Goal of the Program

The aim of the graduate program in pathobiology is to provide rigorous research training and broad experience in a wide range of related fields in biomedical research. Led by faculty who are at the forefront of the profession, our students pursue thesis research in several areas of biochemical and molecular pathology, cancer biology, neurodegenerative diseases, cellular and molecular neurobiology, cell motility, virology, and immunology.

Program Requirements

All students are required to take three of the five "core" courses offered in the Integrated Program, which include Prokaryotic Molecular Biology, Eukaryotic Molecular Biology, Advanced Biochemistry, Molecular Biophysics, and Cellular Membranes and Organelles. Students must also take a graduate level course in the Cellular and Molecular Basis of Human Disease. Other electives will be selected by students according to their interests.

In addition to their course work, first-year students must do three laboratory rotations, one each during the first semester, second semester, and the summer following the academic year. The rotations are designed to acquaint students with the techniques, problems, and literature of a variety of fields. They are long enough to allow the students to make reasonable progress on a project set up by the research mentors, while still taking a full load of courses.

Seminar Series

All students will also be required to attend two weekly seminar programs organized by the department. The first one is a formal program in which invited speakers from inside and outside the University present their research. A second, more informal series involves presentations by the graduate students on their own work and on a selection of topics chosen by the students under the direction of the participating faculty. Faculty members are in charge of this program on a rotating basis.

The Thesis

During the second year, students select their advisors and begin their doctoral research. By this time students should be sufficiently familiar with the faculty to choose their thesis sponsors.

At the end of the second year, all students take a qualifying examination and write two complete research proposals. One is the actual thesis proposal and the second will be on an unrelated topic agreed upon by the student's examination committee. Following the submission of the written proposals, students are given an oral examination, during which they are questioned in depth about their proposals and course work.

In general, a student should be able to complete the requirements for the PhD degree in five years, which includes the writing of the PhD dissertation and the thesis defense.

Former graduate students of the participating faculty have gone on to postdoctoral positions in excellent laboratories and subsequently found positions in leading academic and research institutions throughout the world.

Admission Requirements

* Undergraduate training in one of the natural or physical sciences, including one year each of general chemistry, organic chemistry, general physics, biology, and calculus.

* Letters of recommendation from three former instructors and, if possible, a personal interview.

* Graduate Record Examination Aptitude scores (including the advanced test in biology or chemistry).

* Test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) for all foreign students

Degree Requirements For the MA

Only candidates for the PhD degree will be admitted. The MA degree is a prerequisite for the M Phil and PhD degrees and will be awarded to candidates for the PhD who have completed their coursework.

For the M Phil

Completion of the requirements for the MA degree plus four additional residence units of graduate study. Students must also pass their qualifying examination which is given at the end of the second year.

For the PhD

After completion of all requirements for the M Phil degree, a dissertation based on original research must be prepared and successfully defended.

The University

Pathobiology is one of eleven graduate training programs offered at the College of Physicians and Surgeons. P&S is located at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, which is about four miles north of the main campus of Columbia University on Morningside Heights. The medical center overlooks the Hudson River near the northern end of Manhattan in Washington Heights and has easy access by subway and bus to the other attractions of the city. There are about 1,000 graduate and professional students currently studying at the medical center campus, most of whom live near the medical center in housing provided to entering graduate students.

A major research institution with nearly 19,000 students, Columbia and its affiliates offer a wide variety of intellectual, academic, and recreational activities. Students can collaborate on research with scientists at Rockefeller University, attend lectures on diverse subjects ranging from Latin American politics to the latest in French literary criticism, or see reduced-price movies at one of the many film series on the downtown campus. The medical center recently renovated and enlarged its exercise facility, which now includes a swimming pool, basketball and squash courts, and weight machines. In addition, the downtown campus has tennis courts and an indoor track.