Certificate Programs
Certificate programs offer graduate students the opportunity
to receive extra classroom training in certain fields within
the biological sciences. A certificate is awarded upon completion
of the required courses and the successful completion of your
Ph.D. training. CMB students will receive their Ph.D. from
the department with which they affiliate and they will receive
a certificate in Cell and Molecular Biology for completing
the CMB curriculum. Other certificates that CMB students can
earn are listed below.
Teaching
College Biology
The Teaching Certificate in Biology aims to enhance the overall
professional development of graduate students in the biological
and biomedical sciences by preparing them for teaching in
academic venues that range from the Community College to the
Research University. Graduate students in the program complete
work in up to four different areas: courses and workshops
on pedagogy, faculty mentorship, practical teaching experience,
and evaluation of teaching. These areas are selected in order
to enhance the participants' skill as teachers and their understanding
of issues in teaching and learning. Participants who receive
the Certificate in Teaching College Biology will have demonstrated
their commitment to and competency in teaching, and will leave
the program with tangible products (e.g. a teaching portfolio).
These products are expected to assist hiring institutions
in identifying, among potentially hundreds of applicants for
a given job search, those individuals that are strongly devoted
to achieving excellence in teaching as well as in research.
Developmental Biology
Training Program
The University Program in Developmental Biology provides broad
training in mechanisms of embryonic development, developmental
genetics, development and evolution, and specialized training
in a number of areas. The program offers a core curriculum
in development and training in technologies that are of importance
for research on current questions. Specializations include
stem cell biology, embryonic patterning, morphogenesis, growth
and proliferation control, apoptosis and signal transduction
mechanisms that govern cell-cell communication. Students may
apply and be admitted directly to the Developmental Biology
Program. Prior to the second year of study at Duke, students
will identify a participating department in which they will
earn their Ph.D.
Structural Biology and Biophysics
The Structural Biology and Biophysics Program provides a collegial
environment for training in understanding biological problems
at the molecular level. Specific areas of interest are outlined
in more detail in the research descriptions of participating
faculty. These areas include structure and function of proteins
and nucleic acids, protein folding and design, and the application
of advanced physical and computational methods to the study
of macromolecules. The program welcomes the participation
of anyone interested in structural biology and biophysics.
Graduate students can earn a Certificate in Structural Biology
and Biophysics along with their PhD diploma by participating
in the weekly seminar series and taking the core courses.
Any student admitted to Duke University Graduate School is
eligible to join the program.
Bioinformatics
and Genome Technology
The Certificate in Bioinformatics and Genome Technology is
a graduate Program offered to Duke PhD students currently
enrolled in departmental PhD programs. Duke PhD students may
apply to join the program, and qualify for the BGT Certificate
by successfully completing a course of study as detailed below.
The Certificate Program involves a selection of the courses
from the BGT PhD Program. A student may qualify for the Certificate
by successfully completing a course of study that includes:
two BGT core courses (BGT 201 and BGT 203), and either two
additional elective BGT courses, or one additional BGT course
and a independent study and certified attendance at the biweekly
BGT Seminar Series for a minimum of 10 seminars.
Biological Chemistry
The University Program in Biological Chemistry is designed
to provide training to students in synthetic and mechanistic
aspects of the interface between chemistry and biology. Specializations
include carbohydrate, lipid, nucleic acid, and protein synthesis;
molecular recognition between biomolecules; and mechanisms
of catalytic processes involving proteins and nucleic acids
and their associated cofactors. Course offerings, including
a core focusing on the mechanisms of enzymatic cofactors,
are aimed at providing significant cross-training between
chemistry and biology and developing a common language among
students in different disciplines. Intensive laboratory rotations
begin in the summer and continue in the fall and (in some
cases) spring semesters of the first year of study. Students
may apply and be admitted directly to the University Program
in Biological Chemistry or may apply to one of the component
departments with a request to be considered by the program.
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