General Degree Requirements

Students preparing for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemical Biology must earn a minimum of 72 credits consisting of core and elective courses (minimum 18 credits), seminar and research (minimum 12 credits). Please visit VCU Courses for information on course offerings. The core courses are:

CHEB 601 Introduction to Chemical Biology I (3 credits)
CHEB 602 Introduction to Chemical Biology II (3 credits)
CHEB 697 Directed Research Rotation in Chemical Biology (3 credits)
CHEB 690 Chemical Biology Seminar (10 credits)
MICR 510 Scientific Integrity (1 credit)

The elective credits shall be chosen from these representative courses or other courses that have been approved by the Program Director.

CHEM 504 Advanced Organic Chemistry I (3 credits)
CHEM 604 Advanced Organic Chemistry II (3 credits)
CHEM 506 Spectroscopic Methods in Organic Chemistry (1.5 credits)
CHEM 606 Advanced Spectroscopic Methods in Organic Chemistry (1.5 credits)
BIOC 503-504/MICR 503-504 Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology (5 credits)
BIOC 604 Enzymology (3 credits)
BIOC 605 Molecular Biology (3 credits)
BIOC 606 Control Processes and Signal Transduction (3 credits)
LFSC 510/BIOL 545 Biological Complexity (3 credits)
LFSC 520/BIOL 548 Bioinformatic Technologies (2 credits)
MEDC 670 Advanced Molecular Modeling Theory and Practice (3 credits)
PHTX 536 Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology (5 credits)
PHTX 537 Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology (5 credits)

The student will also give two seminar presentations, one on a literature topic and one on their dissertation research. Students will be required to perform satisfactorily in an oral defense prior to award of the degree. An oral defense is required to become a doctoral candidate. The oral examination includes the presentation and defense of a proposed research project. The student must conduct a substantial original investigation under the supervision of his/her adviser and must prepare a dissertation reporting the results of the research and analyzing its significance in relation to existing scientific knowledge. An oral defense of the dissertation will be held.