Cellular Biology & Anatomy

Graduate Program

The Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy in the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University offers a graduate program leading to a Doctor of Philosophy degree with a major in Cellular Biology and Anatomy.

Our program provides training in the broad areas of developmental biology, cellular biology and neuroscience for students interested in pursuing careers in research or teaching as faculty members in medical schools. The program is sufficiently flexible, however, to accommodate training for careers in clinical science departments, other health science professional schools, or in private, government, and industrial research laboratories or foundations.

PhD. students learn state-of-the-art research techniques and modern approaches to fundamental biomedical questions while also developing a sound knowledge of relevant classical disciplines of anatomy such as histology, embryology, neuroscience and gross anatomy.

In the first term, students are introduced to the research of each faculty member through a special course. Laboratory rotations and basic science courses of general relevance to research are prominent components of the first year. In the second year, additional courses of special relevance are taken as agreed upon by the student and his or her chosen thesis advisor. The third and following years are devoted entirely to thesis research.

In addition to specific course requirements, students must complete PhD degree requirements, including satisfactory performance on the Comprehensive Examination, development of an approved research proposal, writing and obtaining approval of the doctoral dissertation, and satisfactory performance on the Final Oral Examination (dissertation defense).

The Doctor of Philosophy curriculum is not lock-step; students do not graduate as a class at the end of a specific semester. The average time to degree is approximately 5 years of full-time, year-round study. The PhD curriculum is individualized for each student based on the Advisory Committee's recommendations. The number and type of advanced (2nd year and beyond) elective courses vary, and may include courses within the Cellular Biology and Anatomy program as well as courses in other disciplines.

Applications to the biomedical science PhD program are accepted throughout the year, however, the deadline for receiving applications for fall semester admission is January 15. Applications received after the deadline are considered on a space-available basis.

For information about Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Cellular Biology and Anatomy; Description, Admissions Information, Financial Support and Cellular Biology and Anatomy Curriculum, please click on our CBA Student Handbook link.

For a listing of Departmental Graduate Students, how to contact other students and resources for students, please click on our Graduate Students link.