Ph.D. Degree Requirements

Earning your Ph.D. degree is a rigorous, multi-step process that involves meeting certain benchmarks in coursework and research. At the minimum, an average GPA of 3.00 or better must be maintained in your required courses. You’ll participate in research training, seminars, teaching activities, and more. As the program progresses, you’ll need to pass a qualifying exam and complete your doctoral dissertation. Learn more about the basic Ph.D. requirements, the major milestones of the program and specific track requirements below.

Ph.D. Degree Timeline

The average time to complete the Ph.D. degree ranges from four to six years. This timeline encompasses your academic and research journey as a Ph.D. student. For each stage there are policies and procedures you'll need to review, and forms to complete, such as for research rotations, qualifying exams, research conduct, and dissertations. Please see the GSBMS Policies page to review policies and procedures.

Curriculum

Ph.D. students complete the foundational core curriculum regardless of their track. You'll learn the principles of biochemistry and cell biology, as well as how to conduct rigorous biomedical research and statistical analysis. You'll also have the opportunity to take electives in areas like mammalian physiology, microbiology, and gene expression.

Students in the M.D.-Ph.D. program are eligible for Ph.D. candidacy under the same conditions as outlined here, however, the credit requirement, as well as the coursework, is different from the requirements for students in the IPP and advanced standing programs.

For program-specific Ph.D. courses and other requirements for IPP and advanced standing students, visit the Integrated Ph.D. program curriculum page. For detailed information on the goals and coursework in each separate discipline, visit the respective program page:

Lab Rotations (IPP Students Only)

Early in the Integrated Ph.D. Program (IPP) you will undertake up to three research rotations in different laboratories to gain an appreciation of different areas and strategies of investigation and to determine a suitable dissertation advisor. The maximum number of rotations for IPP students should not exceed four rotations. After your initial rotations are complete, you will join your dissertation laboratory. If you enter a Ph.D. program with advanced standing or as an M.D.-Ph.D., you will enter the laboratory for the dissertation research upon entry to the program, forgoing research rotations.

Advisors and Committees

Upon entry to the program, you will be assigned a first-year Academic Advisor who will (a) provide guidance with regard to GSBMS regulations and procedures, (b) advise on course and rotation selection, and (c) monitor your progress in the program. Each first-year research rotation will have a Rotation Advisor (a faculty member hosting a student in their laboratory for the period of that rotation). Once you have declared a program, the Principal Investigator of the research laboratory you have entered becomes your Dissertation Advisor. Alongside your Dissertation Advisor, you will establish the Advisory Committee in consultation with the Program Director. Once you are ready to present a dissertation proposal, usually in the third year, the membership of the Advisory Committee may be modified to form the Dissertation Advisory Committee. Students are also encouraged to seek additional advice from other faculty on a one-to-one basis. The Program Director for the specific program you have entered becomes the Academic Advisor, with special emphasis on course selection and guidance related to GSBMS program requirements and procedures.

Declaration of Discipline (Selection of Academic Program)

You'll declare your discipline and join the laboratory for dissertation research at the beginning of the second year (IPP), once all of the rotations are completed or upon entry to the program (advanced standing or M.D.-Ph.D.). You must be admitted to a specific program by the fall term of the second year, thus allowing an appropriate selection of courses for that term. Programs have the option to deny entry. If you cannot identify a laboratory to join for your dissertation research after the fourth rotation, this may serve as grounds for dismissal from the doctoral program.

Selection of Dissertation Research Advisor

This choice is normally made at the same time as the declaration of program, and is subject to the agreement of the proposed dissertation sponsor. In special circumstances, the selection of a dissertation advisor may be delayed by one academic term. In this case, the first-year Academic Advisor will continue to serve on a temporary basis until you find a Dissertation Advisor.

