Graduate Postdoc Network
- What is Graduate Education in the Life Sciences?
- What is Postdoctoral Training?
- Graduate and Postdoc Opportunities
- Events for Graduate Students and Postdocs
- Resources for Graduate Students and Postdocs
- PubMed
- Publications and Useful Links
WHAT IS GRADUATE EDUCATION IN THE LIFE SCIENCES?
Graduate school is an opportunity for students to further undertake their education in order to obtain a masters (M.S. or M.A.S.) or doctoral degree (Ph.D., Sc.D., D.Sc., M.D., Pharm.D., M.D./Ph.D., or Ph.D./Pharm.D.). Unlike undergraduate education, which typically consists of a broad range of coursework and a declared major, graduate studies are concentrated in a specific field. Major research universities offer a broad range of graduate degrees; four year institutions may offer limited opportunities for graduate training.
Masters degrees are typically conferred after a comprehensive exam following 1-2 years of advanced level coursework and/or completion of a masters level thesis project. Several institutions are now offering a Professional Science Masters degree (PSM) for students interested in pursuing careers in industry. In a typical 2-year PSM program, students obtain advanced training in the sciences as well as develop business skills.
In order to obtain a Ph.D. degree, graduate students are typically required to take 1-2 years of advanced coursework, teach undergraduate classes, pass an oral exam prior to advancement to candidacy, complete their research, write a Ph.D. dissertation, and defend their thesis in front of a panel of faculty members. Most Ph.D. programs in the life sciences take 4-6 years to complete, depending on the nature of the thesis project. Graduate students at major universities often have the opportunity to work on cutting edge projects using state of the art equipment under top notch researchers. They write research papers for publication and present their work at scientific conferences. The PI (Principal Investigator) is responsible for a graduate student's education and often, their salaries through the PI's grant funding. Note: Sc.D. and D.Sc. degrees are comparable to Ph.D.s; however, they are more commonly conferred in Europe than the US.
M.D. and Pharm.D. programs are offered by Schools of Medicine and Schools of Pharmacy/ Pharmaceutical Sciences, respectively, at leading universities. Both are four year programs with defined curricula and have some course overlap. Although an M.D. degree is associated with physicians, many M.D.s conduct basic or clinical research in academia and industry. Pharm.D. programs prepare graduates for pharmacy practice or research careers.
Dual degree programs (e.g. M.D./Ph.D., Ph.D./Pharm.D.) require students to fulfill both degree requirements. Thus, such programs take longer to complete. Other life science dual degrees include Ph.D./M.B.A. and M.D./M.S.
return to top
WHAT IS POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING?
Postdoctoral education is an opportunity for recent graduates of doctoral programs to gain additional training in a field either related to or in a different direction from their thesis work. Most postdocs have Ph.D.s, and some have M.D., M.D./Ph.D., Pharm.D., Sc.D. or D.Sc. degrees. Although postdocs work under the direction of an advisor, they generally have more autonomy over their own research than graduate students, including: obtaining grant funding, publishing and presenting original work. The postdoctoral experience is considered to be a temporary position. Depending on the nature of their project(s), the postdoctoral experience typically lasts between 1-4 years and can take place at a university, medical school, research institution, government laboratory or industry. It is common for most Ph.D. graduates to complete postdoctoral training prior to being hired as an assistant professor or scientist.
Although academic and industrial postdoctoral researchers may share similar experiences, there are distinct differences. While most academic postdocs are identified and recruited primarily via professional contacts with faculty at research institutions, industrial postdoctoral positions are generally advertised on career websites. Salaries for academic postdocs are often paid by fellowships (e.g. NIH or other government and private agencies). On the other hand, companies may offer postdocs comparable salary and benefits as they would to full time employees, despite the temporary nature of the postdoctoral position. These companies may or may not hire postdoctoral scientists as full time employees once their training has been completed. Therefore, it is necessary for postdocs in industry to work on non-confidential projects that allow them opportunities to publish and present their work as do their academic counterparts.
Click here to view a PowerPoint presentation on obtaining a post-doctoral position.
Click here to read a report on "Finding the 'Perfect Postdoc' for You"