Sample Curriculum for Academic Preparation for Entry into Competitive Biomedical Science Ph.D. Programs

The MARC U-STAR program is an institutional undergraduate biomedical research training program designed to competitively prepare honors students in their final two years of undergraduate education (typically called the junior and senior years) for competitive biomedical and behavioral research Ph.D. programs. The goal of the program is to increase the number of students from underrepresented minority groups obtaining science Ph.D. degrees to create an engineering diverse and inclusive biomedical and behavioral workforce. To this end, MARC institutions must provide a rigorous curriculum, steeped with training in the quantitative (physical, mathematical, chemical, and/or computer) sciences along with the study of life sciences for a cross-disciplinary approach for student learning. The rigorous curriculum must be presented such that students, upon graduation, are prepared to enter competitive biomedical science Ph.D. programs.

The MORE Division asked officials at several competitive graduate institutions for the qualifications their selection committees seek to make an offer of admittance to their biomedical science Ph.D. degrees. Shown below are four examples:

Institution		Undergraduate Courses	Typical Sequence	Additional Information
Institution 1	Required: total 25 credit hours	Electives: total 24 credit hours beyond the core (for junior/senior)
Institution 1	Molecular Biology(includes Biochemistry) Cell/Developmental Biology Ecology and Evolution Organismal Biology: Human Physiology, Botany, Plant Ecology, Cell Neuroscience, Comparative Animal Physiology, Microbiology	Introductory, Organic, & Physical Chemistry w/lab General Physics (1 year w/lab) Math through Calculus 1 course: Math, Statistics, or Comp. Science Additional Math: differential equations, linear algebra, and probability theory	First Year: Inorganic Chemistry Math: Calculus and Analytic Geometry Second Year: Genetics, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology course Cell Biology and Animal Physiology course Plant Biology, Evaluation, and Ecology course Core experimental lab Chemistry: Organic and Physical Chemistry General education requirements or electives Third Year: Physics General education requirements or electives Fourth Year: Electives	Students should have the equivalent of an undergraduate major in biology. In addition to the usual basic undergraduate courses in biology, it is recommended that preparation for graduate work include courses in chemistry through organic chemistry, general physics, and math through calculus. A balanced undergraduate program that is very roughly equivalent to our undergraduate program is desired. We occasionally get some students with lots of chemistry and physics and little to no biology, and that's OK, too. Good grades are key. What is critical is the research experience--no matter what kind, it has to be a serious commitment.
Institution 2	Required courses for bio majors
Institution 2	Math 1A, 1B: Calculus (2 semesters) Chemistry 1A: General Chemistry (1 semester) Chemistry 3A/3AL, 3B/3BL: Organic Chemistry (2 semesters) Biology 1A/1AL, 1B, General Biology (2 semesters) Physics 8A, 8B: Physics (calculus based) (2 semesters)	Various electives	You must hold (or expect to hold prior to the beginning of classes) a bachelor's degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution. You must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (B grade) on a 4.0 scale. You must take the General Graduate Record Exam (GRE). The average percentile for those being admitted to our program is ~80 percent. The GRE Subject Test is not required but it is strongly recommended. You should have research laboratory experience. We require three letters of recommendation, preferably from individuals who know your research ability and goals.	The Admissions Committee weighs many factors including the applicant's undergraduate scholastic record, prior performance in lab research, letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and GRE scores. Strong undergraduate preparation for this program would include at least one year each of calculus, physics, and general biology; three years of chemistry (general, organic, and physical chemistry); and additional advanced coursework in such areas as biochemistry, biophysics, cell biology, genetics, microbiology, molecular biology, immunology and/or neurobiology.
Institution 3	Biology I & Biology II Physiology, Endocrinology, or Neurobiology Cell Biology or Genetics Ecology, Behavior, or Evolution Calculus I & Calculus II Introduction to Statistics & Applied Statistics or Introduction to Computer Science 2 courses in Physics 3 courses Chemistry (General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II, Organic Chemistry, and General Quantitative Chemistry)	Various electives		You do not need a specific degree, but you do need to have a strong background in organic and inorganic chemistry, cell biology, and/or genetics, physics, and calculus.
Institution 4	Courses that serve as excellent (and looked for) markers of student preparation for Ph.D. studies in biomedical sciences: Calculus and/or Biostatistics Inorganic and Organic Chemistry General Biology and specialized biology courses: Biochemistry and/or genetics and/or cell biology and/or other advanced biology courses In general, the ability to handle multiple science courses with a B or better in any semester is a positive indicator, particularly when it includes courses that are beyond introductory level. The specific courses that programs will look for vary depending on specific grad program emphasis (e.g. biostatistics and epidemiology versus neuroscience versus molecular and cell biology). Past performance at an excellent level in rigorous advanced courses in addition to meaningful research experience will be viewed most positively.