Overview
The Ph.D. Program in Genetics Provides Students the Tools to Become Leading-Edge, Independent Investigators and Teachers
The Graduate Program in Genetics is a subgroup of the Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) graduate program at Dartmouth College. It is designed to provide advanced study in genetics leading to the Ph.D. degree. MCB is an interdepartmental program that includes faculty members from the Departments of Genetics, Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Microbiology and Immunology, and Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School.
The program offers diverse opportunities for incoming students and provides them with the tools needed to become independent investigators and teachers.
All first-year students attend a comprehensive course in the principles of genetics, biochemistry, and molecular and cellular biology, as well as several advanced courses in specific areas of genetics and associated subjects. Students take three separate research rotations in the first year, culminating with the selection of the laboratory in which to pursue a degree.
The Graduate Genetics Program Is Involved in Critically Important Research in Numerous Specialties
This program is where the action is as far as cutting-edge research. Students who want to make their mark with new science by standing on the shoulders of their predecessors and professors will find it possible at Dartmouth. The distinguished faculty members working within the interdisciplinary bounds of the Graduate Genetics Program are doing critically important work in numerous different specialties.
Among the many research projects under the leadership of program faculty members are investigations into growth factors and cancer genetics, the molecular biology of mRNA export, micro RNAs and breast cancer, mechanisms of chromosome-mediated transcriptional control, the regulation of programmed cell death in C. elegans, signal transduction in Drosophila, the genetics of circadian rhythms and mass spectrometry and proteomics.
There are research programs that take a broad, interdisciplinary approach - such as computational molecular biology, the epigenetics/epigenomics of transcriptional regulation in breast cancer and the molecular genetics of clocks in plants - and touch on other specialized knowledge in data processing, medicine, and botany.
Additional far-reaching studies are under way to advance mankind's understanding of olfaction and behavioral neurogenetics in animals, the mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis, early developmental regulators required for heart and gonadal development in mammals, the regulatory mechanisms governing gene expression, biological aspects of cells, and the genetics of organelle inheritance.
The Chair of the Graduate Admissions Committee Invites the Best and Brightest to Apply for the Graduate Genetics Program
Application review begins December 15 on a rolling basis. All supporting documentation (transcripts, letters of recommendation, GRE standard scores, TOEFL or IELTS scores for international students, and application fee) must be received no later than January 4, 2010. Dartmouth College and Medical School actively support equal opportunity for all persons regardless of race, ethnic or national background, religion, handicap, color, gender, or sexual preference.
Students Get the Full Array of Disciplines and Influences in the Program, in Laboratories, Seminars, and Journal Clubs
Currently, more than 165 students are enrolled in the MCB program, about a quarter in the labs of genetics program members. This allows the unique opportunity for genetics students to interface with a number of genetics-related disciplines while pursuing their degrees. All students in the MCB program participate in student seminar programs and journal clubs.
Upon graduation with a Ph.D., the majority of students continue on to postdoctoral training and then into academic or industrial careers. Graduates have gone on to fulfilling, significant careers in research, education, government service, industry, and private practice, bringing a range of new capabilities and contributions to science and the global community.
Full Scholarships, Stipends, and Health Coverage Are Provided, as Well as Assistance Finding Housing On- and Off-Campus
All students in the MCB graduate program receive a full scholarship for the cost of tuition. In addition, all students receive a yearly stipend plus health insurance coverage.
Dartmouth College assists graduate students in arranging appropriate housing in college facilities or in privately owned accommodations in the Hanover area. Apartment rents for off-campus housing vary widely, but accommodations can often be found at rates similar to those for college housing.
Dartmouth College Is a Leading Institution at the Forefront of Scholarship and Research in Numerous, Diverse Disciplines
Dartmouth College, a member of the Ivy League, is a private, four-year, coeducational college with graduate schools of business, engineering, and medicine, and 18 graduate programs in the arts and sciences. Dartmouth has a professional graduate school enrollment of about 1,600 students.
Dartmouth Medical School, founded in 1797, is located on the campus of Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. It combines modern facilities with tutorial instruction in the basic medical sciences. The Dana Medical Library and the Matthews Fuller Health Science Library house a complete collection of journals in the biomedical sciences.
Dartmouth Medical School's On-Campus Research Facilities Are First-Rate
Dartmouth Medical School has nucleated a distinguished Department of Genetics, poised to exploit and contribute to the explosive growth in information and its application to solving problems in biological systems.
Located in the Medical School complex, the recently renovated department houses state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment and is physically linked to the Dana Biomedical Library and the Gilman Biomedical Center.
Students Need Never Be Bored On-Campus or in Hanover, New Hampshire
Dartmouth College is located in Hanover, New Hampshire. Although small, Hanover boasts a variety of cultural, entertainment, and recreational opportunities as well as a special environment for outdoor activities. Boston, Montreal, and New York are easily accessible by car, as is much of the splendor of New England. Travel to the East Coast is also direct and simple, and affordable airline flights, train trips, and buses bring every destination from Maine to Florida within reasonable travel time for long weekends or school breaks.
On-campus, the Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts offers concerts and drama programs and sponsors the film society. All students and faculty members have access to numerous arts and crafts workshops and membership in several choral and instrumental groups. Also available to graduate students are the extensive services of the Dartmouth Outing Club and gym facilities.
