Program Timeline
This is a typical plan; individual student degree plans may will vary based on the different CMB degree tracks. Please see track specific requirement information below.
Students should be enrolled in 9 credit hours in the Fall and Spring semesters and 3 credit hours in the Summer semester.
First Year
Effective, Fall 2024
| Summer | Fall | Spring | |
| Rotations | Optional early rotation |
Three Rotations August- December |
Funding with permanent lab begins January 1 |
| Courses |
Mandatory lab safety trainings and UT employee trainings (online, no credit) |
MOL 395J Genes, Genomes and Gene Expression MOL 190C Responsible Conduct of Research MOL 290C Introduction to Biostatistics and Computational Analysis MOL 392 Research Problems |
The following core course: One of the following elective courses in accordance with their chosen track (see Track Selection below): Research Hours: |
| General |
Graduate Research Assistant position with ILS begins August 16. |
Graduate Research Assistant position with ILS ends december 31. ITA English Language Certification (international students only) |
Second Year
| Summer | Fall | Spring | |
| Research | Ongoing → |
||
| Courses |
MOL 392 Research Problems TA Training Workshop (must ITA English-Language Certification for International Students |
BIO 391 Grant Writing |
Track Elective(s)* (3-6 credits) Research Hours: |
| Teaching | Complete one long-semester teaching requirement** |
||
| Exams |
Qualifying Exam
|
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* Typically tracks require 1-2 additional course requirements. These courses can be taken anytime in the second or third year.
** The one long-semester teaching requirement can be completed in the 2nd year and by no later than the 4th year.
Third Year
|
|
Summer |
Fall |
Spring |
| Research |
Ongoing → |
||
| Courses | If you have not yet entered candidacy:MOL 392 Research Problems If you have entered candidacy: Dissertation Hours 399W |
Dissertation Hours (399W, 699W, or 999W) |
Dissertation Hours (399W, 699W, or 999W) |
| Teaching | Complete one long-semester teaching requirement by 4th year |
||
| General | Construct Dissertation Committee and apply for admission to candidacy | First Annual Committee Meeting (conduct within 6 months of passing the Qualifying Exam). | |
# Advancement to Candidacy requires: completion of required core coures with B or higher, overall GPA of 3.0 or higher, and successful completion of the Qualifying Exam.
Fourth Year - Graduation
| Summer | Fall | Spring | |
| Research | Ongoing; Annual Meeting with Dissertation Committee → | ||
| Courses | Dissertation Hours 399W |
Dissertation hours (999W) |
Dissertation hours (999W) |
| General |
Complete one long-semester teaching requirement |
||
Rotations
Choosing a research advisor and a dissertation research project are some of the most significant decisions you will make in graduate school. First-year lab rotations provide students the opportunity to explore different research interests and lab management styles prior to the selection of a Ph.D. supervisor. You may do first-year research rotations with any faculty member on the Cell and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry or Microbiology Graduate Studies Committees.
To help make an informed decision about your lab rotations:
- Attend seminars by faculty members
- Meet individually with faculty members
- Consult with other graduate students
- Consult the CMB Graduate Advisor
2024 Laboratory Rotation Schedule
June 3 - August 9, 2024 // Early Summer Rotation
August 12 – September 20, 2024 // First Rotation
September 23 – November 1, 2024 // Second Rotation
November 4 – December 13, 2024 // Third Rotation
Rotations are arranged through mutual agreement between the student and the faculty member (Principal Investigator or ‘PI’) of the lab in which the rotation is arranged.
Refer to the Graduate Program Handbook for additional information about lab rotations and joining a permanent lab.
Courses
Students must complete a set of core courses as required by the CMB program, plus additional track-specific electives. Students must register for a minimum of nine credit hours each fall and spring semester and a minimum of 3 credits in the summer semester. These credits may include formal graded courses and/or research hours. In order to maintain satisfactory academic progress, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher.
Please see the Graduate Program Handbook for additional detail about courses and registration.
Required Student Training
The University of Texas requires safety training for laboratory employees, which includes all Cell and Molecular Biology graduate students. CMB students are required to be in compliance with these safety classes prior to beginning their first lab rotation. The required safety courses offered by the Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHS) are:
- OH 101 Hazard Communication
- OH 102 Hazard Communication (Site-Specific)
- OH 201 Laboratory Safety
- OH 202 Hazardous Waste Management
- FF 205 Fire Extinguisher Use
These trainings are offered online in a self-paced asynchronous format. Students may register for and complete the above courses online via UT Learn.
