The molecular biology and genetics curriculum is an integrated interdisciplinary program of study that builds on the graduate programs of participating departments in the School of Medicine. The doctoral curriculum is designed to be an intensive course of study that will provide students with the skills required to advance to research-oriented careers in biotechnology. The curriculum includes core, specialization and elective courses. Electives drawn from various departments allow individual specialization. The structure of the program provides a framework for the progressive development of a mastery of the current state of the subject matter of bioscience, an ability to synthesize this information and apply this foundation to the identification of key areas of investigation and experimentation. The program relates this framework to the development of the ability to design, implement and interpret experimental approaches which address the questions identified. In addition, the program will develop skills in the various means of communicating both the core of bioscience knowledge and the expression of experimental design, results and interpretation to a variety of potential audiences. The program centers on a research project conducted under the guidance of a selected faculty mentor and culminates in the presentation and defense of a doctoral dissertation.