The IQBP program at Case Western Reserve University offers a graduate certificate (GC). The IQB-GC curriculum requires 15 credit hours of required coursework and attendance at research seminars to be completed over the duration of three years at no additional cost outside your program of study.
Each participant must prepare a plan on how the certificate will be completed and submit it for approval by the IQBP director and their PhD supervisor. The plan may be amended by mutual agreement.
Complete at least six credit hours of coursework taught by departments outside the student’s PhD home department, including at least three credit hours of course work outside their school/college and approved by the IQBP faculty director.
Complete at least six credit hours of coursework in each of these two categories. Up to three credit hours of overlap are permitted with the interschool/interdepartmental coursework.
- Quantitative: Courses designated as quantitative by the IQBP director; examples would include courses in mathematics, applied mathematics and statistics, computer and data sciences, and physics that may or may not be directly targeted at biological applications.
- Biosciences: Courses designated as biosciences by the IQBP director. Examples might include courses in structural or cell biology.
Participate for at least three semesters in the IQBP student-led seminar series, which will meet weekly during each fall and spring semester for 90 minutes.
- On alternate weeks, students will present their research or journal articles. Non presenting students will produce either summaries of material for a non-expert audience, or written evaluations of presentations.
- On alternate weeks, faculty/staff/external guests will present on their field, research, techniques, or lead a session on professional development topics such as grants or communication skills.
- Each semester the students will develop a schedule for the following semester in consultation with and to be approved by the IQBP director.
Regularly attend a standing research seminar or colloquium series sponsored by a department center (outside the student’s home department). This shall include at least eight seminars over not more than 16 months. The IQBP director will facilitate students' meetings with the speaker. Students provide a summary of the seminar suitable for a lay audience for sharing with the IQBP student cohort.
Engage in a thoughtful program of outreach to a underserved community (1-2 hours a week with travel time included):
- Option 1: David’s Outreach Challenge: Students participate in David’s Challenge activities engaging with East Cleveland students.
- Option 2: Students propose and and execute an alternative plan for outreach to an underserved community, obtaining agreement of the community, of their PhD supervisor, and of the IQBP director.
Students may, with the permission of their PhD supervisor, complete a research experience in a laboratory outside their PhD department/school. This may be used to fulfill up to three credits of the interschool coursework requirement and up to three credits of the breadth coursework requirement with the approval of the IQBP director.
- Expectations: No less than six weeks, averaging 21 hours per week.
- Credit: Three-six credit hours at onr credit per 42 hours of committed research effort.
- Requirements: A plan of expected work signed by the student, their PhD supervisor, and the principal investigator of the host laboratory including clear learning objectives.