By the end of the second year of the program, it is anticipated that each student will begin to focus on a research project that will form the basis of his or her dissertation. By this time, students will have a broad background in the core knowledge areas of PHG, and will have identified specific research areas that are of particular interest. Students will be expected to select one of the core knowledge areas for their primary area research, with the other core knowledge area being a secondary area or research.

Once the research project begins to develop, students will be expected to take at least 9 additional units of selective courses related to his/her dissertation project. Although a list of example courses, available in a variety of departments at the UW, is listed below, the course of study from this point on will be individualized. The student needs to work with his/his dissertation supervisory committee to identify the 9 units of selectives that will be the most useful in completing his/her dissertation project. That is, the final selection of electives must be approved by the student's Dissertation Supervisory Committee. Ph.D. students may use the S/NS grading mechanism for selective courses.

Ph.D. students may use the S/NS grading option for selective courses.

The following list of example courses also appears in the Ph.D. Guidelines (Part 1) document.

Examples of Courses for Core Knowledge Area A Selectives: Genomics in Public Health

Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology

Ecogenetics and Pharmacogenomics

Clinical Aspects of Genomics

Examples of Courses for Core Knowledge Area B Selectives: Implications of Genetics for Society

Ethics & Social Science

Law & Policy

Health Economics & Outcomes Research