The Fire Prevention Services Office sponsors the Fire Extinguisher Use course, with more information at fireprevention.utexas.edu/fire-safety/portable-fire-extinguisher-training.
Animal Use Training, and Radiological Health are available on-campus classes and are typically offered at the start of every fall semester.
In addition, all academic graduate student employees must complete the following University-wide trainings:
- Title IX Basics
- Sexual Misconduct Prevention
- Information Security Awareness
- Compliance & Ethics Program at UT Austin
CMB Core Courses
The current Fall required Core Courses are:
- MOL 290C Introduction to Biostatistics & Computational Analysis
- MOL 190C Responsible Conduct of Research
- MOL 395J Genes, Genomes, and Gene Expression
In Spring, CMB students must take at least one of the following core courses:
- MOL 395H Cell Biology
- MOL/BIO 95F Genetics
If students choose to take only one of the above courses, they must take one of the following core courses in accordance with their chosen track (see Track Selection below):
- BCH 394P Bioinformatics
- BCH 394 Structure and Function of Proteins and Nucleic Acids
- BIO 395G Graduate Biochemistry
- BIO 395M Advanced Microbiology
If a student earns less than a B in any of the core courses, they will need to retake the course. If it is necessary to repeat a core course, it must be taken at the very next opportunity that the course is offered. The core courses may not be taken more than twice.
Note that the Graduate School requires a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to remain in good standing. Failure to pass a core course that is being re-taken for the second time and/or failure to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher will result in dismissal from the program.
CMB Track-specific requirements
Prior to the Spring semester, students will self-affiliate with the CMB program track that is most relevant to their research interests. Each of these tracks has suggested or required courses for the spring semester. In the absence of student input, BIO 395F and BIO 395H are the default courses for the spring semester. Students who wish to take courses other than these default Spring courses should discuss this with the First Year Graduate Advisor and the Graduate Program Staff prior to registration.
Specific requirements and course options may be found under the Tracks tab.
Additional Courses
In preparation for the qualifying exam, second-year students are required to take BIO 391 Grant Writing & Presentation Skills. BIO 391 is a writing-intensive course that involves writing of an NIH-style grant proposal on their own research, presentation of the proposal to the class, and practice in identifying specific aims in research areas outside their primary area. The class is taken by students in the Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Cell and Molecular Biology Programs.
Tracks
Track Requirements: Core Courses and Electives
Students in the following tracks may substitute track-specific course for either Genetics (BIO 395F) or Cell Biology (BIO 395H) (but not both), in the spring semester of the first year.
Please note that the approved track core course lists are constantly changing and students should consult with the First Year Graduate Advisor if they wish to substitute a track-specific course for one of the spring core courses. Students not in the following tracks may still be able to substitute a track core course in consultation with their supervisor and Track Representative.
Tracks reserve the right to modify and change track-specific requirements and will inform students of any such changes
Students must consult their PI, Track Representative and the Graduate Program Handbook for information about the requirements for their specific track. Courses should be selected in consultation with the student’s PI and Track Representative. Journal club courses are NOT suitable as electives, although note that some tracks may have additional journal club or seminar course requirements.
The specific requirements for each track are listed below.
CMB Tracks
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Track Representative: Can Cenik
Computational analysis is now widely used in the vast majority of cellular and molecular biology. Students in the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Track will have an increased emphasis on the computational aspects. What constitutes significant computation is dependent on the lab and project, with an allowance for a significant amount of diversity in scope. All computational student dissertations must address a topic in cellular and molecular biology (defined broadly, and including, for example, systems and synthetic biology, biochemistry, microbiology, developmental biology, etc.) and may involve the development of new software tools, computationally intensive statistical analyses, or theoretical modeling. Typically employed programming languages include Python, R, Java, C++, RUST, Julia, and Matlab. The balance between pure computer science and data analysis can vary and will be dictated by the nature of the project and the interests of the student and advisor, but it is expected that thesis projects will have some significant biological focus. Projects can emphasize the development of a new algorithm (e.g. protein folding), data processing, statistical analyses, or use of sophisticated database management systems for big data applications to name just a few examples.
