The Graduate College

Welcome to The Graduate College

On behalf of the faculty and staff, let me welcome you to The Graduate College. The Graduate College offers both doctoral and master’s programs across an array of exciting healthcare professions. Our goal is to provide skills and insights to prepare our graduate students to be leaders and innovators in a complex and rapidly changing world of biomedicine. Our curriculum arises from a multidisciplinary environment totally focused on healthcare delivery and discovery at a leading Chicago academic medical center. Our faculty includes a wide range of highly accomplished and nationally impactful researchers and educators. Thank you for your interest in our College and we look forward to working with you in advancing your professional career goals.

James L. Mulshine, MD
Professor,
Dean of The Graduate College (Acting),
Associate Provost of Research,
Vice President, Research

The Graduate College: Mission, Vision and Philosophy

Mission

The mission of The Graduate College of Rush University is to promote and assure excellence in research education and mentoring programs responsible for training outstanding and diverse candidates in the basic and clinical sciences. At Rush, the translation of bench research to the clinic is the primary focus of all divisions. Using the practitioner-teacher model, faculty work side by side with the students in an effort to cure disease and bring the newest possible treatments to the patients. The College promotes cooperative efforts in achieving high-quality educational and research programs to prepare students for successful careers and lifelong professional development.

Vision

Basic and clinical scientist graduates of The Graduate College will become leaders in their respective research fields, secure leadership positions in academia and/or industry, compete successfully for extramural grants and train the next generation of research scientists.

Philosophy

The Graduate College was originally established to provide opportunities for students to work with selected members of the University faculty to earn doctoral degrees in the sciences basic to health care. Students underwent highly individualized programs that maximized the students’ opportunities for self-realization and the faculties’ opportunities for sharing their scholarly development, expertise and experiences on a personal basis. This goal is still a major emphasis of The Graduate College during the research training years, whereas there is a more common framework taught in the period preceding the mentored research experience. Thus, most basic science students now take an introductory core curriculum. This contributes to significant interaction among the students across divisions while providing a common knowledge base to enter the research phase of their specific programs. It also serves to create a feel of critical mass in divisions that only matriculate a few students each year. The addition of master’s programs in Clinical Research and Biotechnology have expanded the course offerings by the College and address the expanding need for clinical scientists and highly trained technical staff, respectively, needed to advance science in the 21st century. Therefore, the organizational pattern still allows a high degree of individualized faculty and student participation in the educational processes of the College consistent with the teacher-practitioner model while providing a more encompassing umbrella structure within the College that creates greater similarity than differences across the divisions and programs.

The Graduate College: Organization

To facilitate its educational mission, the College is organized into divisions; each division represents a separate discipline and each is related to its parent academic department. Currently, the College has the following divisions:

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
• Behavioral Sciences (Inactive)
• Biochemistry
• Biomechanics
• Health Sciences
• Immunology/Microbiology
• Medical Physics
• Pharmacology
• Neuroscience
• Nursing Science
• Molecular Biophysics and Physiology

The primary goal of each division is to provide excellent graduate education in the sciences basic to medicine. The divisions of the College are flexible and responsive to the changing needs and experiences in their disciplines. To that end, divisions are headed by directors who serve for definite terms of appointment and whose re-appointments are subject to periodic review. Each division reports through its director to the Dean of The Graduate College.

The Graduate College Council is the senior representative body of the college. Its membership includes all division directors, the Directors of the Biotechnology and the Clinical Research programs, an elected faculty member from each division and three students from different divisions elected by the students annually. Only the elected members and students are allowed to vote. The Dean or his/her designee serves as the chair of the council. The council is responsible for setting policies for the admission of students; the formulation and adoption of general operating policies, standards and procedures of the college; the appointment of The Graduate College faculty; and the approval of those recommended for degrees. Although the Dean and the Council maintain significant oversight of programs in The Graduate College, the divisions also establish policies and procedures, in sync with the policies and procedures of the College and the University, for their students consistent with their goals. The Graduate College Council periodically reviews divisional policies and procedures. The faculty of The Graduate College is drawn from the faculty of the other colleges of Rush University who hold the same rank in the Graduate College as in their primary colleges. No faculty member has a primary appointment in The Graduate College.

