reference that reflect positively on the potential of the candidate for success in graduate studies.
Generally successful applicants will have attained a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in the sciences or engineering, and are well prepared to successfully negotiate the Program curriculum.
Administration of the Program: The faculty of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology will be the governing body of the Program, will approve membership of interested faculty from across campus and will decide all issues of Program policy and Program governance. The Program will be led by a Director. The first Director of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology is Dr. Larry Robertson. He is assisted by an Associate Director, Dr. Peter Thorne.
Curriculum Ph.D.
A major goal of the graduate programs in Human Toxicology is their flexibility. Students (in consultations with their Advisory Committees) may tailor their course of study to their individual interests and goals within the broad framework that defines the field of toxicology. To assure that all students within the Human Toxicology Program have a common minimal level of training and experience in toxicology, the following minimal requirements are enforced:
All students will be required to successfully complete a first course in toxicology, 175:260 Environmental Toxicology (3 hrs) or 046:214 Pharmaceutical and Chemical Toxicology (odd years) (3 hrs), and an advanced course, 175:265 Advanced Toxicology (4 hrs). All toxicology graduate students are required to register for the toxicology seminar each semester (198:180) and to successfully complete of 650:270 Responsible Conduct in Research (1 hr). any time within the first two years of graduate study.
A typical sample PhD curriculum is presented below:
Toxicology Ph.D. Sample Curriculum
| Year One: Fall Semester | ||
|
Course Number
|
Course Name
|
Credit Hours
|
| 156:201 |
Principles in Molecular Biology & Cell Biology | 4 hrs Jackie Bickenbach |
| 099:120 | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I | 3 hrs Kenneth Murphy |
| 069:133 | Introduction to Human Pathology | 4 hrs |
| Elective | 1 hr | |
| 198:180 | Toxicology Seminar | 0 hr |
| Total: 12 | ||
| Year One: Spring Semester | ||
|
Course Number
|
Course Name
|
Credit Hours
|
| 175:260 | Environmental Toxicology | 3 hrs Fuortes/Thorne |
| 099:130 | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II | 3 hrs Many instructors |
| 650:270 | Responsible Conduct in Research | 1 hr Erling Anderson |
| 077:288 | Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cancer | 3 hrs Domann |
| Elective | 2 hrs | |
| 198:180 | Toxicology Seminar | 0 hr |
| Total: 12 | ||
| Year Two: Fall Semester | ||
|
Course Number
|
Course Name
|
Credit Hours
|
| 198:300 | Thesis/Dissertation | 2 hrs |
| 175:265 | Advanced Toxicology | 4 hrs Larry Robertson |
| 171:161 | Introduction to Biostatistics | 3 hrs Jacob Oleson |
| 175:197 | Environmental Health | 3 hrs Peter S Thorne |
| 198:180 | Toxicology Seminar | 0 hr |
| Total 12 | ||
| Year Two: Spring Semester | ||
|
Course Number
|
Course Name
|
Credit Hours
|
| 077:222 |
Free Radicals in Biology & Medicine (odd years) | 4 hrs Larry Oberley |
| 198:300 | Thesis/Dissertation | 2 hrs |
| 171:162 | Design & Analysis of Biomedical Studies | 3 hrs Zhang |
| Elective | 3 hrs | |
| 198:180 | Toxicology Seminar | 0 hr |
| Total 12 | ||
| Thesis Requirement | ||
| 198:300 | Thesis/Dissertation | ≥ 6 hrs |
Electives
Elective courses must be chosen to fulfill the minimum Ph.D. degree requirement of 72 semester hours. Students and advisors should select courses most appropriate to the individual student's professional goals. Examples of electives follow:
Fall Semester
- 046:214 Pharmaceutical and Chemical Toxicology (odd years) 3 hrs
- 175:252 Environmental Health Policy (odd years) 3 hrs
- 077:103 Radiation Biology 4 hrs
- 053:154 Environmental Microbiology 3 hrs
- 142:220 Mechanisms of Cellular Organization 3 hrs
- 061:279 Bacterial Diversity (odd years) 4 hrs
- 148:201 Graduate Immunology I 3 hrs
- 061:267 Graduate Introduction to Animal viruses 3 hrs
- 127:170 Bioinformatics 3 hrs
- 132:180 Fundamental Neuroscience 4 hrs
Spring Semester
- 046:137 Enzymatic Basis of Drug Metabolism (even years) 3 hrs
- 004:221 Spectroscopic Methods in Organic Chem (Gloer) 3 hrs
- 148:202 Graduate Immunology II 3 hrs
- 002:171 Molecular Genetics 4 hrs.
