Registration, Curriculum and Academic Standards
Introduction
Students must register for 12 credit hours in the fall and spring terms, and 6 credit hours in the summer term for the GEMS program. Students need to be considered as full time to successfully be eligible for the various tuition and fee waivers available.
In conjunction with their PI and DAC, students should use the below curriculum planning guide available in this handbook to provide clarity to questions they may have regarding what courses they should register to take.
Registration is completed online. Students use the my.UIC.edu portal to view course schedules by semester and to register for courses. Registration information is sent every term by the GEMS office.
Information on how to register, as well as University policies and procedures is available on the Office of Registrar website. Prior to each semester, all eligible continuing students will receive an email from the University with a date when they are allowed to register (Registration Time Ticket). Students may add or drop classes up until the second Friday of each semester
A complete description of each course may be obtained via the University’s website.
Registration Guide by Year in Program
| Year/Credits | Fall Semester | Spring Semester | Summer Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 |
GEMS 521: Foundations of Biomedical Sciences - I
GEMS 504: Research Methods I
GEMS 506: Research Rotation Course 1
|
GEMS 522: Foundations of Biomedical Sciences -II
GEMS 505: Research Methods II
GEMS 506: Research Rotations Courses 2 and 3. |
GEMS 599 *: Mentored Research
9 Credit hours Or
GEMS 506: Research Rotation ( *if needed and approved by Director(s))
|
| Year 2 |
Concentration Core Course 1
Elective course (3 Credit hours of elective course work needed in total)
GEMS 599 *: Mentored Research
Seminar Series **: |
Concentration Core Course - Choose 2
Elective course (as needed/desired)
Seminar Series **: |
GEMS 599*: Mentored Research |
| Years 3 - Graduation |
GEMS 599 *: Mentored Research Elective course (as needed/desired)
Seminar Series**: |
GEMS 599 *: Mentored Research Elective course (as needed/desired)
Seminar Series **: |
GEMS 599 *: Mentored Research |
Courses
Seminar Series: Each concentration DAC has the autonomy to run their seminar series in a way that promotes the scholarly engagement of their discipline. Students will be required to attend weekly seminars, as well as present their research yearly at regularly scheduled research in progress seminars. There will be times when further participation may be required per the DAC.
Students may register for any one of the following PATH 595, PCOL 595, *PHYB 591, MIM 595, BCMG 595 or ANAT 595
*ITP students register for PHYB 595 only when they have research in progress to discuss. Regular seminar series is PHYB 591
Students are required to register for at least 4 transcripted hours of seminar 595 coursework to meet degree requirements.
Concentration Core Courses: Students are encouraged to meet with the Director of Academic Cohort (DAC) for their respective concentration prior to registering for these courses. Requirements for each concentration are listed in the below table. All disciplines require at least two courses within the concentration to satisfy degree requirements. Only the MII concentration requires more due to its unique course structures.
View GEMS Concentration Course Matrix
Elective courses: Students will be required to complete a minimum of 3 credit hours of graduate level course work. They may choose one of the 3 credit courses offered by any concentration (except the ones they are affiliated with) to fulfill this requirement.
Students may request a non-GEMS course to count as there elective, but it must be pre-approved by their mentor, DAC and/or GEMS Director(s).
First Year Timeline: Below is the typical timeline of study for the first year in the GEMS program. After the second year, students will be heavily involved in their preliminary examination and subsequent thesis research.
MSTP Students: MSTP students in the GEMS program join the program in second year standing, and follow the registration guide beginning with Year 2.
Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR/RCR)
All predoctoral trainees and scholars who receive support from Federal Grants must obtain training in RECR/RCR. In addition to NIH and NSF, other agencies may require RECR/RCR training.
Beginning with proposals submitted on or after July 31, 2023 due to the CHIPS act (at §10337, p. 503), faculty and other senior personnel will need to participate in RCR training. More details are expected regarding NSF-specific RCR Training.
The type of training required may differ for various stages of training and among funding agencies.
UIC offers the following RCR training. Please work with your PI and/or DAC to determine which training is right for you:
- GC501 – Scientific Integrity and Responsible Research, a 1-hour credit course offered by the Graduate College. This course is designed to meet the NIH requirements for formal training in the responsible conduct of research.
- The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI), an online course. It consists of a basic course modules complemented with a set of additional modules of interest. The modules that cover core norms, principles, regulations, and rules governing the practice of research. Instructions for accessing the CITI RCR course will be available soon.
Students working with animal models must also register for GC470- Essentials for Animal Research , a 1-hour credit course offered by the Graduate College.
Academic Standards
The UIC Graduate College requires students to meet the following standards to remain in good standing and successfully complete their graduate program:
- Have removed all limited status admission conditions;
- Must complete minimum of 96 hours of credit toward their PhD (GEMS students will have more)
- Have a minimum Graduate Degree GPA of 3.00/4.00 (see below); and
- Are making satisfactory progress toward degree requirements, including a project or thesis if required.
By the end of their first year in the program, the GEMS program additionally requires students to join a research lab prior to the start of their second year in the program. Students must complete a signed Permanent Advisor form to finalize approval from their concentration, mentor and program: Permanent Advisor Form
If a student has not secured a lab by August 15th of their first year, they will be dismissed for failure to progress.
Students who receive an Unsatisfactory (U) grade in their research (599) course in any term are subject to a review of their academic progress by their concentration DAC and GEMS leadership. If the review has determined the student has failed to progress in their research requirements, they may be dismissed from the program.
Students are only allowed to challenge the same course twice. If the student is unable to pass a course after the second attempt, they will be dismissed from the program for failure to progress.
The GEMS Program must follow the policies and procedures of the UIC Graduate College. For more information on the policies and procedures of the UIC Graduate College.