Courses

Students in the Walter S. and Lucienne Driskill Graduate Training Program in Life Sciences (DGP) typically take six courses in the first three quarters of year one and eight courses total in years one and two. All students take the three core classes (Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology), as well as Statistics. Beyond these four required courses, students take at least four other courses. Students may take more than eight courses if desired.

During the first year, students also rotate in three laboratories under the supervision of leading scientists, allowing them to explore the diverse interdisciplinary research opportunities available and hone their scientific interests. By the end of the first three quarters, students are expected to choose a thesis lab. Simultaneously, they will choose and begin to participate in the activities of one of the Research Clusters that will provide advanced, more focused, training activities over the reminder of their PhD studies.

In the spring quarter of the second year, students will take a qualifying exam. Upon passing the qualifying exam, students are ready to proceed to complete their thesis work. The thesis proposal is completed in fall quarter of year three.

DGP Course Offerings Listed by Quarter

The following table lists core and elective courses from DGP, but there are additional courses available at Northwestern.

DGP Electives and Full Course List

In addition to DGP courses, DGP students may take relevant electives in other programs. Programs that offer courses most likely to be relevant to DGP students include IBiS, NUIN, and HSIP.