QSB Program of Study

Learn more about why the program length, cohort size, training opportunities, and access to exceptional faculty are attractive elements to the QSB Program at Northwestern University. 

 

CORE ACADEMIC PROGRAM

• One year program that runs from September - August 
• Close integration with the IBiS Ph.D. program to enhance education
• QSB students take IBiS core classes and are in IBiS research labs
• Courses familiarize students with systems and computational approaches and techniques, statistics, quantitative analysis, and programming in R, Python and Matlab
• Thesis research grants full participation in lab activities such as journal clubs and departmental seminars

OPTIONAL 7-MONTH INTERNSHIP PROGRAM (click here for details)

• QSB Students can intern in one of four Northwestern Core Facilities - TUITION FREE
  • Next Generation Sequencing Core
  • Proteomics Core
  • High Throughput Analysis Lab
  • Center for Advanced Molecular Imaging
• QSB students may also intern in an academic lab or in industry position - TUITION FREE

OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING (OPT) FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS (click here for details)

• QSB graduates are automatically eligible for 36 months of training work authorization (optional)
  • NOTE: The seven-month internship program does NOT count towards the 36-month (optional) practical training authorization

ADVISING & MENTORING

• Small cohort sizes which allow stronger one-on-one mentoring with renowned faculty
• Guidance by an advisory committee which consists of a thesis research advisor and two additional faculty members
• Pairing with IBiS Ph.D. student “buddies” to help new students get acclimated to Northwestern, Evanston, and greater Chicagoland

CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

• BioSurvival Skills are a series of workshops on topics such as presentation skills, grant and CV writing, and job hunting offered by IBiS, DGP, and NUIN.
• BioOpportunities invites alumni and other professionals to talk about careers available to graduate students offered by IBiS, DGP, and NUIN.
• Northwestern Professional Development in the areas of Career Exploration, Leadership and Management, Speaking and Presenting, and writing and Research offered by TGS.