Course Information & Degree Requirements

BMS Students take Molecules to Organisms: Concepts and Molecules to Organisms: Approaches (BIOM 200A&B), Seminars in Biomedical Research (BIOM 201), and Topics in Biomedical Research (BIOM 203) in the Fall of their first year. Students must also complete Laboratory Rotations (BIOM 202) in each quarter of the first year.

Students are required to take three graduate-level Advanced Courses (courses must be at least 3 units each) for a letter grade (A-F). Two of these courses must be taken in the Winter and Spring quarters of a student’s first year (courses in the BIOM 250-series are considered “core” BMS courses and are strongly encouraged to be taken in the first year). The third advanced course can be taken anytime during a student’s graduate training but is encouraged to be taken in the Winter or Spring of the second year)

Students may take additional courses throughout their training.

Timeline

• Laboratory Rotation Program - Year 1

• Selection of Thesis Advisor – No later than the end of Spring of Year 1

• Research Proposition Exam – Fall of Year 2

• Advancement to Ph.D. Candidacy Exam BMS program recommendation – Spring/Year 2 to Fall/Year 3
  (UC San Diego time limit – Spring of Year 4)

• Thesis Defense 
  BMS program recommendation – Spring/Year 5 to Fall/Year 6
  (UC San Diego financial support time limit – Spring of Year 7, UC San Diego total registered time limit – Spring of Year 8)

See the BMS Guidelines (PDF) for more information, and for the Ph.D. requirements of M.D./Ph.D. and Pharm.D./Ph.D. students.

Course Information

Required Core Courses – Year 1

Advanced Courses – three graduate-level Advanced Courses (courses must be at least 3 units each) for a letter grade (A-F). Two of these courses must be taken in the Winter and Spring quarters of a student’s first year.