School of Medicine

Departmental E-mail: medgen [at] iupui [dot] edu

Departmental URL: www.iupui.edu/~medgen

Curriculum

Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

Degrees Offered

Master of Science in Medical Genetics and Doctor of Philosophy

Special Program Requirements

(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)

Admission Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, including two years of chemistry, mathematics through calculus, two years of biology, and one course in principles of genetics. Promising students deficient in one or more areas may be accepted if it appears to the admissions committee that deficiencies can be removed during graduate study. Results of the Graduate Record Exami­nation (GRE) General Test must be available before applicants can be considered for admission.

Master of Science Degree

Course Requirements

A minimum of 30 credit hours of approved courses, includ­ing no more than 7 credit hours of research. At least 20 credit hours must be taken in medical genetics or approved equiva­lents, including at least four of the following five areas with grades of B or higher: basic human genetics, clinical genetics, cytogenetics, molecular and biochemical genetics, and popula­tion genetics. Students in the genetic counseling study track, to meet requirements to take the certification examination of the American Board of Genetic Counseling, are required to have courses in all five areas plus additional required course work to­taling 36 credit hours. Genetic counseling students must obtain a B (3.0) or higher in all core courses.

Thesis

Optional. With approval of the department, a refereed publica­tion or an additional 6 credit hours of non-research course work beyond the required 30 credit hours may be substituted for the thesis. Genetic counseling students must choose either a the­sis, case report with literature review, or educational project, in addition to the required 36 credit hours.

Final Examination

The student must pass a comprehensive oral or written ex­amination as determined by the student’s committee. Under exceptional circumstances, the student may petition the committee to be permitted to take the final examination one additional time.

Program Termination

Academic or research deficiency will result in termination of the student’s enrollment in the program.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree

Course Requirements

A total of 90 credit hours plus dissertation with 30-33 credit hours of non-research courses in medical genetics, in­cluding G504 or equivalent. Appropriate courses in the Depart­ments of Anatomy, Anthropology, Biochemistry, Mathematics, Microbiology, Pharmacology, and Biology may be accepted for credit toward the major with prior approval of the student’s ad­visory committee. Up to 30 credit hours of nonclinical medical or dental courses may apply toward the Ph.D. degree.

Minor

Must be taken in a field related to the major, e.g., aging, anthropology, bioinformatics, biology, biomolecular imaging, biotechnology training, cancer, cellular and molecular biology, diabetes and obesity, epidemiology, immunology, life science, microbiology, neurobiology, pharmacology, or public health.

Qualifying Examination

Comprehensive written and oral examination. Examination over the minor field at the discretion of the minor field department.

Research Proposal

Written research proposal, presented and defended orally, required for admission to candidacy.

Final Examination

Oral defense of dissertation.

Program Termination

Research or academic deficiency, including two failures of the qualifying examination, will result in termination of the stu­dent’s enrollment in the program.