Qualifying Exam

As a potential candidate for the Ph.D. degree, you are required to pass both the written and oral components of a comprehensive Ph.D. qualifying examination administered by your department’s faculty. This exam takes place no later than one semester after the completion of core and program-specific courses required by each respective program, and is the first major milestone in your journey towards earning your Ph.D. You will be evaluated on your performance on the exam and on an assessment of your potential to conduct independent research. Each exam will be constructed by the faculty of your specific program, but the format will conform to standards set by the GSBMS. The format shall include both written and oral components. You will be examined on knowledge of the core concepts of the chosen discipline, including the core biomedical concepts taught in the first year. You should also demonstrate an ability to think logically and critically and demonstrate an understanding of how the scientific method may be used to address unanswered questions in your field.

Study objectives and topic areas, including reading requirements, are assigned 2-3 months before the examination takes place.

The order in which written and oral components are completed, weight of written and oral component, and content of the examination, is program specific, but the overall scope and difficulty of the examination are comparable across the different programs.

Passing the exam indicates that you are prepared to undertake a doctoral dissertation and, therefore, will qualify for doctoral candidacy. Under certain circumstances, if your performance on the examination is unsatisfactory, you may be allowed to re-take the examination within six months. A second failure will result in termination from the program. Students who do not pass the qualifying exam will be dismissed from the Ph.D. program but will be eligible to receive a master’s degree, providing the appropriate requirements for that degree are fulfilled.

Other Required Activities

Departmental Seminar and Journal Club as well as Graduate Teaching Assistantships are taken by all Ph.D. students. Seminars include those presented by students and invited speakers. The Graduate Teaching Assistance course will allow you to gain valuable teaching experience by participating in ongoing courses as lecturers, small group facilitators, laboratory instructors in a structured didactic setting, review session leaders and other teaching opportunities that can be approved by your program’s director.

After completing all research rotations, and before candidacy is achieved, you will take a course in Research Techniques each semester. The laboratory training and research provide you with the skills and experience that lead to supervised independent research for your doctoral dissertation. After achieving candidacy, you will focus on your Doctoral Dissertation Research courses each semester.

Candidacy

You are eligible to enter doctoral candidacy after successful completion of the qualifying examination, the accumulation of your didactic credits—including all required courses—and at the recommendation of the program faculty. Upon successful completion of the qualifying exam, you will be able to work with your research advisor to develop a research proposal that will lead to a successful thesis and thesis defense.

Dissertation Advisory Committee

Shortly after passing the Qualifying Exam, your advisory committee may be modified to form the dissertation advisory. This committee must include 4-5 graduate faculty members with appropriate expertise relevant to the student’s dissertation project. One external member with appropriate expertise who is not a part of NYMC or GSBMS faculty can be a member of the Dissertation Committee upon approval of the Dissertation Advisor and the Program Director.

You will present a dissertation research proposal to this committee within three months of the formation of the committee. The Dissertation Advisory Committee should meet at least two times per year to assess your overall progress and to ensure timely defense and graduation. Subsequent committee meetings can be requested by the thesis advisor, committee chairperson or the candidate. Upon approval of the committee, you can begin writing your dissertation and preparing for your future dissertation defense before the committee. The Dissertation Advisory Committee will be the recipient of your final thesis.

Dissertation Progress Reports

Individual Development Plan must be prepared in consultation with the dissertation advisor and submitted annually. You shall present written and oral progress reports to the dissertation committee at every meeting. At some point, the committee shall decide that sufficient data have been collected and will authorize you to prepare the dissertation.

Dissertation Defense

You shall provide the dissertation advisory committee with a final draft of the dissertation at least two weeks in advance of a public defense of the dissertation. Because a public presentation and defense of the dissertation research is an academic tradition and a Graduate School requirement, the dean must approve all proposed dissertation defense dates.

Completing the Program

If your didactic credits are fulfilled, GPA standards are maintained and all of your other academic and research requirements are complete, you will be on track to complete the program. The development of your dissertation is the central component of the Ph.D., and after months of research and preparation, you will be ready to defend your dissertation before the committee and the department. You are awarded your doctorate after completion of your research project, successful presentation before the dissertation committee, and certification from the committee that your defense is satisfactory.