NGP Program Overview
 Students in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at OHSU arrive in Portland between July and September; early arrivals take advantage of the delightful Portland summer and can carry out one or more laboratory rotations. In September, attendance at the annual NGP Retreat is highly recommended, as this event serves as an introduction to the program for first-year students. The retreat is held away from Portland (recently at the coast or in the Columbia Gorge) and features two days of talks, workshops, and fun. |
Courses start at the end of September. The first-year curriculum, a series of courses that all students take, emphasizes all aspects of neuroscience (cellular, molecular, systems, and disease). The program emphasizes training in reading and dissecting the primary literature, the focus of the seminar course. Students also participate in laboratory rotations in the first year, using these rotations to help choose a thesis lab. During the first year, students are advised by faculty members, who guide them through courses, including advanced electives and rotations.
At the end of the first year, students take a comprehensive written exam, which tests students both on their grasp of the neuroscience core curriculum and on their skills in understanding neuroscience papers. At the beginning of the third year, students take the oral qualifying exam, which allows them to become a Ph.D. candidate. The qualifying exam consists of a written component, which is a thesis proposal in the format of an NRSA grant, and an oral defense. An optional writing course sponsored by the Vollum Institute is of great use to many students in preparing for the written exam.
Subsequently, the student chooses a thesis exam committee, who guides their dissertation research. Students are evaluated at several points during their participation in the program, and are subjected to several yearly requirements, including a thesis committee meeting and a talk on their research.
Finally, the culmination of a student's graduate career is the assembly of a written Ph.D. thesis and its oral defense.
Following graduation, most NGP students go on to postdoctoral fellowships; although the program is relatively new, NGP graduates have become successful in academics.
Advising
describes advising of NGP students.
First-Year Curriculum
specifically lists the course taken in the first year of the program.
Lab Rotations
fills you in on how to pick a rotation mentor and what to expect during a rotation.
Electives & Seminars
provides information about electives and seminars, which continue graduate education beyond the first year.
Progress Evaluation
indicates the four points where a student's progress in the program is evaluated.
Candidacy & Thesis
describes the three major hurdles to obtaining a Ph.D.: passing the comprehensive written exam, taking the oral qualifying exam, and defending the thesis.
FAQ
answers questions about the program.
CONTACT US Neuroscience Graduate Program |
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