The course is not required for students entering via the MSTP, since they receive equivalent training in their M1 year.) Although students are strongly encouraged to take this course, a student who feels their education would be better served by substituting a different course, may present their revised education plan to the DGS requesting a waver of the Foundations in Microbiology and Immunology requirement. (Taken in Summer, following Bioregulations Course. These are usually taken during the students second graduate year (first year in the MPI program).įoundations in Microbiology and Immunology I degree. The MPI program requires students to take a minimum of required courses. Students must complete a total of 72 credit hours (including the 24 didactic hours) through coursework or research credits before being allowed to defend their dissertation research and receive the Ph.D. Passing the Qualifying Exam is the final step in being admitted to continue research towards receiving a Ph.D. students must complete 24 didactic (Lecture coursework) hours and maintain a 3.0 or better GPA in order to take the Ph.D. More specifics of the Molecular Pathology and Immunology program are contained in the Molecular Pathology and Immunology Graduate Handbook.Īll Vanderbilt Ph.D. Students electing to join the Molecular Pathology and Immunology program will generally complete their course work during their first year in the MPI program. At the end of the first year, students choose a department and a preceptor. During the first year, students also undertake rotations in a number of laboratories to gain first-hand experience to help students choose the laboratory they will join to conduct their dissertation research. During this first year in one of these feeder programs, students take a core curriculum preparing them for advanced graduate work. Information about admissions to each of these programs is available online.
Admission is through the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program (IGP) or the Quantitative and Chemical Biology Program (QCB), or completion of 1-2 years of coursework in the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP).
Students join the MPI program after completion of their first year of graduate study in biomedical sciences at Vanderbilt.