All BCB students should take one class from the list below. Students are required to take one BCB elective that may be chosen from the pre-approved list below or in consultation with their PI and Graduate Advisor or Track Representative.
A partial list of these courses includes:
- BIO 382K Computational and Statistical Biology
- BCH 394P Bioinformatics
- CSE 382M. Foundational Techniques of Machine Learning and Data Sciences
- CSE 383M Stat/Discrete Methods Sci Comput
- CSE 380 -Tools/Techniqs Computatnl Sci
- SDS 380C. Statistical Methods I
- SDS 380D. Statistical Methods II
- SDS 384. Topics in Statistics and Probability
- SDS 385. Topics in Applied Statistics
- SSC 394C Parallel Comput for Sci & Engr
- CS 391L Machine Learning
In addition to the core courses taken in the first year, students must meet the following track requirements:
- Demonstrate competence in computer programming. It is expected that all BCB Track students can program in at least one language (e.g. Python, Julia, Java, R, Matlab, C, C++ etc.). This competency can be demonstrated through coursework or through practical experience. Contact the Track Representative and the student’s PI with any questions.
- Demonstrate competence in the fundamentals of Biostatistics and/or Data Science (e.g. sequence analysis). It is expected that BCB Track students can interpret and perform basic statistical analyses and/or rigorous data analysis and communicate effectively with a statistician and/or domain scientist for more sophisticated analyses. This competency can be demonstrated through coursework or through practical experience.
Faculty Affiliated with BCB Track:
Alper, Hal
Anslyn, Eric
Barrick, Jeffrey
Bolnick, Daniel
Brock, Amy
Cenik, Can
Cenik, Elif
Contreras, Lydia
Elber, Ron
Ellington, Andrew
Georgiou, George
Hillis, David
Hofman, Hans
Jansen, Bob
Makarov, Dmitrii
Marcotte, Edward
Markey, Mia
Meyers, Lauren
Miranker, Daniel
Press, William
Wilke, Claus
Biomolecular Structure and Function
Track Representative: Kenneth Johnson
The BSF Track covers research involving the determination of structures of macromolecules and studies to define their functions. This work provides the basis of all biological function. Students in this track are required to take BCH 394 Structure and Function of Protein and Nucleic Acids (offered every spring) Other courses can be substituted with the approval of the Track Representative. A partial list of possible substitutions is listed below:
Fall:
- CH 391 Macromolecular Structure and Determination
Spring:
- BCH 394P Systems Biology and Bioinformatics
- BCH 387D Adv Physical Methods For Biochem and Molec Bio
- PGS 384L Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology
- BCH 395G Advanced Biochemistry
Acceptable courses that may not be consistently offered:
- BCH 391L Macromolecular Structure Determination
- BIO 393 Microbial Functional Genomics
- CH 391L Synthetic Biology
- PGS 388C Introductory Bioorganic Chemistry
Faculty Affiliated with Biomolecular Structure and Function Track:
Aldrich, Rick
Appling, Dean
Bajaj, Chandrajit
Barrick, Jeffrey
Belardi, Brian
Browning, Karen
Contreras, Lydia
Leahy, Dan
Dalby, Kevin
Eberlin, Livia
Ellington, Andrew
Fast, Walter
Finkelstein, Ilya
Georgiou, George
Hackert, Marvin
Hoffman, David
Jara Oseguera, Andres
Johnson, Kenneth
Keatinge-Clay, Adrian
Lambowitz, Alan
Liu, Hung-Wen (Ben)
Marcotte, Edward
Matouschek, Andreas
Maynard, Jennifer
McLellan, Jason
Mukhopadhyay, Somshuvra
Russel, Rick
Taylor, David
Webb, Lauren
Whitman, Christian
Zhang, Jessie
Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery
Track Representative: Yan (Jesse) Zhang
- PGS 396M Advanced Medicinal Chemistry
- PGS 384K Fundamentals of Toxicology
- PGS 388KMolecular Mechanisms and Methods in Nutrition and Cancer
- PGS 384L Biochemical and Molecular Toxicolog
Faculty Affiliated with Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery Track:
Belardi, Brian
Dalby, Kevin
Eckhardt, Gail
Ellington, Andrew
Fast, Walter
Johnson, Kenneth
Keitz, Keith Benjamin
Lee, Seongmin
Liu, Hung-Wen
Martin, Stephen
Marcotte, Edward
Maynard, Jennifer
Mills, Edward
Ren, Pengyu
Richburg, John
Tiziani, Stefano
Umlauf, Ben
Whitman, Christian
Zhang, Yan Jessie
Cell and Developmental Biology
Track Representative: Dave Stein
The CDB Track is for graduate students interested in the mechanisms controlling fundamental eukaryotic cell processes, genetics and development. Within these broad and interrelated disciplines the individual laboratories affiliated with the CDB track focus on understanding the molecular and cellular basis of cell division, growth, differentiation, and movement; spatial patterning and morphogenesis of developing embryos; andgene regulation. CDB researchers utilize both plant and animal model organisms along with state-of-the-art methods in molecular biology, biochemistry, proteomics, genetics, and genomics.
