• During the first academic year, all students share a one-year core curriculum. Additionally, students complete three separate Research Rotations to get experience and exposure to the various research areas available at the UNM Health Sciences Center. The funding for Ph.D. students is provided through the end of the first academic year (May 31) by the BSGP. During the first year, students identify a research mentor who will assume the financial responsibility starting June 1 and provide the resources necessary for the student to conduct their dissertation research. Students are funded by their research mentor (advisor), and/or training grants, and/or the research mentor’s department. Students are responsible for identifying a research mentor prior to end of the first academic year in order to continue to progress in the program. 
  • The program provides guidance and a variety of opportunities during the first academic year of the program for students to successfully identify research mentors. At the end of the first year, Ph.D. students choose a research advisor, declare an area of specialization, and take and pass a qualifying exam so that they may advance to candidacy. Students also choose a faculty Committee on Studies to help guide them through their thesis/dissertation research. In their third or fourth year, all students must successfully complete a comprehensive examination which is administered by their Committee on Studies. The next generation of experimental biomedical scientists must be equipped to work productively and in teams with mathematical, computational and physical scientists and engineers in order to answer critical biological questions in the 21st century. There are different interdisciplinary opportunities for BSGP students beginning in their second year.

    • Goals and Objectives for BSGP Students:

    • The student demonstrates abilities as a problem solver and critical and independent thinker.
    • The student displays mastery of appropriate breadth and depth of knowledge.
    • The student is effective at both oral and written communication.
    • The student is a competent and skilled experimentalist who is able to collect, organize, evaluate, and interpret data.
    • The student demonstrates responsible conduct of research and ethical behavior.
    • The student works effectively with others in a collegial manner.