PhD candidates majoring in Immunobiology must take at least 72 graduate credits. These 72 credits include the core course requirements (below) and applicable research credits earned. Credits taken during a student's MS program in Immunobiology at Iowa State University may count towards their PhD in IMBIO.
Additional coursework for both PhD and MS degrees may be selected by the student in consultation with the Program of Study (POS) Committee to meet departmental requirements and to satisfactorily prepare the student for their research project.
Graduate credits of "B" or better earned at another institution may be transferred at the discretion of the POS Committee and with the approval of the Immunobiology Program and the ISU Graduate College.
Additional information relating to credits required for graduate degrees can be found in the ISU Graduate College Handbook.
Immunobiology Core Curriculum requirements include:
| Take each of the following: | ||
|---|---|---|
| BBMB 4050 | Biochemistry II | 3 credits |
| IMBIO 602-00 | Current Topics Workshop | 1 credit/year |
| IMBIO 604-00 | Seminar | 1 credit/year |
| VMPM 615-00 | Molecular Immunology | 3 credits |
| Stat 587-1 | Statistical Methods for Research Workers | 4 credits |
| GR ST 565-1 | Responsible Conduct of Research in Science and Engineering | 1 credit |
| Take one of the following two: | ||
|---|---|---|
| VMPM 520-00 | Principles of Immunology | 3 credits |
| VMPM 575-00 | Immunology | 3 credits |
| PhD At least 2 courses (MS take at least one) from the following options: | ||
|---|---|---|
| VMPM 629-1 | Advanced Topics in Cellular Immunology | 2 credits |
| VMPM/Micro 625-1 | Mechanisms of Bacterial Pathogenesis | 3 credits |
| VMPM 608-1 | Molecular Virology | 3 credits |
| VMPM 540-1 | Livestock Immunogenetics | 2 credits |
| V Path 660-1 | Pathogenesis of Persistent Infections | 2 credits |
| GDCB 528-00 | Advances in Molecular Cell Biology | 3 credits |
| ImBio 661-1 | Comparative Immunology and Infectious Disease | 2 credits |
| BBMB 545-1 | Molecular Signaling | 2 credits |
PhD TOTAL CORE CURRICULUM CREDITS 18-20 CREDITS**
MS TOTAL CORE CURRICULUM CREDITS 15-16 CREDITS**
**Exclusive of seminar, workshop, and research credits.
Non-native English speakers must pass the English Requirement as established by the university. Depending on the results of this exam additional courses may be required to meet English proficiency standards.
Immunobiology graduate students need to teach one semester as part of their training for an advanced degree. Students whose first language is not English must take and pass the Oral English Certification Test (OECT) to be eligible to teach.