The following represents the First-Year Core Curriculum for all students admitted through the Biomedical Sciences Program, whether admitted through the "undifferentiated" or the "track" mechanism, or the GU-NIH Graduate Partnership Program.

SUMMER (Before First-Year Classes)

• Laboratory Research Rotation #1 (not for credit)

YEAR ONE (Pre-Thesis Core Curriculum)

Fall Semester (15-16 credits)

• BCHB-501: Biochemical and Cellular Sciences (3 credits)
• BCHB-528: Modern Methods in Molecular Biology (3 credits)
• BIST-502: Applied Biostatistics (3 credits)
• MICB-584: Introduction to Microbiology (1)
• PHAR-584: Introduction to Pharmacology (1)
• PBIO-584: Introduction to Physiology (1)
• TBIO-584: Introduction to Tumor Biology (1)
• Electives (2-3 credits)
• Laboratory Research Rotation #2 (not for credit)

Spring Semester (15-16 credits)

• CBIO-539: Molecular and Cellular Biology (4 credits)
• Electives (11-12 credits)
• Laboratory Research Rotation #3 (not for credit)

NOTE: The following course is required in the Spring Semester for Biomedical Sciences Program "track" students who have identified either Pharmacology or Physiology & Biophysics as their degree "track", as well as any Biomedical Sciences "undifferentiated" students considering either Pharmacology or Physiology & Biophysics as their potential Ph.D. degree-granting program.

• PBIO-501: Fundamentals of Human Physiology (5 credits)

NOTE: All graduate students in biomedical degree programs are required to take once course in Ethics; either of the following courses have been approved to satisfy this requirement, and may be taken either during the first or second year, Spring Semester:

• PHAR-534: Ethical Issues in Scientific Research (2 credits)
• NSCI-532: Survival Skills and Ethics for Emerging Scientists (2 credits)

SUMMER (After First-Year)

• Commence Thesis Research, or Laboratory Research Rotation #4 (not for credit)

NOTE: After completion of the first year of the program, students are expected to have identified a potential thesis research mentor who has expressed the willingness to potentially accept the student into their lab to conduct thesis research; the student must also gain approval from the cognizant Director of Graduate Studies before declaration of a degree-granting program may be confirmed and finalized with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.  Once declaration of a degree-granting program has been confirmed and finalized, students will complete any requird coursework and concentrate on thesis research in their declared program.  If necessary, following the declaration of a degree-granting program, students have the opportunity to conduct an additional laboratory rotation if they consider this beneficial to their selection of a thesis laboratory.