Rotations and Choice of Thesis Advisor: Laboratory rotations give each first year student the opportunity to immerse him/herself in the research and intellectual activities of a different research group each quarter. Each student is normally required to complete three rotations. However, a student entering the program with a Masters in Biochemistry (or related field) is only required to complete two rotations. Near the end of the final rotation, each student arranges to join one of the research groups in which s/he has rotated. The head of this research group is then the student's thesis advisor (i.e., the faculty member responsible for overseeing the student's dissertation research). 

Teaching: Three quarters of teaching, usually carried out in the first year, are required. 

Lecture Courses: M253 ("Biological Macromolecules" - 6 units), which is taken in the fall of the first year, is the only lecture course required of all Biochemistry Ph.D. students. Each student chooses an additional 14 units of courses from an approved course list . These courses have been grouped into three categories: 1) Cell Biology and Metabolism; 2) Biophysical, Bioorganic, and Bioinorganic Chemistry; 3) Genetics and Integrative Biology. No more than 10 units from any one category can be applied toward the lecture course requirement. M253 and the 14 additional units of lecture courses must be taken for a letter grade, and each student is required to maintain a 3.0 GPA in these courses. The lecture coursework is normally completed in the first year. If necessary, however, a student may defer one course until the second year. 

Seminar Courses: Chemistry and Biochemistry 268, which serves to familiarize students with research opportunities in the Division, is required in each quarter of the first year. It is graded on a S/U basis. Four additional two unit seminar courses are required. These courses are aimed at developing the skills needed to read critically the research literature, and must be taken for a letter grade. The first of these courses, to be taken in the fall quarter of the first year, is Chemistry and Biochemistry 258. The final three seminar courses, which are normally taken in the winter and spring of the first year and the fall of the second year, are to be selected from the Molecular Biology 298 series, the Molecular Biology 297 series, or the Chemistry and Biochemistry 258 series. 

Written Qualifying Requirement: Three brief written research proposals are required. Each proposal is written in conjunction with a Molecular Biology 298, Molecular Biology 297, or Chemistry and Biochemistry 258 seminar course. They must each be certified satisfactory by the seminar instructor and filed with the departmental graduate office. 

Oral Exam: This exam is taken in the spring quarter of the second year. In preparation for the oral exam, each student prepares a research proposal in a field not directly related to her/his dissertation research. The actual examination consists of an oral presentation and defense of the proposal before a faculty committee (the Ph.D. committee). 

Midstream Seminar: In the spring quarter of the third year, each student presents a midstream research seminar to the Biochemistry Division detailing research progress as well as future plans. 

Dissertation and Final Research Seminar: The dissertation (or thesis) is a scholarly written presentation of novel research findings. It must be approved by the certifying members of the Ph.D. committee before being filed with the Graduate Division. Filing of the dissertation will not be allowed until after the presentation of a final research seminar to the Biochemistry Division. This seminar is to occur after distribution of the dissertation to the Ph.D. committee.