Programs

In addition to divisional programs, The Graduate College oversees two additional programs. These programs are Master of Science in

• Clinical Research
• Biotechnology

Neither of these programs resides in a division, both are administered out of the Dean’s office and both are overseen by The Graduate College Council. Faculty members from several divisions participate in the education of students in these programs.

The Graduate College: Admission Requirements

The faculty of The Graduate College encourages diversity among the student population and therefore seeks to admit persons from various backgrounds. The Graduate College uses the following guidelines to evaluate candidates for admission. Individual divisions within the college may have additional requirements and criteria for admission. Applicants are encouraged to first check with the division of interest. The College’s requirements are as follows:

1. Deadline for applications: Priority deadline is May 1 for all research two-year MS and basic sciences PhD students; however, all F-1 visa holders are encouraged to apply by March 15. For all other programs, application must be completed by July 1 and all supporting documents must be received by August 1. (Some programs may have earlier deadlines. Please check with the individual program director early in the application process.)
2. Application requirements:

1. All students must complete an application to the Graduate College online.
2. A minimum of three letters of recommendation are required and a minimum of two should come from academic sources.
3. An interview may be required
4. Students must have scores submitted for the GRE, or an equivalent test (e.g., MCAT, DAT, PCAT or other equivalent exam in the sciences). Although no specific score on these exams is required, students scoring above the 50th percentile are strongly encouraged to apply. GRE is waived for applicants with a PhD degree in Basic Science or a professional degree in Health Sciences (e.g., MD, DO, DDS, PharmD).
5. Students with a GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0-point scale are strongly encouraged to apply.
6. Please submit an official transcript from each college or University attended. All transcripts must be received in an original sealed envelope from the institution. Scanned items can be used for review and preliminary admission decisions; however, official documents will be required for final admission decision. Formal course by course grade/ diploma certification by ECE is required of all students who have completed their last degree outside of the US.
7. Applicants whose native language is other than English and who do not hold an equivalent of a U.S. Bachelor’s degree from an institution at which English is the language of instruction, must submit scores from TOEFL or IELTS. Recommended scores are as follows: TOEFL 620 (paper based); 260 (computer based); with a minimum of 84, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20 and Writing 21, OR IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four sub scores.

The Graduate College: Core Curriculum

The Graduate College curriculum is designed to enhance interaction among students from all the programs while at the same time provide the basic knowledge base the faculty have deemed necessary to become successful in science. The Graduate College curriculum runs for two consecutive semesters (fall and spring) and provides introductory training in molecular genetics, genomics and protein biology, cell biology, tissue biology and cell signaling, as well as provides a comprehensive and systematic overview of physiology and pharmacology. Students will also learn basic theories underlying modern scientific technique. In addition, the student will take courses in ethics, scientific writing and basic statistics. These courses will be supplemented by advanced courses offered by the individual divisions.

The following courses comprise The Graduate College Core (GCC) curriculum:       

• GCC - 501 Molecular Biology: Genome to Proteome
   
• GCC - 502 Cellular Biochemistry: Proteins, Transport and Signaling
   
• GCC - 503 Functional Cell Biology
   
• GCC - 504 Functional Tissue Biology
   
• GCC - 505 Techniques in Biomedical Sciences
   
• GCC - 506 Research Ethics
   
• GCC - 507 Biomedical Statistics
   
• GCC - 508 Writing Practicum
   
• GCC - 511 Readings in Molecular Biology
   
• GCC - 512 Readings in Cellular Biochemistry
   
• GCC - 513 Readings in Functional Cell Biology
   
• GCC - 514 Readings in Functional Tissue Biology
   
• GCC - 520 Introduction to Physiology and Pharmacology I
   
• GCC - 521 Introduction to Physiology and Pharmacology II
   
• GCC - 546 Principles of Biostatistics I
   
• GCC - 547 Principles of Biostatistics II
   
• GCC - 551 Ethics in Biomedical Research and the IRB
   
• GCC - 593 Introduction to Grantsmanship
   
• GCC - 620 Introduction to Teaching
   

In addition to these requirements, full-time doctor of philosophy (PhD) candidates in The Graduate College must attend a minimum of four ethics seminars per year provided by the Office of Research Integrity following their first year of classes. Failure to attend the required number of lectures or equivalent will delay graduation.

