Philosophy

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PhD Program Description

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Integrated Biosciences program at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) specifically targets complex issues associated with the pervasiveness of diseases that contribute to an unequal health burden in underrepresented populations, known commonly as health disparities. The principal goal of the PhD in Integrated Biosciences (INBS) program is to effectively train students at the doctoral level to solve complex problems using an amalgamation of concepts in biology, biomedical and behavioral sciences, chemistry, physics, bioinformatics, computer science/information science, environmental sciences, and pharmaceutical sciences. The Program Director for the PhD Program in Integrated Biosciences and an INBS Graduate Studies Committee oversee the implementation of the program. Faculty directly involved in the PhD program have extensive and diverse backgrounds in teaching graduate courses, advising and mentoring graduate students, securing millions in federal and private funding, guiding postdoctoral scholars, and publishing in refereed journals. This program provides students from varying degree discipline backgrounds with a comprehensive approach to the study of health disparity issues. Presently, students may choose from one of two (2) tracks - Biomedical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The biomedical sciences concentration is designed for students with backgrounds and interests in biology, biochemistry, chemistry or related disciplines. The pharmaceutical sciences concentration is designed for students with backgrounds and interests in pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacology, biochemistry or related disciplines. All students will participate in a unique core curriculum consisting of an integrated approach to addressing health disparities in human diseases, responsible conduct of research, communication and problem solving, and research techniques.

The educational goals of the PhD in Integrated Biosciences program are to train graduate students who will be able to:

• Design and conduct high quality multidisciplinary and translational research;
• Understand the relationships and values of multiple disciplines as they relate to their specific area of interest;
• Form collaborations and partnerships and work effectively as members of translational research teams;
• Contribute substantially to scientific discussions and inquiries related to research on health disparities and drug discovery;
• Serve as leaders in facilitating community engaged research focused in health disparities; and
• Value the community and its contribution to solving health disparity.

The educational objectives of the Ph.D. in Integrated Biosciences program are to:

• Increase the number of scientists who are prepared to meet and address the immediate health needs of the community
• Create the next generation of qualified biomedical scientists and faculty specializing in health disparities and drug discovery research;
• Prepare students to investigate biologically relevant research questions through the mastery of physical, mathematical, computational, informational, and biological sciences;
• Enhance career opportunities for graduate students through the development of a multidisciplinary educational program focused in the integrated biological sciences.
• Advance the State of North Carolina by increasing the number of health professionals and promoting health disparity research that will benefit its citizens.

PhD Application Requirements

Applicants to the PhD in Integrated Biosciences program must have earned an undergraduate degree in science with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Applicants must submit Official Transcripts of all graduate and undergraduate studies.  Applicants must submit GRE scores, less than 5 years old, to be considered within the context of all materials in the application. Applicants must also submit a statement of purpose and a resume. A minimum of three letters of recommendations are required from individuals who are knowledgeable of the student’s academic acumen and abilities to complete the PhD degree in Integrated Biosciences. A Master’s degree is not required for this program. Requests for transfer of graduate credit hours must be submitted to the Graduate School and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. When applying to the PhD program in either the Biomedical Sciences or Pharmaceutical Science track, applicants are encouraged to have completed in undergraduate school the academic subjects of: Organic Chemistry I & II; Biochemistry; Cell Biology or Molecular Biology; Genetics or Microbiology.

Financial Assistance in the PhD Program

PhD students in the INBS Program receive financial support which covers tuition & fees, health insurance, and stipend. The INBS program provides PhD students up to $30,000 per year for two years in stipend, fellowship, or assistantship.  This two-year support is provided through the School of Graduate Studies. Students accepted into the program and awarded a stipend are not permitted to have outside employment while holding the stipend.  Outside employment will result in loss of stipend support from the program. After the first two years of support from the Graduate School, PhD students move on to Research Assistantships provided by their Research Mentor.

Director of the PhD in Integrated Biosciences (INBS) Program

North Carolina Central University (NCCU) was approved in October, 2011 by University of North Carolina Board of Governors to introduce a doctor of philosophy (PhD) program in integrated biosciences. This PhD Program is multidisciplinary with two concentrations-Biomedical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The first cohort of doctoral students entered the program in fall 2012. The Director of the PhD in Integrated Biosciences (INBS) oversees this doctoral program and ensures academic excellence in and successful completion of students from the Ph.D. Degree in Integrated Biosciences Program at NCCU.

In addition, the Director works with Integrated Biosciences (INBS) Graduate Studies Committee to assure that the goals and objectives of the program are met. The Director assists doctoral students with achieving academic excellence and successful completion of the program.

The INBS Graduate Studies Committee

The Director for the Ph.D. in Integrated Biosciences Program and INBS Graduate Studies Committee oversee the implementation and operation of this doctoral program. The responsibilities of INBS Graduate Studies Committee include the following:

1. Review student applications and make selections to the INBS PhD program
2. Interview selectees invited for campus visits and help set program visit agenda
3. Review, evaluate, and recommend tenure/tenure track faculty to INBS program faculty
4. Contribute to PhD program growth and development, including enhancing PhD Plans of Study
5. Annual review and evaluation of INBS students
6. Contribute to program policy and rules development
7. Recommend teaching assignments for program faculty
8. Make recommendation for program curricular changes

PhD Program Faculty

PhD Program Faculty are the Graduate Faculty associated with the Ph.D. in Integrated Biosciences (INBS) Program and are responsible for the teaching and research training of doctoral students, designing the academic content of doctoral degree programs, and supervising the writing and defense of doctoral student research in the form of dissertations.