Students that join the CDB track must successfully complete the following three CMB core courses:
- MOL 395J Genes, Genomes and Gene Expression
- MOL 290C Introduction to Biostatistics & Computational Analysis
- MOL 190C Responsible Conduct of Research
- BIO 391 Grant Writing and Presentation Skills
In addition, CDB track students must take two of the following three courses:
- MOL 395F Genetics, Genomics and Epigenetics
- MOL 395H Cell Biology
- BIO 383K Developmental Biology (Stein –also crosslisted with his BIO349)
Studentswill also take onegraduate-level elective, selected in consultation with the student’s faculty advisor and the CDB track representative. This elective can be the third of the three choices listed above or one of the courses on the pre-approved list shownbelow or another appropriate course offering. Courses that have not been pre-approved require the approval of the CDB track representative. Electives should be completed by the end of the third year.
Pre-approved Thesis-Oriented Electives:
- BIO 394L 1-Advanced Immunology (Ehrlich –Fall)
- BIO 381K Cellular and Molecular Bases of Neural Development (Agarwala–Spring)
- BIO 381P Advanced Plant Physiology (Roux–Spring)
- BCH 349P Bioinformatics (Marcotte)
- SDS 385 Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (Wilke)
- BIO 394M Tumor Biology (Huibregtse)
- BIO 393M Signal Transduction in Microorganisms (Harshey)
Faculty Affiliated with Cell and Developmental Biology Track:
Baker, Aaron
Belardi, Brian
Brock, Amy
Cenik, Can
Cenik, Elif
Crews, David
De Lozanne, Arturo
DiGiovanni, John
Eberhart, Johann
Ellington, Andrew
Finnell, Richard
Fischer, Janice
Florin, Ernst-Ludwig
Gordon, Vernita
Huq, Enamul
Iverson, Brent
Jolly, Christopher
Juenger, Thomas
Keatinge-Clay, Adrian
Kim, Jonghwan
Kuo, John
Leahy, Dan
Lloyd, Alan
Macdonald, Paul
Marcotte, Edward
Matouschek, Andreas
Mills, Edward
Mukhopadhyay, Somshuvra
O'Halloran, Theresa
Poenie, Martin
Qiao, Hong
Roux, Stanley
Senning, Eric
Stachowiack, Jeanne
Stein, David
Suggs, Laura
Sung, Sibum
Van Den Berg, Carla
Vokes, Steven
Wallingford, John
Molecular Genetics
Track Representative: Arlen Johnson
The MG track is tailored to students interested in the molecular mechanisms of gene expression and genome structure and maintenance. Students in the MG track must successfully complete the following requirements: Genes, Genomes and Gene Expression (MOL395J); Responsible Conduct of Research (MOL 190C); Introduction to Biostatistics & Computational Analysis (MOL 290C) Genetics (MOL/BIO 395F; Microbial Genetics BIO 395M may be substituted with consent of the Graduate Adviser) and Cell Biology (MOL 395H); and Grant Writing and Presentation Skills (BIO 391). In addition, students must take 1 elective in consultation with the PI and the track representative.Suggestions for electives include:
Fall:
- BIO 391P Advanced Virology
- BIO 394L1-Advanced Immunology
- BIO 394M Tumor Biology
- SDS 328M Biostatistics
Spring:
- BIO 388M Plant Molecular Biology
- BIO 394M Genomics
- BIO 382K Intro to Biology for Data Science
- BCH 394P Systems Biology and Bioinformatics
- BIO 394M Human Infectious Diseases
- BIO393M Signal Transduction in Microorganisms
- SDS 385 Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
Faculty Affiliated with Molecular Genetics Track:
Alper, Hal
Atkinson, Nigel
Barrick, Jeffrey
Bolnick, Daniel
Chen, Zengjian (Jeff)
Cenik, Can
Cenik, Elif
Croyle, Maria
Davies, Bryan
Dudley, Jaquelin
Ehrlich, Lauren
Ellington, Andrew
Georgiou, George
Harshey, Rasika
Hawkes, Christine
Huibregtse, Jon