The Graduate College: MS and PhD Degrees

The Graduate College prepares students for the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The Doctor of Philosophy is awarded in recognition of high achievement in a particular field of scientific research as evidenced by submission of a dissertation that demonstrates the power of independent investigation and contributes to the body of existing knowledge. An undergraduate record of scholastic excellence is an important background for The Graduate College experience. The Graduate College also provides excellent research and training opportunities for advanced medical students who want to take time out of their medical school studies to enroll in The Graduate College in an MS or PhD program. The process of application review includes a search for evidence of creativity and scholarly potential in the applicant. Non-degree students are not admitted with advanced degree objectives and are ineligible to become candidates for advanced degrees. Upon approval by a course director and appropriate registration, any individual may audit a course. In all cases, a student considering application for admission should first establish contact with the director of his or her choice of program to determine divisional/ program requirements. The student must meet all of the requirements for progress and graduation in the graduate studies program. In this regard, individualized studies will be programmed to meet the student’s need in achieving essential knowledge in preparation for these requirements.

Doctor of Philosophy

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the highest degree conferred by Rush University. The PhD is restricted to those scholars who have demonstrated superior ability in a recognized academic discipline. While each division has identified requirements, the PhD degree is not awarded following the completion of any specific number of formal courses nor on the basis of miscellaneous course studies and research. The entire PhD program must be integrated and highly research oriented. It should culminate in a work of literary and scholarly merit, which is indicative of the candidate’s ability to conduct original research in a recognized specialty (generally in the form of a first-author manuscript). PhD programs are directed by selected faculty who work closely with graduate students. In practice, each program is composed of formal courses, guided individual study in a chosen field or discipline, study in such cognate subjects as may be required by the candidate’s advisory committee and original research that serves as the basis of a required scholarly dissertation.

Admission to Candidacy

Admission to candidacy is evidence that the doctoral student has successfully completed all preliminary coursework and is prepared to move into his or her intensive research experience. Depending upon the divisional requirements, these exams will test accumulated knowledge, scientific reasoning and the ability to develop hypotheses and test them with appropriate designs. Admission to candidacy is a demonstration of confidence that the student will successfully accomplish the remaining requirements of the program. Students who fail to achieve admission to candidacy, but have otherwise completed all other pre-requisites, will be granted a terminal master’s degree.

Dissertation

A doctoral student must complete a dissertation. This document is developed through faculty-guided independent research projects. Review of the dissertation will follow the sequence of steps described in the manual, “Preparation of Theses and Doctoral Dissertations.” Copies of this manual are available in each graduate division and in the Library of Rush University Medical Center. The dissertation must be original and cannot have been used to meet the requirement of any other degree, either at Rush University or any other university.

Each student will have a Dissertation Committee whose role it is to assure that the student’s dissertation is of high quality and meets the standards of the division, the College and the University for originality, contribution to the field and scholarly presentation. The Committee is also to assure that the student is making satisfactory progress toward completion of the degree. The dissertation committee is chosen by the student in conjunction with the student’s primary advisor and should consist of at least five total members. The primary advisor must be a member of the Graduate College. At least one member of the committee should be from outside of the division, and preferably from outside of the institution. Once the committee convenes, it will choose a chairperson who cannot be the student’s primary advisor. The chairperson will oversee the scheduling and activities of the committee.

At or near the completion of the dissertation, each student will share, by means of a public presentation with the academic community at large, the knowledge that the student has developed. Students are responsible for posting announcements (at least two weeks prior to the presentation) on institutional bulletin boards and e-mailing all faculty and students of the Graduate College the title of the dissertation, the student’s name, and the location, date and time of the public presentation. This public presentation must precede the final approval of the dissertation by the Dissertation Committee.

Upon completion of the public presentation, the student will meet with the dissertation committee to review the presentation, the dissertation document and the student’s preparedness to enter the scientific community. A majority of members of the committee must sign the dissertation certifying the completion of all requirements for the doctor of philosophy degree.

Master of Science

The Master of Science degree is offered in many divisions and programs. This degree is designed to offer students an intermediate step in a career path, provide research experience to supplement their primary professional path or provide supplementary training for other reasons. The College offers two types of MS degrees: 1) the research MS is a thesis-requiring program that traditionally takes two years to complete; and 2) a non-research MS that is a consequence of either a scholarly endeavor (e.g., writing a review paper) or the successful completion of a series of classes and laboratory skills (i.e., the MS in Biotechnology).

