Program director
Stephen G. Dunbar
At the end of this program, the student should be able to:
Demonstrate critical independent thinking.
Plan and carry out independent research.
Critically evaluate links between philosophies of science and societal responsibilities.
Effectively communicate professional practice through oral and written skills.
Demonstrate a professional aptitude and attitude.
All graduate students in residence must register for and attend Seminars (BIOL 607) each quarter at Loma Linda University.
Teaching is recommended for at least one quarter. This experience may be obtained through laboratory teaching, or it may include presenting lectures for a course in consultation with the student's major professor and the course instructor.
A written research proposal and oral defense of the student's proposed research should be completed early in the Spring Quarter.
A written and oral comprehensive is required after the first summer of research. The student is required to provide a written report in the form of a publishable manuscript and to orally defend previous research in front of their research committee by the end of the Winter Quarter following the first summer of research work.
The written dissertation must demonstrate completion of significant, original research and must be written in publishable paper format. At least one manuscript from the dissertation must be submitted for publication before the Ph.D. degree is granted.
Ph.D. degree students are expected to publish papers, present papers at scientific meetings, and submit research grant proposals.
The program is designed for completion in the normative time of four years. In certain circumstances, students may need more time for completion. Students are required to be registered every quarter until the dissertation is completed and defended. For details, see the continuous enrollment and personal leave of absence policies listed in this CATALOG. Students who go beyond the normative time for completing their degree must register for two (2) units without a tuition waiver each quarter until they complete their degree. After their normative time, students may request a one-year grace period that must be approved by the department faculty.
In addition to Loma Linda University admission requirements, the applicant must also complete the following:
Required:
Recommended:
*Some courses may be taken during residence at this university, with the approval of the EBS admissions committee.
*Prerequisites may be waived for applicants who enter the program with a masters degree in a biological discipline.
Applications are accepted at any time. Review of applications begins in February for Autumn Quarter admission. Research assistantships are competitively awarded.
It is also recommended that applicants contact the department at ebs@llu.edu.
A minimum of 65 units of didactic and research coursework is required, including at least 53 at or above the 500 level. See below for a list of courses. The student's advisory committee may require the student to take additional courses as electives
All values below are in quarter units.
| Required | ||
| Additional courses beyond those listed below will be chosen in consultation with the student's advisor | ||
| BIOL 502 | Orientation to Graduate Biology | 1 |
| BIOL 545 | Genetics and Speciation | 4 |
| BIOL 558 | Philosophy of Science 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 607 | Seminar in Biology 2 | 6 |
| BIOL 616 | Research and Experimental Design | 2 |
| BIOL 617 | Proposal Writing and Grantsmanship | 2 |
| BIOL 664 | Science Communication Outreach 4 | 1 |
| Select course(s) from each of the following areas | ||
| Biological systems | 2 | |
| Ecological Physiology | ||
| Molecular Genetics | ||
| Physiology and Molecular Genetics of Microbes | ||
| Mechanisms of Microbial Pathogenesis | ||
| Ecology | 2 | |
| Paleobotany | ||
| Marine Biology | ||
| Biogeography | ||
| Behavioral Ecology | ||
| Techniques in Vertebrate Ecology | ||
| Biodiversity and Conservation | ||
| Organismal biology | 2 | |
| Mammalogy | ||
| Invertebrate Paleontology | ||
| Vertebrate Paleontology | ||
| Paleobotany | ||
| Biology of Marine Invertebrates | ||
| Behavioral Ecology | ||
| Taphonomy | ||
| Religion | ||
| Select one course with the RELT prefix: | 3 | |
| The Bible and Ecology | ||
| Old Testament Thought | ||
| New Testament Thought | ||
| Jesus the Revealer: The Message of the Gospel of John | ||
| Apostle of Hope: The Life, Letters, and Legacy of Paul | ||
| Vision of Healing: The Message of the Book of Revelation | ||
| RELE 5__ | Graduate-level Ethics | 3 |
| RELR 5__ | Graduate-level Relational | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Additional courses required by the student's guidance committee to complete the total units required for the degree 3 | 10 | |
| Neuroscience GS | ||
| Cell Structure and Function GS | ||
| Introduction to Bioinformatics | ||
| Research | ||
| Typically research units will be graded each quarter and can be repeated for additional credit | ||
| BIOL 699 | Dissertation Research (1-8) | 21 |
| Total Units | 66 | |
BIOL 559 Philosophy of Science and Origins required for students who have taken BIOL 475 Philosophy of Science and Origins or equivalent
each quarter in residence; 0.5 unit per quarter (Total units required may very depending on the number of quarters a student is on campus.)
In addition to this list, courses may also be chosen from unused courses listed above for biological systems, ecology, and organismal biology. When choosing elective, keep in mind that a maximum of 12 units below the 500 level may be applied to the 65 units for the Ph.D. degree.
Fulfills service learning requirement
An oral comprehensive examination is given in connection with a written and oral presentation of an initial research project approved by the student's guidance committee. Its purpose is to measure the student's knowledge of their field of study, and their ability to find, understand, and synthesize the research literature on a topic, and to conduct original research. The oral examination covers the student's field of study, as well as defending the research. The comprehensive exam will take place during the Autumn Quarter of the second year, after the first summer of research.
Students may apply for advancement to candidacy after:
An oral dissertation presentation and defense are required.
All courses applied toward a graduate degree must have a grade of B or higher.
Four (4) years — based on full-time enrollment; part time permitted.
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