Students admitted to the IBS Ph.D. program will be required to take a number of core courses including bioethics and the graduate seminar, and to complete at least one teaching assistantship. All students will need to demonstrate; through course credits or other means competencies in Bioethics, Biochemistry, Biotechnology/Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, and Biostatistics/Computational Methods in Life Sciences.
Additional course requirements vary depending on the educational level of the individual student and their intended area of focus. The student's co-advisors and advisory committee will choose the majority of courses required for completion of the degree. In addition, all students are required to spend the equivalent of at least one semester in a non-academic setting-e.g., industry, research institute, government agency, or non-government organization for "real world" professional experience and to demonstrate competency in leadership and communication skills.