Many candidates enrolled in a PhD training program at Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences complete their doctoral degree within 6 years (the average time to degree is 5.8 years). Once you obtain the required 72 credits and pass the qualifying exam, you will receive the Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree. This is considered advancing to doctoral candidacy.

If you already have a master’s degree, you can transfer a maximum of 40 credits of coursework, with a grade of 3.0 (B) or higher in each course, from graduate programs at other institutions. Courses must meet our institutional standards and be approved by the program director of your selected training program.

Academic Requirements for the PhD

All PhD candidates must meet the following academic requirements:

• enroll in full-time doctoral study at NYU Grossman School of Medicine or approved affiliate laboratories, such as those at NYU’s downtown campus and Nathan Kline Institute
• complete 72 credits—32 credits of coursework and 40 credits of research and seminar work—within 10 years of your initial date of matriculation or 7 years from the date of transfer into the program
• maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 for the required 32 credits of coursework; grades below C– do not count toward the 32 credits
• pass a comprehensive or qualifying examination
• submit one first-author manuscript (research article) to a peer-reviewed journal
• present and defend a written thesis