Thesis

The research MS degree requires publication of a scientific thesis that reflects the research experience of the student. This thesis may or may not reflect original work, although original work that is published in peer-reviewed journals is always a goal. The student together with the advisor will form a thesis committee comprised of thee members: the advisor (who must be a member of The Graduate College) and two readers. The advisor will work with the student to develop a research project that can be completed within the framework of the program. The readers will assure the quality of the document. Upon completion of the thesis, the student will present the findings in a public forum open to the University. The members of the committee that includes the student’s advisor must sign off on the thesis, certifying the completion of all requirements for the MS degree.

The Graduate College: Academic Policies

The Graduate College adopts college-wide policies and procedures and reviews division-specific regulations. Students follow the college and divisional policies in effect at the time of initial matriculation in The Graduate College. However, The Graduate College reserves the right to make substantive changes in its programs after the student’s matriculation. Students will be informed in writing by the division director of any changes made during their tenure in the program. Students re-entering the college after an absence will be guided by policies and procedures in effect at the time of re-entry.

Examination Policy

The examination policy is the responsibility of the individual course director, who will inform students of examination requirements for that particular course. A period at the end of the semester is provided for examinations. This period may be used as the course director chooses.

Pass/No Pass Grades

Each division identifies all courses required of its students. Required courses are usually taken for letter grade and not under the pass/no pass (P/N) option. Research hours are generally graded using the P/N option. However, a division may opt to provide a letter grade for research classes (under 600) for master’s students. The grading policy for post-candidacy research hours (over 600) for doctoral students is P/N.

Good Academic Standing

To remain in good academic standing, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and meet the requirements of his or her division. A student must be in good academic standing to be admitted to candidacy and to graduate. Students failing to maintain a GPA of 3.0 will be notified by the Dean in writing that their student status has been changed to “on probation.” Students who fail to remediate their deficiencies within one academic year or are placed on probationary status a third time, are subject to dismissal by The Graduate College.

Academic Difficulty

Each division has policies and procedures regarding students who fail to maintain good academic standing. While the responsibilities of informing students of their academic problems and of establishing conditions for regaining good academic standing reside within the divisions, the Graduate College Council monitors the progress and promotion of all students and gives final approval to award students’ degrees.

Dismissal

Each division establishes grounds for dismissal beyond the minimal criteria established by The Graduate College. Should a division recommend the dismissal of a student, the director will forward such recommendation to The Graduate College Council for final action. Letters of dismissal come from the Dean. Appeal of a dismissal action begins within the appropriate division.

Full-time Enrollment

Full-time enrollment is required of all Graduate College students with the exception of the Clinical Research students and students within the divisions of Nursing and Health Sciences. Full-time students must register for at least 12 semester hours for the Fall and Spring Semesters and for 9 credit hours for the Summer term of the first year; 10 semester hours thereafter per term are required fr full-time enrollment. Students must obtain written permission from the division director for exceptions to this policy. Students receiving a master’s degree from The Graduate College as a full-time student must be enrolled for a minimum of two semesters and the summer term; part-time students earning a master’s degree must be enrolled a minimum of two semesters per academic year. The minimum requirement for graduation from the college is 53 hours. At the time of graduation, the student must be enrolled in the College. The maximum time allowed for enrollment for a full-time master’s degree is four years starting the first semester of official enrollment and for the PhD degree is five years.

Residency

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) candidates are expected to meet all requirements for graduation within five enrolled academic years in The Graduate College (excluding leaves of absence [see below]). This period begins with the semester in which the student formally matriculates. A student exceeding that time limitation must submit to the Graduate Council, in writing, a request to extend their candidacy beyond that time period. This request must identify the reasons for the extension and provide a written plan with reasonable deadlines for completion. This document will be co-signed by the student’s advisor and division director. The council will then vote whether to accept the extension or not (passed by simple majority). The student’s advisor will then provide an update on the student’s progress after six months. One year after the extension is granted, the student is expected to complete all requirements. A second request may be made by the student’s advisor and division director, but only will be accepted through a two-thirds majority of the voting members present at a formal hearing of the Graduate College Council. Within one year of that second request, the student must complete all requirements for the PhD degree or face dismissal. Alternatively, the student may be awarded a MS degree upon the recommendation of the student’s graduate division.

