Courses

Module/Course Offerings for 2024-25

*Registration for summer courses opens in mid-March, 2025

Full descriptions of the 2024-2025 modules can be viewed here.  Students should register for modules through use of  ACORN, with instructions found here.

The Modular Nature of CSB Graduate Courses

Graduate course offerings in the Department of Cell & Systems Biology are module based. Some modules emphasize new techniques, technologies or approaches, and how these are applied to research problems. Others focus on fundamentally important concepts in cell, molecular and systems biology.

Modules serve three main objectives:

1. to develop an awareness of current progress in research, including important mechanistic insights into biological organisms, as well as cutting-edge techniques, approaches and technologies in cell, molecular and systems biology,
2. to develop abilities in interpreting and criticizing scientific approaches and data,
3. to improve writing and/or verbal skills.

Most graduate modules are one-half of a one-term course, or one quarter credit (0.25 FCE). Thus, two quarter-credit modules are required to complete coursework requirements for M.Sc. students (0.5 FCE), and any combination of courses or modules totalling 1.0 FCE are required for Ph.D. students. Most modules are seminar-based modules that are 6 weeks in duration, with 2 hours devoted to the module per week. The weekly meetings are generally comprised of a combination of student seminars and discussion of the seminar topics.

In contrast to the seminar-based module, several modules are offered as workshop-style modules over a compressed timescale. Workshop-based modules are primarily focused on practical aspects of cell, molecular and/or systems biology. The structure of workshop-based modules is dictated by the best pedagogical practice for learning theoretical aspects of the course material, and the execution of the practical aspects of the course.

Regardless of its structure (i.e., 6 week seminar versus workshop), most modules will be offered at least every other year (i.e., once every two years), with some new modules offered on a consistent basis.