About

Are you interested in integrative and interdisciplinary life sciences research? Are you looking for a flexible program that will prepare you for a diversity of career pathways?

The interdisciplinary doctoral program in biology, biomedicine and chemistry (IDPBBC) is based on ECU's strong tradition of liberal arts education and research in the life sciences. This program seeks to meet the growing need for professionals and researchers with the highest academic degree in various job markets, including academia, industry, government and the private sector. To do so, it emphasizes an integrated and interdisciplinary approach to life sciences studies with three disciplinary foci/concentrations. Students participate in a common core curriculum and subsequently pursue a concentration in their chosen field of specialization. Each IDPBBC student is formally affiliated with one of the three academic units, and their research is centered on biology, biomedicine or chemistry.

Biology Concentration: The biology concentration has experimental biology as its primary focus. This concentration is designed to provide interdisciplinary doctoral training in molecular genetics, cell and molecular biology, plant biotechnology, biochemistry, ecology, systematics and evolution, developmental biology, reproductive endocrinology, neurobiology and physiology. Students in this program will receive broad exposure to topics that range across all the life sciences.

Biomedicine Concentration: The biomedicine concentration provides interdisciplinary doctoral training that can be based in basic science or clinical departments in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Broad areas of research opportunities include cancer biology, cell physiology, immunology, stem cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, pharmacology, toxicology, neuroscience, and the biology of bacterial and viral pathogens.

Chemistry Concentration: The chemistry concentration is designed to provide doctoral education at the interface between chemical, biological and basic biomedical sciences. Students in this program will receive broad exposure to topics in chemistry and related biological sciences. The department has expertise in both the experimental and computational methodologies used to investigate the synthesis, structure, function, reaction mechanisms and molecular dynamics of biologically important compounds.

ECU Advantage

The program is known for its rigorous, well-rounded training. Faculty in the program work alongside doctoral students to conduct research across scales -- from molecular to cell and all the way to populations and ecosystems. Doctoral students in the program can learn, develop and apply a variety of methodologies to understand complex biological and chemical processes.

What You Will Study

Program Coordinator: Ariane Peralta (3408 Life Sciences and Biotechnology Building; 252-328-2712; peraltaa@ecu.edu)

Contacts by concentration:

The Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Biology, Biomedicine, and Chemistry, PhD in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences brings together students and faculty from multiple disciplines to study a broad variety of interesting biochemical and biological phenomena. The interdisciplinary program requirements include 11-12 s.h. from the general core curricula, at least 48 s.h. from the research core, and at least 18 s.h. from a specific concentration. The program offers concentrations in biology, biomedicine, and chemistry.

Other appropriate graduate-level courses may be added by agreement of the research advisor, graduate program director, and the doctoral advisory committee.

The degree requires a minimum of 77 s.h. as follows: 

Core Curriculum
    1. General core - 11-12 s.h.
      a. Seminars (3 s.h.)

      One credit of seminar in biology or biomedicine or chemistry is required. Two credits of the seminar must be a scientific writing course.

      • BIOL 8815 - Seminar in Biological Sciences OR
      • BISC 8815 - Seminar in Biological Sciences OR
      • CHEM 8815 - Seminar

      • BIOC 7365 - Research Proposal Strategies OR
      • BIOL 8820 - Seminar in Manuscript Writing
      b. Statistics and experimental design (3 s.h.)

      Select one of the following courses:

      • BIOL 7900 - Ecological Statistics
      • BIOS 7022 - Biostatistics for Health Professionals II
      • BIOS 7550 - Applied Multivariate Analysis
      • PHAR 7777 - Practical Problems in Biometry
      • PSYC 6430 - Statistics and Research Design
      c. Tools-based course (3-4 s.h.)

      Select one of the following courses: 

      • BIOL 7880 - Bioinformatics
      • BIOL 7970 - Teaching Natural Science in Higher Education
      • CHEM 7540 - Biophysical Techniques for Studying Biological Structure
      • A statistics and experimental design course not listed...
      • A statistics and experimental design course not listed may be taken to satisfy this requirement upon approval of the program concentration director, dissertation advisor, and program director.
      d. Research and ethics course (2 s.h.)
      • HUMS 7004 - Ethics and Research
    2. Research core - 48 s.h. (at least)

    Students must complete the minimum hours specified in each of a., b., and c.

      a. Methods and techniques (3 s.h.)

