Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program
VIRGINIA L. MILLER, Director
The Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program (BBSP) of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an umbrella admissions and first-year program for 12 Ph.D. programs in the School of Medicine and the College of Arts and Sciences. The following programs are affiliated with the BBSP: Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology, Chemistry (Biological Chemistry Division), Genetics and Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Immunology, Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Neurobiology, Pharmacology, Physiology and Toxicology. Students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in any of these programs must apply to the BBSP. For a complete list of faculty in the BBSP see the faculty page of the program's Web site at: webapps.med.unc.edu/BBSP/BBSPFaculty See individual program listings for more information about individual Ph.D. programs. These also can be accessed from the BBSP Web site.
A B.S. or B.A. degree is required for admission into the BBSP. It is generally expected that applicants will have a strong background in the biological sciences, chemistry, physics or mathematics. Only applicants with both strong academic records and prior research experience will be favorably considered. An interview, usually on campus, is required prior to admission.
During their first year, BBSP students are part of small, interest-based groups led by several faculty members. These groups meet weekly and provide a research community for students until they join a degree granting program. In these groups students will develop professional skills including the ability to give clear presentations, scientific writing, quantitative reasoning and the ability to ask questions/solve problems based in the biological sciences. The faculty in these groups will serve as an advisory committee that will assist students in selecting courses that meet their individual interests.
BBSP students will be able to choose from more than 330 faculty members as they pursue three required research rotations (each about 12 weeks in duration) in the fall and spring semesters of their first year. At the completion of the spring semester of the first year, each student will be asked to select an academic advisor who will provide guidance for his or her dissertation research training. The student will then join a Ph.D. program that the advisor is affiliated with and will complete coursework requirements during the second year.
All students enrolled in the BBSP program receive an annual stipend ($25,000 in 2008). Tuition, health insurance and fees are covered by the program.
Courses
The BBSP does not have a core curriculum or require students to take a particular set of courses. Students may take courses offered by any of the participating Ph.D. programs (see individual program listings for available courses). After joining a specific Ph.D. program students must fulfill the specific coursework and other requirements of that program.
Courses for Graduates
901 [301] RESEARCH IN BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES (1–21). Prerequisite, enrollment in BBSP program. A research course for IBMS program students to carry on investigations in biomedical science. Fall and spring. Staff.
902 [302] SEMINAR IN BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES (2). Prerequisite, enrollment in BBSP program. This course consists of seminars designed to acquaint the student with recent literature in biomedical sciences as it relates to research activity carried on in our departments. Fall and spring. Staff.