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Indiana University School of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
Graduate Degrees
A minor provides additional breadth and depth to the graduate curriculum for PhD students at IU School of Medicine.

PhD Minors

All PhD students at Indiana University School of Medicine must select a minor as part of their education and research training. The requirement provides students with additional breadth and depth to the graduate curriculum, allowing students to focus in a second area in a way that can help prepare them for their research and their future career path. The minor consists of courses outside of the student's primary program and can take many forms.

PhD students select their minor for a number of different reasons:

  • Using coursework that you have already completed as part of the first-year IBMG learning experience
  • Selecting a minor that extends your scientific knowledge in a way that benefits your research at the School of Medicine or your future career path
  • Enrolling in a minor option that is career-path specific, such as science policy, teaching biomedical science at the university level, or the business of medicine and science

Students may also work with their advisory committees to develop an individualized minor that creates a collection of courses and experiences to prepare students in a way that is specific to them. Most minors require 12 credit hours of course work. In cases where less than 12 credit hours are required, students take additional elective courses from their primary PhD program.

A Bioinformatics PhD minor from IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering provides interdisciplinary training for doctoral students to conduct cutting-edge research in biomedical disciplines. The minor imparts knowledge of bioinformatics methods for solving genomic, proteomic and other biomedical and health-related problems.

This interdisciplinary Biomedical/Life Science Teaching and Learning PhD minor is designed to provide PhD students engaged in basic and translational biomedical research and associated studies an essential foundation related to teaching, curriculum, and pedagogy with a focus on inclusive teaching rooted in practices of scientific research.

Enhancing analytic and data-based management skills, the Biostatistics PhD minor addresses the growing discipline of biostatistics.

Giving students with a comprehensive background in integrative cardiac, vascular, renal and pulmonary (patho)biology, the Cardiovascular Sciences PhD minor is offered by the Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology.

Providing students with an overview of clinical research by introducing them to core research concepts and skills, the Clinical Research PhD minor is offered by the Indiana CTSI.

Connecting scientists and health professionals to policy makers, funders, students, professionals and the public, the Communicating Science PhD minor is a program of the IUI Department of Communication Studies.

The Diabetes and Obesity PhD minor was developed to increase the number of scientists conducting basic research relevant to diabetes and obesity in order to address the severe and growing impact of diabetes in the United States. This education program is offered by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

The Health Informatics PhD minor is offered by IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering to enable doctoral students in other disciplines to learn and use health informatics approaches to solve problems that arise in their academic careers.

The Life Sciences PhD minor requires 12 credits of advanced graduate-level courses taken outside a student’s major department; six of these credits must be in a single department. Interested students should speak with advisory committee for information on this minor.

Students interested in the business and management aspects of biomedical science can pursue an Individualized Minor in Medical Management offered by IU Kelley School of Business at IUPUI.

The Medical and Molecular Genetics PhD minor involves completing 12 credit hours across a variety of courses focused on aspects of medical and molecular genetics. The required Basic Human Genetics course for this minor will cover basic genetic concepts with the student expanding their knowledge in either a life science path or informatics path.

The Medical Neuroscience PhD minor is designed for IU School of Medicine or IUI students in other PhD degree programs who are working on neuroscience-related research projects.  The minor is offered by the Medical Neuroscience Graduate Program and provides knowledge in both basic neuroscience concepts and specialty topics.

The PhD minor in Microbiology and Immunology provides students with a background in Microbiology and Immunology, with an emphasis on the human immune system and microbial pathogens causing human disease. Students completing this minor take introductory courses in Infection and Pathogenesis (GRDM-G 728) and Immunological Systems (GRDM-G 729) and will then take at least two of the advanced, literature based Current Topics course in Microorganisms (MICR-J 829), Immunology (MICR-J 807), or Viral Immunology (MICR-J 815).

The Policy Analysis for Biomedical Sciences PhD minor is designed to explore the fundamentals of policy analysis for those pursuing a career in science policy. The program blends classroom learning and a practicum. 

The Translational Cancer Biology PhD minor provides breadth and depth of cancer knowledge. This interdisciplinary minor is offered through the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.