Since in my last post I briefly talked about Stanford’s stem cell research graduate program, I wanted to expand this discussion in this post. The amount of graduate programs in the field of stem cell research is increasing since the interest in stem cell research careers is also increasing. There are a few undergraduate programs for the topic, but many of the recent programs have been PhD programs.
The University of Minnesota has a stem cell biology training program as well as a PhD level minor in stem cell biology. The picture below is taken from the university’s training program website. The training program takes place before graduate school and involves both coursework and hands-on training in the laboratory. Mentors in the program also create unique training programs for each individual in the program to ensure success in the workforce.
The PhD level minor is made available to graduate students in the fields of Neuroscience, Pharmacology, and Bioengineering that have an interest in stem cell biology. The minor also requires that a main research project be conducted by the student in a stem cell biology laboratory. While the program is only twelve credits, it is designed by the University of Minnesota’s stem cell research institute to ensure that the necessary education is received.
Washington University in St. Louis has a PhD program through their Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences in Developmental, Regenerative, and Stem Cell Biology. The program focus on students that want to become either a developmental biologist or a stem cell researcher. The unique component of the PhD program, however, is that the university requires all applicants to take a qualifying exam from the university as a part of the admissions process. The exam is a ninety minute oral exam where three faculty members quiz the applicant on developmental biology, genetics, cell biology, nucleic acids, and protein translation.
University of Southern California has a masters degree program in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. It is also the first masters degree program in the United States involving stem cell research. The program was started in 2014, and the picture below is from the first class of students in the masters program.
The program is a one year program that offers courses in developmental biology, human embryology, regenerative medicine, and stem cell technology. Laboratory experience is also included in the master’s program. There are over sixty labs that are involved with USC Stem Cell which runs the stem cell research facility at the University of Southern California. The goal of the program is to make students competitive applicants for either medical school or PhD programs and competitive employees in the stem cell pharmaceutical industry.
The program involves students taking twenty-five credits of courses in one year, but an optional second year for additional courses can be completed if a student wishes to extend their education. The courses include seminars, classes on current topics in the various fields outlined in the paragraph above, and courses where students speak about the research they are currently conducting in their respective laboratories.
Now that I have briefly talked about three different graduate programs, you may be wondering why these programs are so important. Stem cell research is such a new area of expertise that many of the important advances in the field were not discovered until the late 1990s and the early 2000s. This means that there are many scientific viewpoints of stem cells that have yet to be discovered. Graduate programs in stem cell research and stem cell biology are necessary so that the next generation of stem cell researchers can be properly trained to work in the field.
I’m really impressed that you are doing many research for your career path and plan for your future after college. Although I have thought about continuing higher education in graduate school after undergraduate, but I haven’t done any research about what kind of studies I really want to do, where is the best place to learn it, and how to get in.
I will make some time soon to start looking into those things thanks to you!
I think it’s great that so many respected universities have such advanced stem cell research programs. It’s also very interesting that they’re all so different. Between the number of credits involved and the academic emphasis, it seems that each of these programs have different benefits and drawbacks. When it comes time to apply for graduate school, I’m sure that you will have many great options, but also a difficult decision to make between these specialized paths. I look forward to seeing more programs like these develop and I wish you luck in preparation for preparing for this rewarding field of study.
I agree that it is very important for universities to offer students the opportunity to learn about and research stem cells, because stem cell research will most likely be very useful in the near future. It is also interesting to see the different approaches to teaching that the different universities have adopted. This can be a risky option for many students because the future of stem cell research is so uncertain, but I think it is a great option for genuinely interested students.