- 046:157 Quantitative Research Methods in Pharmacy (Flanagan/Wurster)
- 099:140 Experimental Biochemistry 4 hrs.
- 002:193 Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton 2 hrs
- 069:270 Pathogenesis of Major Human Diseases 3 hrs
- 127:191 Human Molecular Genetics 3 hrs
- 132:246 Developmental Neurobiology (even years) 3 hrs
- 132:209 Signal Receptors & Transduction 3 hrs
- 060:218:001 Microscopy for Biomedical Research 3 hrs
- 061:260:001 Graduate Microbial Physiology 3 hrs
Total Semester Hours Required for Ph.D. Degree (Minimum): 72 hrs
Curriculum Master’s
Master’s students will not be actively recruited, nor is it anticipated that they will be supported financially. Maintenance of a Master’s program in toxicology will serve the needs of local and regional students who wish to pursue a Master’s degree, as a second degree or part time. In our experience, many of these individuals are non-traditional students, some working full time, often performing the functions of toxicologists in their jobs, and needing more formal training. The M.S. is a thesis only program.
Toxicology Master’s Degree Sample Curriculum
| Year One: Fall Semester | ||
|
Course Number
|
Course Name
|
Credit Hours
|
| 099:120 |
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I | 3 hrs Kenneth Murphy |
| 069:133 | Introduction to Human Pathology | 4 hrs |
| 175:197 | Environmental Health | 3 hrs Peter S Thorne |
| 198:180 | Toxicology Seminar | 0 hr |
| Total: 10 | ||
| Year One: Spring Semester | ||
|
Course Number
|
Course Name
|
Credit Hours
|
| 175:260 | Environmental Toxicology | 3 hrs Fuortes/Thorne |
| 099:130 | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II | 3 hrs Many instructors |
| 650:270 | Responsible Conduct in Research | 1 hr Erling Anderson |
| 077:288 | Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cancer | 3 hrs Domann |
| 198:180 | Toxicology Seminar | 0 hr |
| Total: 10 | ||
| Year Two: Fall Semester | ||
|
Course Number
|
Course Name
|
Credit Hours
|
| 173:140 | Epidemiology I: Principles | 3 hrs |
| 175:265 | Advanced Toxicology | 4 hrs Larry Robertson |
| 171:161 | Introduction to Biostatistics | 3 hrs Jacob Oleson |
| 198:180 | Toxicology Seminar | 0 hr |
| Total 10 | ||
| Year Two: Spring Semester | ||
|
Course Number
|
Course Name
|
Credit Hours
|
| 198:300 |
Thesis/Dissertation | 3 hrs |
| 171:162 | Design & Analysis of Biomedical Studies | 3 hrs Zhang |
| Elective | 3 hrs | |
| 198:180 | Toxicology Seminar | 0 hr |
| Total 9 | ||
| Thesis Requirement | ||
| 198:300 | Thesis/Dissertation | ≥ 6 hrs |
Electives
Elective courses must be chosen to fulfill the minimum MS degree requirement of 39 semester hours. Students and advisors should select courses most appropriate to the individual student's professional goals.
Total Semester Hours Required for MS Degree (Minimum): 39 hrs