Iyer, Vishwanath
Jayaram, Makkuni
Jiang, Ning
Johnson, Arlen
Keitz, Keith Benjamin
Lambowitz, Alan
Marcotte, Edward
Matouschek, Andreas
Matz, Mikhail
Miller, Kyle
Molineux, Ian
Moran, Nancy
Ochman, Howard
Paull, Tanya
Payne, Shelley
Stevens, Scott
Sullivan, Christopher
Tucker, Haley
Upton, Jason
Vasquez, Karen
Vokes, Steve
Walker, James
Xhemalace, Blerta
Neurobiology
Track Representative: Nigel Atkinson
Students in the NB Track of the CMB Graduate Program must meet the following requirements in addition to the general requirements for all students in the program. In the fall of their second year, students complete Principles of Neuroscience I (NEU 482T), a course that deals with cellular and molecular neuroscience. In the spring semester of their 2nd year, students are required to complete an additional elective course, from the following, selected in consultation with the track representative and the research mentor. Note that this list is constantly changing, and students may have to refer to the Track Representative for a current list
Fall:
- NEU 382T Principles Of Neuroscience I
- PGS 383D Neuropharmacology
- NEU 383C Functional Neuroanatomy
- NEU 384M Advanced Statistics: Inferential
- NEU 385L 8-Ion Channels/Neuronal Sign
Spring:
- NEU 383D Neuropharmacology
- NEU 380E Vision Systems
- NEU 383T Principles Of Neuroscience II
- NEU 385L Pharmacolgcl Mechs Of Addictn
- NEU 381N Basic Processes Of Nerve Cells
- NEU 385L 9-Synap Phys/Plasticity In Cns
- NEU 385L Computational Neuroscience
- NEU 394P 1-Curr Tpcs In Behav Neurosci
- NEU 394P 3-Neurobiol Of Learning/Memory
- NEU 396D Clinical Psychopharmacology
Courses that may not consistently be offered:
- NEU 385L Brain, Behavior, and Evolution – Fall
- NEU 385L 12-Quantifying Brain Structure – Fall
- NEU 384C Bootstrap Statistics
- NEU 394P Tpcs Statistics/Neural Coding
Beginning their 3rd year of graduate training, students must enroll and actively participate in the presentation and discussion of the current scientific literature in neuroscience. A list of appropriate journal clubs is available from the track representative. As faculty, we strongly recommend (and students PIs may require) that students serve as a teaching assistant in a graduate or undergraduate course in neuroscience, neurobiology, or neuropharmacology at least once in their graduate career.
Faculty Affiliated with Neurobiology Track:
Agarwala, Seema
Aldrich, Richard
Atkinson, Nigel
Ben-Yakar, Adela
Bittner, George
Drew, Michael
Ellington, Andrew
Golding, Nace
Gore, Andrea
Harris, Adron
Hofman, Hans
Marcotte, Edward
Matsui, Bill
Messing, Robert
Mihic, John
Morikawa, Hitoshi
Nishiyama, Hiroshi
Phelps, Steven
Pierce, Jonathan
Priebe, Nicholas
Senning, Eric
Shear, Jason
Zakon, Harold
Zemelman, Boris
Plant Molecular Biology
Track Representative: Mona Mehdy
The Plant Molecular Biology faculty address fundamental biological questions important to plant development, physiology and evolution at molecular, cellular and organismal levels. Plants not only provide us with food, fiber and shelter but have also provided the experimental systems for major advances in science such as the discovery of hereditary laws (Gregor Mendel’s work in garden peas), the discovery of transposable elements (Barbara McClintock’s work in maize) and the discovery of RNA interference (co-suppresion in petunia). Arabidopsis thaliana, a fast growing flowering plant with a completely sequenced genome, has become a major model organism for studies in genetics, development, cell biology and evolutionary biology.
