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In addition to other program modifications, the name of this degree program will change from
Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Sciences: Biological Communication to
Doctor of Philosophy in Biological and Biomedical Sciences effective Winter 2014.
Click here to access the updated program.
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Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Sciences
Program Committee members:
Kathleen H. Moore, Professor of Chemistry, Chair
Bradley J. Roth, Professor of Physics
Douglas L. Wendell, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences
Xiangqun Zeng, Professor of Chemistry
Graduate Coordinator:
Douglas L. Wendell
316 Dodge Hall
(248) 370-4457
wendell@oakland.edu
Program description
The College of Arts and Sciences offers a doctoral degree in biomedical sciences with a specialization in biological communication that is centered in the Department of Biological Sciences. The program requires a strong academic background in biology including cellular and molecular biology. Biological communication refers to the mechanisms of production of and response to signals in biological systems. The processes that it encompasses range from intracellular and intercellular signaling to chemical communication among organisms. Biological communication at the intercellular, intracellular, and molecular level is a component of almost every disease. Many pathological conditions are treated by pharmacological manipulation of intercellular and intracellular communication processes, and this continues to be a major area of biomedical research. Graduates of this specialization will be trained in experimental biology through formal coursework and original research.
Admission terms and application deadlines
Applicants are admitted for Fall semester only. Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Graduate Admissions by the semester deadline listed below.
- April 1, 2012 for fall semester
- September 1 for winter semester
Applications received after the due date may be reviewed, subject to space availability.
Readmission and program transfer
Requests for readmission and program transfers must be completed and approved prior to the beginning of a semester.
International application deadlines
International applications are reviewed for fall and winter admission only. To ensure adequate time for review, international applications must be completed at least six months before the desired date of intended enrollment in the University. All international application materials must be submitted by April 1 for fall admission and by September 1 for winter admission. International applicants are not eligible for Special Graduate classification.
Application requirements
To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all of the following University and Program application documents by the published application deadlines:
University graduate application requirements
- Application for Admission to Graduate Study
- Official transcripts providing evidence of an earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. institution, OR a degree equivalent to a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree from a college or university of government-recognized standing.
- Official transcripts for all post-secondary educational institutions from which the applicant earned a degree (beginning with the first baccalaureate) and for all enrollment in graduate-level coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree. International university transcripts must be evaluated by a professional credential evaluation service.
- As part of the admission requirements, graduate programs may require official transcripts from post-secondary educational institutions from which the applicant earned an associate’s degree and all enrollment in coursework both pre- and post-bachelor’s degree.
- Two official and original Recommendation for Graduate Admission forms.
(Note: Some programs require more than two recommendation forms. Refer to the program application requirements listed below for additional requirements.)
- Proof of English language proficiency
- International supplemental application and supporting documentation must be submitted before international applicants can be issued the Certification of Eligibility (I-20). This certificate is required to apply for a student visa from the U.S. embassy or consulate.
Program application requirements
- Applicants must have a strong academic background in biology including cellular and molecular biology. Undergraduate academic record should also typically include physics, calculus and statistics.
- An essay describing their interest in the program, expectations of what graduate study entails, and career goals.
Applicants must take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and arrange for their official GRE scores to be submitted to Oakland University. The institution code for Oakland University is 1497.
- In addition to the two recommendations listed above, a third Recommendation for Graduate Admission form is required by the program. Recommendations must be submitted directly by individuals who can evaluate the applicant’s potential for graduate-level scientific research.
Admission review and assessment
Admission to graduate study at Oakland University is selective. In making admission recommendations to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning, each department assesses the potential of applicants for success in the program by examining their undergraduate records, goal statement, letters of recommendation, prerequisite courses and any other admission requirements established by the academic department.
Biomedical Sciences Doctoral Program Committee
The program committee, appointed by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, consists of one faculty member from each of the three biomedical sciences specialization areas* as well as the coordinator of graduate programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, who serves as chair of the program committee. The program committee advises the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences on admission of students, selection of student committees, proposals for changes in degree requirements and approval of doctoral dissertations.
* Biological Communication, Health and Environmental Chemistry, and Medical Physics
Biomedical Sciences doctoral program specialization committees
Three specialization committees, appointed by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences on recommendations from the chairs of the chemistry, physics, and biology departments, are responsible for preliminary screening of applications for admission, preliminary approval of dissertation committees, approval of course selections by each student, certification of fulfillment of proficiency requirements by each student, administration and grading of preliminary examinations for each student, and proposal of any modifications in degree requirements for students in that specialization. Each specialization committee appoints specific faculty members to advise each incoming student selecting that specialization until the student’s dissertation committee is established.
Transfer credits
Accepted applicants who have previously earned a master’s degree from Oakland University or another regionally accredited university may request to apply up to 32 credits toward their doctoral degree. This petition must be approved by the Specialization in Biological Communication Committee and Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning. Any credits transferred from an institution other than Oakland University must be graduate level credits with a grade of 3.0 or above in each course, and be approved by the Specialization in Biological Communication Committee and Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning.
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