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Graduate Field of Immunology & Infectious Disease

The goal of the Field of Immunology & Infectious Disease is to provide students with broad training in both the underlying mechanisms responsible for vertebrate immunity, and the means by which to study the host's immune response.  Faculty in the Field are members of various colleges and units of Cornell University.

In addition to its membership in the Biological & Biomedical Sciences Program, the Field of Immunology & Infectious Disease also participates in the inter-college graduate program Infection and Pathobiology, which was created in 2000 to facilitate interaction among scholars and students of different disciplines who share common interests in host-pathogen interactions.

Admission

Since Immunology is a member of the Biological & Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (BBS), applicants should follow the BBS application guidelines.  Immunology requires two (2) letters of recommendation.

Program of Study

Program requirements of the BBS should be followed by all graduate students in the Field of Immunology & Infectious Disease (with the exceptions of those in admitted through the Employee Degree Program).  You should consult the BBS Program guidelines and the Graduate School Guide to Graduate Study to insure that you are compliant with all requirements.  Consult the Office of Graduate Education with any questions you might have.

Requirements specific to the Field of Immunology & Infectious Disease are detailed below.

Concentrations:  Faculty in the Field can represent one (or more) of following concentrations:  cellular immunology; immunochemistry; immunogenetics; immunopathology; infection & immunity.

Special Committee:  As a member of the BBS Program, the Field of Immunology & Infectious Disease requires three laboratory rotations during the first academic year. During this time, the Director of Graduate Studies serves as temporary Chair of your committee.

By the end of the rotation period, you should have a Special Committee Chair.  By the end of your third semester of registration, you should have a full Special Committee and the Special Committee Selection & Change Form should be filed with the CVM Office of Graduate Education and the Graduate School. 

The Field of Immunology & Infectious Disease requires three (3) members on a Special Committee:

• Special Committee Chair:  Faculty mentor in whose laboratory you are doing your research and who will represent your major concentration area on your committee. 
• Faculty Representing Two Minors:  These faculty can represent an Immunology concentration other than the one represented by the Special Committee Chair or a different Graduate Field.  You should feel free to add one or more additional faculty members to your Committee to provide special expertise in the area of your dissertation research and are encouraged to consult with any other faculty members as well.
• The Field of Immunology & Infectious Disease does not appoint a Field-Appointed Member. 

Course Requirements: 

During your  first year, your coursework is chosen in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), who serves as your Special Committee Chair until a permanent committee chair is selected at the end of your rotations.  Subsequently, your Special Committee is the final arbiter of the courses in which you should enroll.  Requirements for PhD in Immunology are as follows:

Majors:

• Eight (8) credit hours of Immunology courses:
  • Basic Immunology, BIOMS 3150 (3 credits)
  • Advanced Immunology, VETMI/BIOMS7050 (3 credits)
  • Immunology of Infectious Diseases, VETMI 7190 (2 credits)
• Seminars in Infection & Immunity, VETMI 7120 (1 credit) is required for each year of registration and attendance is mandatory.
• Current Topics in Immunology, VETMI 7230 (1 credit) is required for each year of registration and attendance is mandatory.

Minors:

• Six (6) credit hours of Immunology courses
• Seminars in Infection & Immunity, VETMI 7120 (1 credit) is required for each year of registration and attendance is required.
• Current Topics in Immunology, VETMI 7230 (1 credit) is required for each year of registration and attendance is required.

Teaching Experience:  A one-semester teaching experience is required of all Immunology graduate students. 

Seminars:  As an Immunology PhD student, you are required to present a minimum of two seminars:

• The first should be within 9 to 15 months of the beginning your dissertation research, comprising an initial review of the field of study with particular emphasis on current research and the approach that you will take to your project. This may be presented in the Immunology Journal Club forum.
• The second seminar will be based on the thesis after all experimental procedures are complete.  This will be given in the Field Seminar Series.

A-Exam:  The format of your A-exam is determined by your Special Committee; it may be written or oral or a combination of both.  You should consult with your Special Committee to determine the format and content of the exam well in advance of the proposed exam date.  A Schedule of Exam Form must be filed with the CVM Office of Graduate Education 14 days prior to the exam.  The Results of Exam Form must be filed within three (3) days of the exam date.

B-Exam/Dissertation:  The B-exam is based on the contents of your dissertation and is an oral exam for defense of your dissertation. A preliminary draft must be distributed to all members of your Special Committee at least six weeks prior to the B-Exam and final copies, complete in all respects and editorially acceptable for final approval, must be distributed at least seven days in advance.

You are required to present a one-hour seminar on the results of your thesis research prior to the exam; this seminar is open to the College and University communities.

Your dissertation must follow the Graduate School guidelines.

External Examiner for the B-Exam/Dissertation:  In order to enhance the quality and objectivity of your PhD examination, the Field of Immunology & Infectious Disease requires that an external examiner be added to the Committee that reviews your thesis using the following process:

• The Executive Committee will select the outside examiner from a list of three (3) qualified candidates proposed by your Special Committee.  This list should be submitted at least three (3) months in advance of the examination. 
• You must provide the external examiner with a complete but unbound copy of the thesis, allowing him/her at least three weeks for review of the thesis before the examination.  The examiner will be invited to submit comments and recommendations for revision of the dissertation.  Although his/her attendance at the examination is highly desirable, it is not required.  Since they are not a member of your Special Committee, they are not required to sign the Results of Exam Form or officially approve the thesis.

 

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Last Update 1/25/2012