The Ph.D. degree is the highest academic degree granted by American universities. It is a research degree, in contrast to "professional" degrees such as M.D., Ed.D., or J.D. It is awarded to individuals who demonstrate both a mastery of the current knowledge in the discipline of study and also the ability to employ state-of-the-art techniques to advance the knowledge in that field.
Some interesting facts about the Graduate School’s Ph.D. program:
It is designed to prepare graduates for careers as independent researchers or as leaders in academia, industry, or government.
It requires 32-37 didactic course credits plus ongoing research training.
Students must pass a comprehensive qualifying exam before advancing to the dissertation phase of the program.
Each successful Ph.D. candidate must undertake and complete original laboratory research under the guidance of a graduate faculty mentor, and write and defend a doctoral dissertation based on this work.
The program may be completed in as few as four years, although typical completion time is five to six years.
61% of our Ph.D. candidates are women.
24% of our Ph.D. candidates have self-reported as part of a group currently underrepresented in the sciences.
Students enter via our Integrated Ph.D. Program (IPP), which does not require a declaration of a major until the second year of study. NYMC students may enter with advanced standing following the completion of one of the Graduate School’s Master’s programs. In addition, highly motivated and talented students from NYMC’s School of Medicine may be admitted to the dual-degree M.D./Ph.D. program.