Readmission

Any student who has withdrawn from the University or any dismissed student may apply for readmission by submitting an application for this purpose to the Graduate College admission office. An interview may be required. A re-entering student must meet the conditions for re-enrollment stated in his or her dismissal or re-entry acceptance letter and all policies, requirements and course sequence in effect at the time of re-entry. The student will pay tuition and fees at the rates in effect at the time of re-enrollment. Application deadlines may vary by division.

Academic Progression

The Graduate Division, in concert with the rules of the College and Rush University, develops specific regulations governing the process that results in final awarding of the degree. While such regulations differ slightly from one division to another, The Graduate College Council reviews each division’s program and regulations for approval. In all cases, graduate divisions are required to be explicit and clear about regulations that will affect the candidate. This must be stringently observed in divisional regulations concerning selection of principal advisors, advisory committees, and a plan of study. Similarly, divisions will be explicit and clear concerning academic policies and procedures surrounding qualifying, preliminary and final examinations when they are required. The divisions are also responsible for providing the candidate with the support needed to plan and conduct the dissertation research. At the same time, a major responsibility of the student is to become familiar with the regulations and expectations of his or her chosen division. These regulations and expectations are included in this Catalog within the sections devoted to each divisional program and are also included within program publications. The student is responsible for understanding the regulations, and monitoring changes that may occur during his/her tenure in the program.

Student Academic Appeals Policy

Any student of The Graduate College may appeal a final course grade, failure on a preliminary or comprehensive examination, or failure of the thesis/dissertation that results in his or her academic probation or dismissal from the University. A student may also appeal an unreasonable delay in his or her graduation from the University. No other issues may be appealed through this process.

The process for filing an appeal is maintained by each division. The student may request a copy of the Division Appeal Process from the Division Director. This process will be completed within one semester. If a resolution cannot be achieved at the Division level, the following procedure must be followed. At any step in the process, the student may withdraw the appeal by written notification to the program director with a copy to the Dean. In the event of a dismissal decision, a student may continue to enroll until the appeal process is completed or the student withdraws the appeal.

Step 1: If the student wishes to appeal the decision beyond the Division, within two weeks of receiving a decision from the Division, the student will submit a written statement to the Dean requesting consideration of his or her case by an advisory panel. The student must provide the following in the written statement.

• Course number and grade being appealed or other cause for probation or dismissal, i.e., failure of preliminary/comprehensive examination or thesis/dissertation
• Action being requested
• Justification for the request
• An outline of the efforts and actions already taken to obtain consideration of the request

The student will send copies of this communication to the Division Director and the Department Chairperson. In addition, if a course grade is being appealed, the student will send a copy to the course director. If the evaluation of a thesis or dissertation is being appealed, the student will send a copy to the chairperson of the thesis/dissertation committee. The Advisory Panel will be The Graduate College Council. Its Chairperson will be appointed by the Dean from among the members. The Division Director of the student’s division and any other member who is evaluating the student’s academic status will not vote.

Step 2: Within two weeks after notification to the Dean, the Chairperson of the Advisory Panel will arrange a meeting of the Advisory Panel. It will submit a written recommendation to the Dean.

Step 3: Within two weeks following receipt of the advisory panel’s recommendation and upon discussion with the student and with others as appropriate, the Dean shall reach a final decision and notify each party of the decision. The decision reached by the Dean is final.

The issues discussed and the outcomes of all meetings in this appeal process are documented. This record-keeping is the responsibility of a faculty member who is to be designated at each meeting. Copies of the documentation should be distributed to the individuals present at a meeting, to the Division Director, the Dean and to the student’s academic file.

Rush University Academic Policies

The Academic Resources and Policies section of this catalog contains additional Rush University academic policies.

The Graduate College: Committees

The Graduate College Council

The Graduate College Council is the senior representative body of the college. Its membership includes all division directors, the Directors of the Masters in Biotechnology and Clinical research programs, an elected faculty member from each division and three students from different divisions elected by the students annually. Only the elected members and students are allowed to vote. The Dean or his/her designee serves as the chair of the council. The council is responsible for setting policies for the admission of students; the formulation and adoption of general operating policies, standards and procedures of the college; the appointment of Graduate College faculty; and the approval of those recommended for degrees.