Below is a list of courses that are approved for credit in the MCB Graduate Program. Additional 2000-level courses in BIOL, NEUR, CHEM, APMA, CSCI, and PHP can be considered for credit subject to review and approval by the MCB Executive Committee.
An Executive Committee of the Program will meet as needed to discuss and advise the program director on issues of importance to the Program. The Committee will consist of the Director, Assistant Director (both appointed by Dean of Biology and Medicine), Chair of the MCB Department, Chairperson of the Admissions Committee (appointed by MCB Director), Director of the USPHS Training Grant (appointed by the Dean of Biology and Medicine), a junior faculty member (three-year term) and a hospital faculty member (three-year term).
The Barry Jay Rosen Memorial Award is given periodically by the Graduate Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry at Brown University to a graduate student whose Ph.D. thesis demonstrates exceptional merit. The Award was established by the family and friends of Dr. Rosen (Ph.D., Brown, 1966) to commemorate him and the spirit of inquiry which characterized his work.
Applicants to the Brown University Program in Medicine may also apply to the M.D. - Ph.D. Program. M.D. - Ph.D. students in the MCB Graduate Program must complete all of the requirements specified for the Ph.D. degree.
Travel and participation in events are critical components of graduate level training both before and after the qualifying exam. We encourage MCBGP students to participate in conferences, skill building workshops, and other professional development activities. In addition to traditional travel and in-person experiences, we encourage students to take advantage of virtual events and activities that they otherwise may not have been able to access.
The final dissertation defense committee consists of the thesis advisor, three other MCB Graduate Program trainers (usually the members of the Thesis Advisory Committee), and a Reader external to Brown. The external Reader must not have a conflict of interest such as a collaborative relationship with the student or the Thesis Advisor, as determined by the Program Director.
The written thesis should represent a comprehensive summation of the student's total research effort. With this goal in mind, the document should contain the following elements:
To receive a PhD, students must have at least one first author/co-first author paper or at least two middle author researchpapers at least at the stage of submission to a peer-reviewed journal at the time of graduation.
Students making good progress in all areas appropriate to their year in the program are in “good standing.” A student who has not successfully completed the relevant milestones (class work, qualifying exam) or responsibilities (teaching) or has not suitably advanced the research project will be assigned a status of “warning,” as discussed below. The reasons for the warning status assignment are conveyed to the student in writing along with guidance for how to return to good standing.
Once admitted to candidacy, students will meet at least annually with the Thesis Advisory Committee to discuss research progress, future directions, plans for publications and career plans. One week prior to the committee meeting, the student will circulate to all members of the committee a Committee Meeting Update Form.