Faculty with research interests in plant molecular biology represents a broad range on several frontiers of plant molecular biology. These include cell fate determination, cellulose biosynthesis and fiber development, signal transduction, gene regulation by light and environmental cues, RNA splicing, translational regulation, function of duplicate genes and genomes, comparative genomics, plant pathogen interactions, molecular systematics, and phenotypic evolution.
Students interested in plant molecular biology are encouraged to explore the exciting research in the laboratories listed below.
The Plant Biology Track requires students to complete the global requirements of the Cell and Molecular Biology program that ensure that trainees have a strong grounding in the biological sciences. There is one elective requirement for the Plant Biology track. Students may choose from the following list:
Fall:
- BIO 388M Plant Molecular Biology (Herrin)
- BIO 381P Advanced Plant Physiology (Clark)
Spring:
- BIO 388E Plant Growth And Development (Huq)
Faculty
Browning, Karen
Chen, Jeff
Hawkes, Christine
Huq, Enamul
Jansen, Robert
Juenger, Thomas
Ellington, Andrew
Lloyd, Alan
Marcotte, Edward
Mehdy, Mona
Moran, Nancy
Qiao, Hong
Roux, Stanley
Sung, Sibum
Torii, Keiko
Qualifying Examination
Qualifying Examination
In order to proceed with the Qualifying Exam, a CMB graduate student must:
- Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0
- Have completed all core courses with a grade of B or above
- Be assigned to a permanent laboratory
- If an international student, have completed ITA English-Language Certification and be eligible for employment “with student contact”
Below is a summary of the Qualifying Exam. Please review the Graduate Program Handbook for complete guidelines.
Purpose
The Qualifying Exam, often called the “qual” or “prelim”, is a major milestone in the Ph.D. program. The purpose of the Qualifying Examination is to evaluate a graduate student’s aptitude to perform original and independent research and to write a doctoral dissertation. The examination provides a means for a faculty committee to assess the student’s mastery of concepts and methodological approaches by evaluating the student’s general knowledge and fundamental understanding of cellular and molecular biology and the student’s ability to design, articulate, explain and defend the proposed aims and research approach of their dissertation research. The ultimate goal of the Qualifying Examination is to ensure that the student has achieved a sufficiently high level of knowledge and skills necessary for successful completion of a Ph.D. dissertation.
Timeline & Procedure
All graduate students in their second year who have passed the appropriate number of required courses will take the Qualifying Exam to advance to candidacy. If a student has not passed all the core courses with a grade of B or above, or, if they are an international student and are not yet “certified for employment with student contact,” the Qualifying Exam will be delayed to within 3 months of completing these requirements. The Qualifying Exam is normally taken in the spring semester of a student’s second year.
Students who have not taken the Qualifying Exam by the end of their second year must write an explanatory letter of appeal to the GSC Chair and will be assigned a probationary status until further notice
A Qualifying Exam informational meeting for second-year students will take place in the fall semester each year. At this meeting, students will review the timetable and guidelines of the Qualifying Exam as well as the expectations and exam process.
Format
The Qualifying Exam consists of written and oral components. The written component is submitted two weeks prior to the Qualifying Exam and will form a large basis of the oral exam.
Below is a summary of these requirements. Please refer to the Graduate Program Handbook for additional details.
Qualifying Exam Outcomes and Consequences
At the conclusion of the examination (usually when committee members have no further questions), the student will again be asked to leave the room and the committee will deliberate. The committee will then call the student back into the room to convey its decision. Possible outcomes are:
- Pass;
- Conditional Pass (with conditions specified by the exam committee);
- Re-examination of one or more parts of the Qualifying Exam at a later date;
- Termination of work toward the Ph.D.
Candidacy
Once a student successfully completes their Qualifying Exam, they will apply for, and be admitted to candidacy. Students are expected to do so by the end of your second year. There may be a small number of students who are not able to complete their Qualifying Exam with the rest of their cohort. In such cases, the student must reach candidacy by the end of the third year (sixth long semester). Failure to meet this benchmark will result in loss of good standing in the program. Any exceptions require approval of the Graduate Advisor, and must be communicated to the Graduate Program Administrator. The Graduate School will notify the student via email when their Candidacy Application is approved
Requirements for Admission to Candidacy
- Completion of all core courses with a grade of B or above
- A cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0
- Successful completion of the Qualifying Exam
- Submission and final approval of a Candidacy Application.
