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Head of the Department: P. M. Best
524 Burrill Hall
407 South Goodwin Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-1735
E-mail:
physiology@life.uiuc.edu
Graduate Degree Program
The graduate program in molecular and integrative physiology is designed
to provide individualized training in preparation for research and
teaching careers in molecular, cellular, and integrative physiology.
The objective of the training is to produce scientists who are technically
competent and broadly educated. The program offers a Ph.D. in Molecular
and Integrative Physiology and a joint M.D./Ph.D. degree in conjunction
with the College of Medicine.
Admission
Candidates for admission must meet the minimum standards established
by the Graduate College for graduate study at the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign, but final selection of students who enter the
molecular and integrative physiology program each fall is determined
by an admissions committee. Admission beginning in the spring semester
is rarely allowed except under extraordinary circumstances. Students
should have strong undergraduate training in science. To be admitted,
students should have a grade point average between an A and a B and
letters of recommendation that indicate ability to perform graduate
work. All applicants are required to submit scores of the Graduate
Record Examination (GRE) or similar examinations. Applicants whose
native language is not English are required to submit the results
of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The department
requires a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based TOEFL (213 on the
computer-based test), the Graduate College requirement. For admission
purposes, TOEFL scores are valid for only two years before the proposed
term of entry.
Graduate Teaching Experience
Experience in teaching is considered a vital part of the graduate
program and is required as part of the academic work of all Ph.D.
candidates in this program.
Doctor of Philosophy
The doctoral program uses a flexible approach to curriculum requirements.
Students are required to take two core courses, three laboratory rotations
(five weeks each), and electives. The students in consultation with
a faculty advisory committee choose additional courses in chemistry,
biochemistry, immunology, molecular biology, mathematics, and cell
biology. Students are encouraged to begin research as soon as they
identify an area of research interest. The department has a particularly
strong focus in cell physiology, comparative physiology, computational
biology, neurophysiology, and endocrinology. Courses and lab research
are supplemented by a weekly seminar series. Toward the end of the
second year, students must submit a report describing their initial
research and pass an oral qualifying examination in order to continue
in the Ph.D. program. One year after their qualifying examinations,
and no later than the end of their eighth semester in the program,
students are expected to take their preliminary examinations in which
they present their thesis topic and preliminary research to a faculty
committee. Finally, a thesis, which is based on original work in one
area of physiology and which demonstrates a thorough knowledge of
underlying theories and experimental approaches, must be defended
at the final examination. Most students complete their Ph.D. training
in four to five years.
Financial Aid
Financial support is guaranteed for all students who remain in good
academic standing.
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