      Select one course from the following:

      • BIOL 8810 - Methods and Techniques OR
      • BISC 8810 - Methods and Techniques in Experimental Biological Sciences OR
      • CHEM 8810 - Methods and Techniques
      b. Introduction to research (10-15 s.h.)
      • BIOL 8830 - Introduction to Research OR
      • BISC 8830 - Introduction to Research OR
      • CHEM 8830 - Introduction to Research
      c. Dissertation research (30-36 s.h.)
      • BIOL 9000 - Dissertation Research OR
      • BISC 9000 - Dissertation Research OR
      • CHEM 9000 - Dissertation Research OR
      • PATH 9000 - Dissertation Research
    3. Concentration - 18 s.h. (at least)

    Select one of the following concentrations: 

      a. Biology concentration

      Each student will meet with the program concentration director, dissertation advisor, and program director to select 18 s.h. of courses to complement dissertation research from the electives list. 

        b. Biomedicine concentration

        Each student will meet with the program concentration director, dissertation advisor, and program director to select 18 s.h. of courses to complement dissertation research from the electives list. 

          c. Chemistry concentration

          Each student will meet with the program concentration director, dissertation advisor, and program director to select 18 s.h. of courses to complement dissertation research from the electives list. 

        Concentration Electives:
        • ANAT 6292 - Current Topics in Anatomy and Cell Biology

        • ANAT 7202 - Molecular Cell Biology OR
        • MCBI 7410 - Molecular Cell Biology

        • BIOC 7301 - Biochemistry I
        • BIOC 7310 - Molecular Biochemistry
        • BIOC 7335 - Seminar in Biochemistry
        • BIOC 7345 - Cell Motility
        • BIOC 7365 - Research Proposal Strategies
        • BIOC 8305 - Physical Biochemistry
        • BIOC 8320 - Biochemistry II: Regulation of Metabolism
        • BIOL 6220 - Evolution: Topics for Advanced Students
        • BIOL 6240 - Principles of Biochemistry I
        • BIOL 6242 - Principles of Biochemistry II
        • BIOL 6300 - Neurophysiology
        • BIOL 6560 - Microbial Ecology
        • BIOL 6770 - Ornithology
        • BIOL 6771 - Ornithology Laboratory
        • BIOL 6850 - Advances in Ecology
        • BIOL 7090 - Experimental Embryology
        • BIOL 7091 - Experimental Embryology Laboratory
        • BIOL 7320 - Ecological Dimensions of Coastal Management
        • BIOL 7480 - Cell Biology
        • BIOL 7481 - Cell Biology Laboratory
        • BIOL 7870 - Molecular Genetics
        • BIOL 7890 - Current Literature in Molecular Biology
        • BIOL 7895 - Current Literature in Cell Biology
        • BIOL 7920 - Conservation Biology
        • BIOL 7970 - Teaching Natural Science in Higher Education
        • BISC 8820 - Current Topics in Biomedical Research
        • CHEM 6210 - Organic and Inorganic Reaction Mechanisms
        • CHEM 6220 - Physical Principles of Biochemistry
        • CHEM 6230 - Advanced Applications of Analytical Methods
        • CHEM 6240 - Research Methods for Chemistry Education
        • CHEM 6529 - Special Topics in Inorganic Chemistry
        • CHEM 6622 - Current Good Manufacturing Practices
        • CHEM 7520 - Pharmaceutical Analysis
        • CHEM 7532 - Organic Synthesis
        • CHEM 7540 - Biophysical Techniques for Studying Biological Structure
        • MCBI 7400 - Medical Microbiology and Immunology I
        • MCBI 7440 - Advanced Molecular Genetics
        • MCBI 7450 - Immunology
        • NEUR 6900 - Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
        • NEUR 6901 - Behavioral and Integrative Neuroscience
        • ONCO 7200 - Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cancer
        • PHAR 7609 - Introduction to Pharmacology
        • PHAR 7610 - Mechanisms of Drug Action
        • PHLY 7701 - Graduate Physiology I
        • PHLY 7702 - Graduate Physiology II
        • PHLY 7704 - Physiological Proteogenomics
        For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.
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