The Graduate Program in Biological Sciences grants the PhD degree upon completion of all of the necessary requirements. The time spent in the program is devoted to full-time study and research. Each student is assigned a Faculty Advisor to evaluate the students academic and research progress. During the first year, the student completes the core curriculum and three laboratory rotations (10-12 weeks each). The core curriculum contains Biochemistry, Molecular Genetics, and Cell Biology. After the first year, the student takes a written comprehensive examination based on the content of the Core Curriculum and Current Topics in Biology and prepares and orally defends a research proposal based on an original topic not related to previous work conducted by the student. Students after the first year are required to take a literature based journal club every year. Two additional advanced topic courses are required to be taken by the student after the first year. After successfully completing the core curriculum, comprehensive examination and research proposal, students concentrate the majority of their time on their individual dissertation laboratory research project. The written thesis/dissertation must be presented by the student for examination by four members of City of Hope staff and one qualified member from an outside institution.