Ph.D. Program - New Students
Welcome to Stanford University! We are excited that you have chosen Stanford University’s PhD Program in Immunology for your graduate studies. 2011-12 Handbook for the PhD Program in Immunology Some resources to help you get started at Stanford are listed below. For more links, please visit the Student Resources Page.
Avoid standing in line! Incoming students, remember to submit your ID photo online at https://acesapp.stanford.edu/sc/photo/submission. Your card will then be ready for you when you arrive and you will avoid standing in line in the hot sun to have your photo taken at the Student Services Center! The Journey Begins: First Year AdvisingDuring the summer prior to enrolling for Autumn Quarter, first-year students are required to read Janeway's Immunobiology, 8th edition, in preparation for their graduate studies. Each incoming student is assisted by the Predoctoral Director, Dr. Olivia Martinez, in selecting courses and lab rotations for the first year and in choosing a lab for the dissertation research. In the first-year advising meeting, Dr. Martinez will determine if the student’s undergraduate training in biology and cognate disciplines are equivalent to the required undergraduate Biology major curriculum at Stanford. If there are gaps in the undergraduate training, the first-year student and Dr. Martinez will design a specific first year curriculum. In the first or second year of graduate study only, Dr. Martinez will also consider petitions to waive or substitute courses for required courses. In addition to courswork, rotations are a very important component of the first year, as it permits first-year students to assess possible labs to do their PhD thesis research. Courses Candidates for PhD degrees at Stanford must satisfactorily complete a program of study that includes 135 units of graduate course work and research. At least 3 units must be taken with each of four different Stanford faculty members. Dr. Martinez will discuss and approve your selection of courses. The number of units of coursework per quarter should equal 10 units. Graduate students (including MD/PhD students in the graduate student phase of their training) must take all required courses for a letter grade. The University requires that you maintain a 3.0 GPA in order to remain enrolled at Stanford University. Students must register for all quarters. The course requirements for the PhD degree in Immunology are divided into 2 main areas: foundational and elective courses. All required courses must be taken for a letter grade.Please select the 'Curriculum' menu option for more information. For a listing of courses, visit Explore Courses. The “Time Schedule”, a catalog of courses offered each quarter, goes online approximately one month before the start of classes. The Time Schedule can be found on the left-hand menu in Axess. The deadline to register is usually 2 weeks after the official first day of classes. The academic calendar, which lists academic dates and deadlines, can be found at http://registrar.stanford.edu/academic_calendar/index0708.htm. Students may find information and assignments relevant to the courses in which they are enrolled at Coursework. Safety Training General safety training is required of all students. All students planning to work with animals must take the animal safety training. If you will work with human subjects, you are required to take the HIPAA training. If you will be working with blood, you must take the bloodborne pathogens training under the 'Training' tab on Axess. If you plan to work with radioactivity, you must attend Radiation Training. A list of other training courses can be found on Axess under the 'Training' tab, or on the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) website. There is also a Training Needs Assessment Tool to help you determine what training you need. Thesis Examinations Qualifying Exam The qualifying exam includes a written thesis proposal and an oral exam by the Thesis Committee. The members of the Thesis Committee are chosen by the student and the PhD advisor. At least two of the thesis committee must be members of the Immunology program faculty; this may include the thesis advisor. The Thesis advisor is not present for the qualifying examination. The deadline for the qualifying examination must be completed before December 17th, the Autumn quarter of the second year. During the oral portion of the qualifying exam, questions outside the research proposal may be asked by the Thesis committee of the student, in addition to questions about the actual thesis proposal. The Thesis Committee will assign a grade for the Qualifying Exam. Upon successful completion of the examination, the student may apply for PhD candidacy. Presentation Requirements In addition to the qualifying exam, students are required to give a presentation based on research done in one lab rotation in late June - early July to the Graduate Program Committee. These presentations are not graded, but are a wonderful mechanism of receiving advice and feedback on graduate degree progress. Thesis Defense Before finishing the program, students will give a presentation based on their Ph.D. research and submit a written dissertation, which is the result of independent investigation, and which constitutes a contribution to knowledge in the field of immunology. The presentation is the equivalent of the required University oral examination, and is taken only after the student has substantially completed his or her research. The examination is preceded by a public seminar in which the candidate presents the research. The oral examination is conducted by a five-member dissertation reading committee whose composition is discussed in the Stanford Graduate student handbook. |
