Guide to Choosing Spring Courses
This provides a list of courses each concentration has deemed important to take to align with their
graduation requirements, with “electives” listed at the end.
CANCER
Required to take
Cancer Biology (GMS 6065)- 3 credits
Other options for other 3 credits:
GMS 6064 (1): Tumor Biology
GMS 5905 (1): Special Topics in Biomedical Sciences (RNA Interference and MicroRNAs)
GMS 6421 (4) Advanced Cell Biology
GMS 6338 (1): Recent Advances in Cancer Metastasis (fair amount of overlap with GMS 6065)
GMS 6009 (3): Principles of Drug Action
GMS 6683 (2): Fundamentals of Vascular Physiology and Pathology
GMS 6140 (4) Principles of Immunology
BIOCHEMISTRY/MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Required to take one of the courses below, can take both
Advanced Molecular and Cell Biology (BCH 6415) - 3 credits
And/or Advanced Structural Biology (BCH 6740) - 3 credits
Other options for other 3 credits
Any appropriate for 1st year students from any concentration
GENETICS
Not required to take any specific class. Choose from any course appropriate for 1st year student.
Suggestions from directors:
GMS6012 Human Genetics I
BCH 6415 Advanced Molecular Biology and Cell Biology
GMS6034 Advanced Virology
GMS6065 Fundamentals of Cancer Biology
GMS6140 Principles of Immunology
IMMUNOLOGY/MICROBIOLOGY
Required to take
Infectious Diseases (GMS 6121)
Principles of Immunology (GMS 6140)
MOLECULAR CELL BIOLOGY
Required to take
Advanced Cell Biology Course (GMS-6421) 3 Credits
Other options for other 3 credits
Any appropriate for 1st year students from any concentration
NEUROSCIENCE
Required to take
Principles of Neuroscience I – Organization & Development of the Nervous System (GMS
6021, 2 credits)
Principles of Neuroscience II – Neural Signaling in the Nervous System (GMS 6022, 2 credits)
Principles of Neuroscience III – Neuropharmacology & Its Clinical Application (GMS6023, 2
credits)
PHYSIOLOGY/PHARMACOLOGY
Suggested Courses
Principles of Drug Action (GMS 6009) 3 Credits
OR
Fundamentals of Physiology and Functional Genomics I (GMS 6471) 1 Credit
Fundamentals of Physiology and Functional Genomics II (GMS 6472) 1 Credit
Fundamentals of Physiology and Functional Genomics III (GMS 6473) 1 Credit
Any appropriate for 1st year students from any concentration
**Note for all students: Courses taken within your 1st year do not count towards advanced credits. That
doesn’t mean you should take irrelevant or “easy” courses, since your total credit number is the same
whether they are advanced credits or not. If you get to choose courses, take ones that you think will
improve your knowledge of a field you are interested and/or anticipate doing research in (since you don’t
necessarily know your lab yet).
Neuroscience and Immuno/Micro are the only concentrations that require all your credits be devoted to
the concentration to stay on schedule (even then, all is not lost if you don’t take the courses as
scheduled). If you are choosing between concentrations, go with the required courses.
Ex 1: You are deciding between Immuno/Micro or Genetics. Take the 2 courses needed for
Immuno/Micro
Ex 2: You are deciding between Cancer and Phys/Pharm. Take Cancer Biology and either Drug Action or
Fundamentals of Physiology
Ex 3: You are deciding between Neuroscience and Molecular Cell Biology: Take Neuroscience courses.
Courses Appropriate for 1st Years:
Cancer Biology (GMS 6065)- 3 credits
GMS 6064 (1): Tumor Biology
GMS 5905 (1): Special Topics in Biomedical Sciences (RNA Interference and MicroRNAs)
GMS 6421 (4) Advanced Cell Biology
GMS 6338 (1): Recent Advances in Cancer Metastasis (fair amount of overlap with GMS 6065)
GMS 6009 (1): Principles of Drug Action
GMS 6683 (2): Fundamentals of Vascular Physiology and Pathology
GMS 6140 (4) Principles of Immunology
Advanced Molecular and Cell Biology (BCH 6415) - 3 credits
Advanced Structural Biology (BCH 6740) - 3 credits
GMS6012 Human Genetics I
BCH 6415 Advanced Molecular Biology and Cell Biology
GMS6034 Advanced Virology I 1 credit
GMS6035 Advanced Virology II 1 credit
GMS6036 Advanced Virology III 1 credit
GMS6065 Fundamentals of Cancer Biology
GMS6140 Principles of Immunology
Infectious Diseases (GMS 6121)
Principles of Immunology (GMS 6140)
Advanced Cell Biology Course (GMS-6421) 3 Credits
Principles of Neuroscience I – Organization & Development of the Nervous System (GMS 6021, 2 credits)
Principles of Neuroscience II – Neural Signaling in the Nervous System (GMS 6022, 2 credits)
Principles of Neuroscience III – Neuropharmacology & Its Clinical Application (GMS6023, 2 credits)
Principles of Drug Action (GMS 6009) 3 Credits
Fundamentals of Physiology and Functional Genomics I (GMS 6471) 1 Credit
Fundamentals of Physiology and Functional Genomics II (GMS 6472) 1 Credit
Fundamentals of Physiology and Functional Genomics III (GMS 6473) 1 Credit
BCH6740 Physical Biochemistry/Structural Biology 3 credits
BCH6747 Structural Biology/Adv Physical Biochemistry: Spectroscopy& Hydrodynamics 1 credit
BCH7515 Structural Biology: Kinetics and Thermodynamics 1 credit
BCH6746 Structural Biology: Macromolecular Structure and Determination 1 credit
BCH7414 Advanced Chromatin Structure 1 credit
GMS6012 Application of Bioinformatics in Genetics Research 1 credit
GMS6841 Design and Analysis of Translational Research in Biomedical Sciences 2 credits
GMS6234 Introduction to Phylodynamics 3 credits