This page outlines the key steps in your CMSB graduate journey and important milestone forms information. The CMSB Program Manager, Shari Murphy, will initiate and process all milestone forms listed.
You can check out full student information on the Handbook page.
- First year: Core courses and lab rotations
The first year of a Cell, Molecular and Systems Biology PhD at Pitt encompasses a series of didactic courses covering the fundamentals of biomedical science, computational biology and good research practice. This is accompanied by three 4 week rotation projects that can be completed in any lab within the CMSB faculty.
At the end of the first semester, you select a laboratory within the CMSB program that you have completed a rotation in to join for your thesis work. You and your chosen advisor will need to submit three forms:
• Advisor-Student Expectations Form
• Dissertation Advisor Request Form
• Financial Commitment Form
- Years 2-3: CMSB program, elective courses and research
You will complete didactic courses encompassing advanced training in modern biomedical and computational approaches.
Together with your advisor, you will begin to develop your thesis project. Lab work focuses on generating initial experimental results and formulating specific research aims.
- Spring, year 2: Comprehensive exam
Students typically are ready to take the comprehensive exam and advance to PhD candidacy at the end of their second year.
The combination of research and coursework in the first two years will have equipped you with the general knowledge of biomedical and computational approaches, as well as the synthetic and reductive ability required to propose an advanced research project.
The combination of research and coursework during your first two years will have equipped you with the scientific knowledge and critical thinking skills required to develop and defend an advanced research project.
For your Comprehensive Examination, which takes place in the spring semester of your second year, you will independently prepare an original, NIH F31-style research proposal based on your thesis research area. Your proposal should be well-written and hypothesis-driven, describing innovative experiments that have not already been performed and clearly explaining their rationale, significance, expected outcomes, and potential impact. You may consult your advisor and others about specific scientific questions, but your advisor may not edit the proposal or coach you for the oral examination.
Together with your advisor, you will assemble a three-member examination committee, including at least one member of the CMSB Program. Your thesis advisor may not serve on the committee and will not attend the oral examination. The committee will read your proposal and then examine you orally on the proposed research and its scientific foundations. Successful completion of both the written and oral components is required to remain in the program.
The committee then completes the Comprehensive Examination Report form that is submitted to the graduate studies office, documenting the examination and any recommendations for the student’s academic development.
- Years 3 onwards: Admission to candidacy and thesis work
After completion of the comprehensive exam, you will spend the majority of your time on your thesis research.
The first task with your advisor is to recruit a thesis committee, composed of yourself, your mentor, three faculty members from your program and an additional faculty member external to the program. The committee oversees your project and advises the student throughout the project. You formalize this committee by returning the Nomination of Dissertation Doctoral Advisory Committee form.
Once your advisory committee is formed, you arrange your first committee meeting (within 6 months of completing the comprehensive examination). At this meeting, the planned thesis research is presented for feedback and approval by the committee. Specific suggestions are noted on the Thesis Committee Report Form. Successful completion of the first meeting is reported to the graduate studies office via the Dissertation Overview/Prospectus form.
At this point, you are now an official PhD candidate! This must be reported to the graduate office via the Admission to Candidacy form.
As your progress with your research, you will convene thesis committees as needed (at a minimum, every 12 months) to discuss your progress and seek advice for overcoming problems or obstacles. Progress is noted via the Thesis Committee Report Form after each meeting.
- Finishing up: Thesis defense
Your committee will discuss with you when you are ready to begin writing your dissertation, and document this on your final Thesis Committee Report Form.
You will write your thesis and submit the final document to the graduate studies office. You schedule a date for your defense and submit Dissertation Defense information at least 4 weeks prior to that date!
You can also apply to have a given name included on your thesis and diploma using the Diploma Name Request form.
On the day of the defense, a formal presentation of the project is given in the form of a public seminar, followed by a private oral examination by the thesis committee. At the end of the exam, assuming you met all the requirements, you will be a PhD!
A Dissertation Defense report is signed by the committee and submitted to the graduate studies office.
An Electronic Thesis and Dissertation approval form must also be signed.
Any agreed upon changes or corrections to the final thesis document are then made by the student and this, along with a Dissertation Approval form, is submitted to the graduate studies office.