SUMMER START?
The
first decision you have to make is whether to begin the MCDB program in
the summer or wait until the fall. For either option, you should begin reviewing faculty research , and contact David Castle (jdc4r@virginia.edu) to discuss lab rotation options before moving to Charlottesville.
You
are strongly encouraged to begin your first lab rotation in the summer
prior to starting required lecture courses. Doing so will allow you to
concentrate solely on the rotation for up to 8 weeks. The MCDB Faculty
and Student Handbook has additional information and forms.
HOUSING
Graduate students are provided a limited number of on-grounds housing options.
Please note that rooms on the West Range which have been designated for
graduate students are available for the nine-month academic year, not
12 months. There are a number of off-grounds housing
options within walking distance on the University or CTS bus line, or
elsewhere in Charlottesville and vicinity. The Off-Grounds Housing
Office also provides message boards for students looking for roommates, selling furniture, etc.
STUDENT ID
Graduate
students in the biomedical sciences graduate programs are required to
have a Health System identification card. The MCDB Program Administrator
will provide the necessary paperwork to obtain this ID badge. In
addition, you will need the student identification card that is issued
by the University Identification Office.
PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION
New students can purchase parking permits from University Parking and Transportation Services. Most new students are directed to the Emmet/Ivy Garage ($432/year) or the U-Hall parking areas ($192/year). Bus service is provided (Green Route )
from these cummuter parking areas on a regular schedule. Otherwise, it
is approximately a 1/2 mile walk from the Emmet/Ivy garage or 3/4 mile
from the U-Hall area to the Health System.
E-MAIL
New students are automatically issued an alpha-numeric e-mail address and must activate it online. Go to the main UVa web page and enter your name in the people search to determine your unique e-mail address. Then open the MyUVa
portal and click the link "Activate My U.Va. Computing I.D."
Additional information regarding computing services is provided by Information Technology and Communication (ITC).
REGISTRATION
Summer Start
- The MCDB Program Administrator will register for you. You will be
enrolled for 6 credits of non-topical research and are strongly
encouraged to attend the Summer Methods Course offered by the
Department of Microbiology (no credit).
Fall Start - You will register online at the Integrated Student Information System (ISIS) for Gene Structure and Expression (BIMS 811), Cell Structure and Function (BIMS 512), Journal Survey in Cell and Developmental Biology (CELL 595), and Lab Rotations (CELL 506). You will only be able to register for 12 credit ours online. The CDB Program Administrator will increase your credit hours to the requisit 15. You should contact a member of the MCDB Academic Committee for additional academic advising.
TUITION and STIPEND
If
you begin your doctoral studies with a summer lab rotation, your summer
tuition and fees are paid by the Dean's Office and your stipend will
begin either July 1 or August 1, depending on your exact start date. If
you begin the program with the fall semester, your fall tuition and
fees will be paid by the Dean's Office and your stipend should start
September 1.
Regardless of your start date, if you recieve a bill for tuition and fees, DO NOT PAY ANY AMOUNT. Notify the MCDB Program Administrator that you have received a bill or statement and file the document.
Also, regardless of your start date, your stipend will be paid from a variety of sources during your first year in the program. Part of the stipend will be paid on the first day of the month for that month (August 1 for the month of August), and part of the stipend will be paid bi-weekly on Fridays for a particular pay period (payment is made after the fact). EACH student will receive a pay schedule from the Program Administrator at the MCDB orientation meeting in August.