YEAR ONE 

• Incoming students attend a two-week boot camp in early September. Comprised of lectures and labs, students learn a host of techniques in cellular and molecular aspects of neuroscience.

• Students enroll in Core courses and Journal Club, complete additional course requirements, and attend Superfriends talks given by senior Neuroscience students.

• Weekly faculty talks are hosted so students may learn about ongoing research in Neuroscience program labs. 

• Students complete at least 3 laboratory rotations to gain hands-on experience in a variety of approaches and methods, get to know faculty members and their laboratory groups, and gain information about the research area for their thesis.

• Students apply for extramural fellowships and grants for which they are eligible (e.g., NSF GRFP, HHMI)

• Students join a thesis lab at the end of the first year.

YEAR TWO 

• The second year is occupied by the initiation of a thesis project. The Qualifying Examination is taken by the end of the second year in the program.

• Students continue to enroll in coursework to fulfill degree requirements, participate in Journal Club, and attend Superfriends talks.

• Students apply for extramural grants and fellowships for which they are eligible (e.g., NSF GRFP, NDSEG)

• Second year students also take on leadership roles in the program by serving as Student Representatives for Admissions, Community activites, Student Speaker events, the SNI Speaker Series, and Website/Communications.

YEAR THREE

• Students meet at least annually with their Thesis Advisory Committee to ensure progress towards successful completion thesis research.

• Students apply for fellowships and grants for which they are eligible (e.g., NIH NRSA, HHMI)

• Students continue to participate in Journal Club and attend Superfriends to gain experience reviewing scientific publications and giving public presentations.

• Students use the Individual Development Plan to create a roadmap to complete their degree and pursue their chosen career path.

YEARS FOUR AND UP 

• Students continue to meet regularly with the Thesis Advisory Committee to ensure progress towards successful completion of thesis research.   

• Students apply for fellowships and grants for which they are eligible.

• Senior students in Years 4+ talk about their own research and graduate student experiences at Superfriends gatherings.

• Students give their Thesis Defense, a public seminar presenting the student's research findings followed by an oral examination of the candidate by the Thesis Committee.

• Students publish a first-authored article and submit a written dissertation prior to being conferred the Ph.D. degree.

• The Ph.D. program typically takes approximately five years to complete.