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Graduate Phase—Research


The MSTP leadership emphasizes advising during the transition to the graduate phase of training.

We believe the mentee-mentor match is critical to both the short-term and long-term success of  our trainees. Our approach is to encourage students to identify their PhD mentor first (seeking the best mentor for them), prior to choosing a graduate program. Many of our mentors have appointments in more than one graduate program in one or more colleges (College of Medicine, Engineering, Public Health, Pharmacy, and Liberal Arts & Sciences) and the Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs on campus. This broad selection of potential research laboratories allows individual students to choose the most appropriate thesis laboratory for their own interests and skills.

If a trainee would like to follow a new research direction (for instance mathematics or medical anthropology), the MSTP is open to forging new program affiliation. Approval of the MSTP leadership in consultation with the MSTP Executive Committee is required.

Graduate training programs differ in curricula, requirements for teaching assistantships, and qualifying examination structure, but all programs require successful completion of relevant coursework, a comprehensive/qualifying examination, satisfactory completion of an independent mentored research project, and a successful PhD dissertation defense. Many trainees find it useful to speak with MSTP students currently enrolled in the graduate program they are considering.

Affiliated Graduate Programs

Faculty Mentorship