There are two categories of PhD Program Faculty: teaching faculty and research mentors.  Both research mentors and teaching faculty for the Ph.D. program may teach courses numbered 8000 or above and/or serve on dissertation and examining committees.  However, only research mentors may chair dissertation committees.

The application for PhD Program Faculty membership should be submitted to the appropriate Department Chair or Institute Director for consideration by the INBS Graduate Committee. All INBS teaching faculty and research mentors will be reviewed in 5-year cycles.

PhD Curriculum

The Ph.D. Degree in Integrated Biosciences degree is awarded on the basis of achievement in a wide range of course work; a qualifying examination (written and oral) evaluating the breadth and depth of background knowledge; intensive research experience during which the candidate demonstrates ability to initiate, perform, and analyze original experimental work; a written dissertation; and defense of the dissertation through a final oral examination. The Ph.D. in Integrated Biosciences program will typically be completed in 5 to 6 years. The composition of the program credit hours includes 18 credit hours of core curricula courses inclusive of research rotations; 9-12 credit hours of domain courses (per approval by research mentor, INBS Graduate Studies Committee, and INBS program director); a minimum of 9 credit hours of doctoral supervised research, a minimum of 12 credit hours of doctoral dissertation research, and a minimum of 3 credit hours of dissertation preparation. All courses taken for the Ph.D. degree must be at the 8000 level or above.

A plan of study must be developed by the student in consultation with his/her research mentor, the INBS Graduate Studies Committee, and the INBS Program Director and must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.

Selection of a Research Mentor

Doctoral students must become aware of the research programs of individual faculty members during their first year of doctoral studies. This is done principally by rotating through research laboratories and discussions with the program faculty. The doctoral student should recognize that the INBS stipend currently is for 24 months; however it can take five to seven years to complete a PhD program. Therefore, the resources, activity of the laboratory, and the likelihood of continued stipend support are additional factors to consider when selecting a research mentor. Doctoral students must have selected their Research Mentor by the end of the first year laboratory rotations. The doctoral student’s selection of Research Mentor must be approved by the INBS Graduate Studies Committee, the INBS program director, and the Dean of the Graduate School.

Qualifying Examinations

A qualifying examination (written and oral) evaluates the breadth and depth of background knowledge of the PhD student and is taken following the end of the second year of doctoral study. All INBS core course requirements must be completed before the qualifying examination. The purpose of the qualifying examination is to assess the student’s mastery of core material and to assure that the student has the specialized knowledge and skills that will be required for the successful development of a dissertation proposal.  The Research Mentor is closely involved in the qualifying examination of the PhD student advisee and this is consistent with the commitment the Research Mentor made in agreeing to supervise the student.

The Research Mentor and the INBS Program faculty who taught the core curriculum make up the Qualifying Examination Committee. The Research Mentor coordinates questions for the written section with the committee, coordinates grading of the written section among committee members, and coordinates the oral section of the Qualifying Examination with the student and the committee. The purpose of the oral section is to expand upon answers to questions in the written section. A core reading list developed by the committee in conjunction with the Research Mentor is provided to the student for preparation for the Qualifying Examination. The written section of the qualifying examination will test four areas covered in the core curriculum. Any area on written section which the student does not pass must be retested. The retest must include new questions.  Only one repeat of each area is allowed.

Only after passing the written section does the student proceed to the oral section which is scheduled 4-6 weeks later. If the student is successful on the oral section, then the entire Qualifying Examination is passed.  If the student is not successful on the oral section, then the oral section can be retaken once.  If the student is not successful on the retake of the oral section, then the entire Qualifying Examination is failed.

Admission to Candidacy for the PhD Degree

Admission to Candidacy for the PhD degree is granted when the student has passed the Qualifying Examination (Written and Oral).

Dissertation Advisory Committee

Following admission to PhD candidacy for the degree, the research mentor serves as the doctoral student’s PhD thesis advisor.  A Thesis Advisory Committee must be formed and the research mentor serves as the chair of this committee.  The research mentor guides the PhD student in Doctoral Supervised Research and the research mentor must convene a meeting of the doctoral student and the Thesis Advisory Committee annually to review the student’s progress.  Students are encouraged to make poster and/or oral presentations of their research accomplishments at local, regional and national scientific meetings. Students will prepare an annual progress report and present to their advisory committee at the annual meeting and receive feedback. The student should receive a written assessment from the research mentor summarizing the conclusions of the meeting and future directions of the project. The research mentor will submit an annual progress report on the doctoral student to the INBS Program Director for review by INBS Graduate Studies Committee and the Dean of the Graduate School.

The Dissertation and Oral Defense

After completion of the dissertation research, the student prepares a written dissertation in the format specified by the INBS Graduate Studies Committee and the Graduate School. The Thesis Advisory Committee is expanded as necessary to become the Doctoral Dissertation Examination Committee. The PhD Thesis Advisor serves as the chair of the Doctoral Dissertation Examination Committee and schedules the time and place of the doctoral oral defense before the Doctoral Dissertation Examination Committee. The doctoral student may also be expected to submit one or more manuscripts in the style of an appropriate journal to be examined by the dissertation examination committee along with the dissertation.

INBS Program Faculty

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