Dissertation Committee
Before submission of the Candidacy Application, the student will need to form an official dissertation committee.
The Dissertation Committee has three primary responsibilities:
- General supervision of the student’s research,
- To Monitor progress toward degree,
- To Certify to the Graduate Dean that an acceptable dissertation has been submitted.
Please review the Graduate Program Handbook for complete guidelines for applying to Candidacy and forming a Dissertation Committee.
Annual Meetings
Once a student has been admitted to candidacy, they are required to meet annually with their Dissertation Committee to review their progress. The first annual meeting with the Dissertation Committee should be held within the next long semester (typically by the end of the fall semester) following admission to candidacy. Subsequent annual meetings should be held in the fall semester of each academic year; however, committee meetings may also take place in the spring semesters, at the discretion of the committee.
Students are responsible for coordinating a meeting date and time with faculty. Once a date for the committee meeting has been agreed upon students must email the Graduate Program Staff the date the meeting has been scheduled for. Students who have not conducted or scheduled their meeting by March 31st each year will have a registration bar placed on their account. They will not be able to register for Summer or Fall classes until they have scheduled their committee meeting and conveyed this to the Graduate Program Staff.
Following the annual meeting, the Acting Committee Chair will complete an evaluation form, with input from all the committee members, including the PI. This form will be endorsed by the committee and must be returned to the Graduate Program Staff. The signed form and written recommendations will be included in the student’s record.
If a student has not completed the dissertation within three years of admission to candidacy, the results of the annual review will be presented with recommendations to the CMB GSC Executive Committee. The CMB Executive Committee will then decide what actions may be required.
Although the supervising professor provides day-to-day guidance, all members of the committee are expected to be available for consultation and students should feel free to ask for advice from them or any faculty member.
Teaching
The CMB Graduate Program requires all students to be appointed as a TA for at least one semester by no later than the fourth year. All students must complete a mandatory TA training workshop prior to their first TA appointment. This workshop is offered at the start of each fall and spring semester and is coordinated by the Biology Instructional Office (BIO).
Please review the Graduate Program Handbook for additional guidelines about Teaching Assistantships.
ITA English Language Certification for International Students
UT Austin conducts English-Language Certification for TAs whose first language is not English. The CMB Graduate Program requires this certification of all international students, regardless of whether they serve as teaching assistants. All international students admitted to the CMB Graduate Program are anticipated to unconditionally pass the Oral English Proficiency Assessment and be “certified with student contact.” Students must be certified to be employed “with student contact” before being admitted to candidacy. Under certain circumstances, international students may be exempt from the requirement to complete the ITA English-Language Certification exam.
Additional information can be found at global.utexas.edu/english-language-center/about/department-resources. ILSGP will sponsor the registration cost for ITA English-Language Certification. Please also consult the Graduate Program Staff prior to registration.
Program Handbook & Policies
The current Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Program Student Handbook can be found on our resources page.
The handbook is the primary source for detailed information about program requirements, policies, and procedures. Students should read the handbook annually in order to familiarize themselves with important information related to their enrollment in the doctoral program.
Forms for Degree Processes
How-To Guides for Current Students
UT Box EID login required. Includes guides for:
- Registration (including tuition/insurance waivers)
- Applying for Admission to Candidacy
- Annual Committee Meetings
- Defense & Graduation
Graduate Student Responsibilities & Example Degree Checklist
Resources that Support a Safe and Inclusive Campus
The CMB Graduate Program, the University of Texas, and the College of Natural Sciences want all graduate students to benefit from supportive, inclusive, and safe classroom and research experiences. The following resources are available to support this goal:
Mentoring Organizations for Graduate Students
ILS Graduate Student Association Mentoring Buddies in Science Program:
Mentoring Buddies in Science is a mentoring and community building initiative created by the ILS Graduate Student Assembly (GSA). Through this program, we hope to foster support and collaboration amongst students to help incoming First Years transition to graduate student life.
The LS-PAC MODELS Center provides mentorship, professional learning, and networking opportunities for historically underrepresented STEM undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and early-career faculty.
The Científico Latino Project works to increase the pool of minority scientists and professionals by creating a platform where everyone—regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability or immigration status—has equal access to fellowship and scholarship opportunities, and the chance to learn from their peers to becoming successful STEM professionals and other related fields.
National Research Mentoring Network:
