Loans and Stipends: All graduate students are supported by either assistantships or traineeships, which carry stipends of $16,500 per year in addition to all tuition fees and health insurance costs. Financial support is provided for the entire duration of study. Low interest housing loans of $1,500 a year are also available for qualified students.
Deadline for Application: Applicants are encouraged to submit application forms and all supporting material by February 1. Applications received after this date will be considered at the discretion of the admissions committee of the desired program.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
The Doctor of Philosophy degree signifies that the recipient is capable of conducting independent research, has a broad basic knowledge of all areas of basic medical sciences, and has a comprehensive knowledge of one in particular.
To qualify for the doctorate, a student must satisfactorily complete graduate studies totaling at least 72 points (a minimum of 32 in residence at New York University), pass a qualifying examination, and present an acceptable dissertation. A total of 36 points must be completed in courses and tutorials; the remaining points may be in research and seminars. The qualifying examination is usually taken during the fifth term of full-time study and after the completion of 36 points. It may include written and oral examinations and covers the student's field of concentration and related subjects. Programs may set special requirements concerning the qualifying examination. When the dissertation is completed and has been approved by adviser and readers, a public oral examination is held at which the candidate presents and defends the results of his or her research before a faculty committee.
While the exceptional student with a thorough undergraduate preparation may qualify for the doctorate three years after the baccalaureate, five years are more usual.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
M.D.-Ph.D. Program [Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)]: The purpose of this combined degree program at the NYU Medical Center is to provide to a select group of aspiring medical scientists the broad biomedical background and clinical insights of a physician, as well as the rigorous research training in a specific discipline that is characteristic of a basic science Ph.D. The graduates of this program are equipped to apply the most rigorous scientific methodology to the study of medical problems. Moreover, because of their combined training, they are better able to recognize within the broad field of medicine those areas where fundamental research is not only needed but where problems are also amenable to immediate experimental analysis. MSTP students are registered in both the School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Arts and Science and upon completion of their training, which takes a minimum of six years, receive both M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. The program is supported in part by a National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health. All M.D.-Ph.D. students are provided with a full tuition scholarship and a stipend ($16,000 in 1994) throughout the period of their Ph.D. research training. However, most students receive a stipend throughout their entire M.D.-Ph.D. training period. Graduates of this program are expected to devote their professional careers to research, teaching, and/or other academic activities.
Candidates should apply for admission to the School of Medicine in the usual way as described in the current bulletin of the school. Those who are interested in the combined degree program should request a supplementary application using the postcard included in the School of Medicine application. Admission to the Medical Scientist Training Program is highly competitive, and the selection committee pays special attention to the research experience of the candidate and to the quality of his or her scientific preparation. A description of the candidate's research experience and letters of recommendation from all research supervisors are essential components of the M.D.-Ph.D. application. A summary of the applicant's scientific interests and career plans must also be included with the application. Candidates are encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible, preferably before November 1. They should ensure that transcripts, letters of recommendation, and other supporting data are received at the School of Medicine by that date. Those who apply but are not selected for the M.D.-Ph.D. program are considered for regular admission to the School of Medicine in the usual manner and without prejudice. Unsuccessful candidates have a further opportunity to enter the Medical Scientist Training Program after their first year of medical school. Interested first- and second-year medical students are also encouraged to apply and are, indeed, frequently successful in obtaining admission.
Applications may be obtained from The Committee on Admissions, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016. Further information may be obtained from the School of Medicine Bulletin, or by writing to Ms. Arlene Kohler, Medical Scientist Training Program, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016.
Training Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology: This program trains candidates for the Ph.D. degree in cellular and molecular biology. Training is offered in the fields of structure, function, and biogenesis of macromolecules and subcellular organelles and the mechanisms that regulate cell metabolism, differentiation, and growth. Courses are given in the Departments of Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Medical and Molecular Parasitology, Microbiology, Pathology and Pharmacology, and thesis research is performed under the supervision of graduate faculty members in these departments. Address inquiries to Mr. Antonio Rocha, Academic Coordinator, Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016.
Applicants are encouraged to send a photocopy of their application and student transcript to the above address at the same time they submit their original application to the Graduate School of Arts and Science.
Training Program in Environmental Oncology: This program trains predoctoral candidates in the molecular and cellular mechanisms of carcinogenesis, with reference to the role of physical and chemical cancer-causing agents. Each student's course of study is tailored to individual interests; all receive core training in biochemistry, cell biology, molecular genetics, carcinogenesis, and environmental health. Thesis research can be carried out in the laboratories of the following faculty members: Bosland, Burns, Costa, Dubin, Flescher, Frenkel, Garte, Goldschmidt, Klein, Penn, Marmor, Petrenko, Rom, Rossman, Schlesinger, Shore, Snow, Snyder, Solomon, Toniolo, and Wirgin (Department of Environmental Medicine), and Teebor (Department of Pathology). Applicants should have a strong background in biology, chemistry, or the physical sciences. Inquiries should be sent to Dr. Arthur Penn, Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016.
Training Program in Infectious Diseases and Basic Microbiological Mechanisms: This program trains doctoral candidates in the biology of infectious disease processes. Training is offered in the fields of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial and molecular genetics; mechanisms of pathogenicity and host resistance to infectious agents; AIDS, retrovirology and oncogenic viruses; growth factors; cytokines; mechanisms of signal transduction; the biochemistry, cell, and molecular biology of malarial parasites and trypanosomes; the immunological phenomena associated with malarial and trypanosomal infections. Courses are given in the Departments of Microbiology, Medical and Molecular Parasitology, Cell Biology, Biochemistry, and Pathology; thesis research is performed under the supervision of graduate faculty members in these departments. Applicants should have a strong background in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics. Inquiries should be sent either to Dr. David Frendewey, Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016 or Dr. Laura Pologe, Department of Medical and Molecular Parasitology, 341 East 25 Street, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Training Program Molecular Oncology and Immunology: This program trains doctoral candidates in the areas of viral oncology, virus-cell interaction, immunochemistry, cellular immunology, and molecular genetics. Research experience may be acquired in the following areas: tumor virus-cell interaction, regulation of gene expression, oncogenes, lymphomas, cell differentiation, molecular biology of immunoglobulin genes, immunogenetics, autoimmune disease, interferon, interleukins and growth factors, complement, AIDS, and various problems in cellular, tumor, and parasite immunology. Studies in these areas use sophisticated methods, including gene transfer, gene cloning, and transgenic mouse and hybridoma technology. Courses are given in the Department of Pathology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, and Microbiology, and thesis research is performed under the supervision of graduate faculty members in these departments. Inquiries should be sent to Dr. Robert Carroll, Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016.
Training Program in Pharmacology: This program trains doctoral candidates in molecular and biochemical pharmacology and neurobiology. Training is offered in growth factor-mediated signal transduction mechanisms, receptor biochemistry, intracellular communication, cellular and developmental neurobiology, neuropeptides, the cytoskeleton, endocrine pharmacology, complex carbohydrate structure and function, and cell surface biochemistry. Courses are given in the Departments of Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Cell and Biology, Pathology, and Physiology and Neuroscience. Thesis research is performed under the supervision of members of the Department of Pharmacology. Applicants should have a strong background in biology, chemistry, or the physical sciences. Inquiries should be sent to Dr. Arnold Stern, Department of Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016.
Training Program in Neuroscience and Physiology: This program trains predoctoral candidates in the areas of membrane physiology, cellular physiology, synaptic transmission, cellular neurophysiology, brain cell microenvironment, computer-based anatomy, and neuronal modeling. Students take courses in the basic medical sciences departments, tutorials within the Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, and gain practical experience in individual laboratories. Inquiries should be sent to Dr. Kerry Walton, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016.
PROGRAM ADVISERS
(Several training programs may have more than one adviser, who represent the primary research concentrations within each program.)
Cellular and Molecular Biology: (Biochemistry): Dr. James Borowiec (263-8453); (Cell Biology): Dr. Milton Adesnik (263-5352); Environmental Oncology: Dr. Arthur Penn (914-351-5373); Infectious Diseases and Basic Microbiological Mechanisms: (Microbiology): Dr. David Frendewey (263-7660); (Parasitology): Dr. Laura Pologe (263-6763); Molecular Oncology and Immunology: Dr. Robert Carroll (263-5347); Neuroscience and Physiology: Dr. Kerry Walton (263-5432); Pharmacology: Dr. Arnold Stern (263-7118).
GSAS /
NYU
-- last modified 25 June 1996