Program Requirements
The Graduate Diploma in Oncology provides exposure to the entire spectrum of principles and practice in all fields of oncology as well as its research domains while allowing exploration in more detail of a specific area of focus through courses and a practicum. The areas of focus are: population and global cancer control, psychosocial oncology/palliative care, clinical cancer research, or cancer care services and quality.
Required Courses (12 Credits)
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ONCO 610D1 Fundamentals of Oncology and Cancer Research (3 credits)
Overview
ONCO : A multidisciplinary approach to the entire spectrum of principles and practice in all fields of oncology, as well as to its research domains, from basic science to clinical and population health sciences. Content areas will include mechanisms of carcinogenesis, tumour pathology, cancer epidemiology, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, psychosocial support, palliative care, global cancer control, and quality of cancer care services. The multidisciplinary nature of cancer research and clinical care and how research findings inform clinical practice and policymaking in cancer control will be illustrated.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Fabian, Marc; Henry, Melissa (Fall)
Restriction: Open to all graduate students in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, however priority will be given to those enrolled in the Graduate Diploma in Oncology program.
English is the language of instruction but students may present in either of the official languages.
Students must register for both ONCO 610D1 and ONCO 610D2
No credit will be given for this course unless both ONCO 610D1 and ONCO 610D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
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ONCO 610D2 Fundamentals of Oncology and Cancer Research (3 credits)
Overview
ONCO : For description see ONCO 610D1.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Fabian, Marc; Henry, Melissa (Winter)
Prerequisite: ONCO 610D1
No credit will be given for this course unless both ONCO 610D1 and ONCO 610D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
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ONCO 620 Best Practices in Biomedical Research (3 credits)
Overview
ONCO : Overview of research ethics as well as best practices and guiding principles in planning, conducting and publishing a research investigation. Topics include (i) ethics in biomedical research, (ii) reading and reviewing papers, (iii)research integrity and (iv) scholarly publishing. Examples will be taken from the field of cancer research. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in enhancing the value of biomedical research will be illustrated.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Franco, Eduardo (Winter)
Restrictions: Open to all graduate students in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences but priority will be given to those enrolled in the Graduate Diploma in Oncology program.
English is the language of instruction but students may present in either of the official languages
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ONCO 630 Oncology Practicum (3 credits)
Overview
ONCO : Involvement in a real-world research or quality improvement project with relevance to the students’ chosen area of focus.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Kildea, John (Winter)
Complementary Courses (12 Credits)
6 credits from:
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EPIB 671 Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention (3 credits)
Overview
Epidemiology & Biostatistics : This course will explore the common epidemiologic approaches to studying etiologic relations in carcinogenesis and for assessing the efficacy of cancer prevention interventions. Emphasis will be given on both molecular and social epidemiology domains with examples of different study designs and data analysis methods and of the impact of measurement error and other biases.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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PPHS 612D1 Principles of Public Health Practice (1.5 credits)
Overview
PPHS : Principles and methods in public health practice. Topics will include investigation in public health, public health intervention, program evaluation, public health and the health care system, society and public health.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prerequisite(s): EPIB 601, EPIB 602 or PPHS 602, and EPIB 607 or permission of instructor.
Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken EPIB 612.
Students must register for both PPHS 612D1 and PPHS 612D2.
No credit will be given for this course unless both PPHS 612D1 and PPHS 612D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms.
PPHS 612D1 and PPHS 612D2 together are equivalent to PPHS 612.
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PPHS 612D2 Principles of Public Health Practice (1.5 credits)
Overview
PPHS : Principles and methods in public health practice. Topics will include investigation in public health, public health intervention, program evaluation, public health and the health care system, society and public health.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prerequisite(s): PPHS 612D1.
Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken EPIB 612.
Students must register for both PPHS 612D1 and PPHS 612D2.
No credit will be given for this course unless both PPHS 612D1 and PPHS 612D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms.
PPHS 612D1 and PPHS 612D2 together are equivalent to PPHS 612.
OR
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NUR2 783 Psychosocial Oncology Research (3 credits)
Overview
Nursing : This seminar focuses on evidence-based research developments in psychosocial oncology. Students will explore state-of-the-art theory, research methods, findings, and intervention programs from a variety of disciplines including nursing, psychology, medicine, health services management and social work that have contributed to the emergent field of psychosocial oncology.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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ONCO 635 Qualitative and Psychosocial Health Research (3 credits)
Overview
ONCO : An overview of the theoretical, methodological and analytical skillsets required to design, conduct and analyze qualitative health research studies, with emphasis on psychosocial oncology and palliative care research.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Pelaez, Sandra (Fall)
Restrictions: Only open to graduate students in the Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology.
OR
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EXMD 617 Workshop in Clinical Trials 1 (1 credit)
Overview
Experimental Medicine : Intensive day-long workshop discussing Industrial/Academic/Governmental interactions in the design, testing and approval of drugs.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Jean-Claude, Bertrand (Winter)
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EXMD 618 Workshop in Clinical Trials 2 (1 credit)
Overview
Experimental Medicine : Intensive day-long workshop discussing the role of the physician in drug testing.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Jean-Claude, Bertrand; Di Battista, Giovanni (John); Mihalcioiu, Catalin Liviu D (Fall)
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EXMD 619 Workshop in Clinical Trials 3 (1 credit)
Overview
Experimental Medicine : Intensive day-long workshop discussing the pharmacoeconomics of drug design and testing.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Jean-Claude, Bertrand; Djiana, Rose; Gilfix, Brian; Thibeault, Denis (Fall)
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ONCO 615 Principles and Practice of Clinical Trials (3 credits)
Overview
ONCO : An overview of the design, conduct and analysis of clinical trials. Topics include types of clinical trials, study designs, practical considerations when setting up a clinical trial, ethics, regulatory requirements, trial monitoring, data management, investigator responsibilities and statistical analysis.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Agnihotram, Venkata (Fall)
Restriction: Open to students who have an undergraduate degree or professional designation in fields related to health or biomedical disciplines. In the absence of the latter, the instructor's permission is required. Priority will be given to students enrolled in the Graduate Diploma in Oncology program.
English is the language of instruction but students may present in either of the official languages.
OR
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ONCO 625 Quality Improvement Principles and Methods (3 credits)
Overview
ONCO : Principles and methodology of quality improvement in the delivery of health services with a focus on clinical care in oncology. Topics include developing and conducting quality improvement initiatives, data collection, data analysis and implementation of change in clinical practice.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Restrictions: Open to those in health services research or practice who are involved with healthcare administration and management, however, priority will be given to those enrolled in the Graduate Diploma in Oncology program.
English is the language of instruction but students may present in either of the official languages.
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PPHS 528 Economic Evaluation of Health Programs (3 credits)
Overview
PPHS : Concepts and methods used to carry out economic evaluations of health programs and interventions, including public health interventions, pharmaceuticals, and other health care interventions. Includes topics such as calculation of unit costs, measurement of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and assessment of uncertainty in cost-effectiveness analysis.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken EPIB 528.
No prior background in economics is required.
Open to graduate students and advanced undergraduates from all departments.
If a course in the course grouping is not available in a given year, a suitable replacement will be chosen by the Graduate Program Director in consultation with the Program Committee.
3 credits from:
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DENT 505 Epidemiology and Data Analysis in Primary Care 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Dentistry : An introduction of epidemiological concepts, data analysis, and methods applicable to primary care research.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Nicolau, Belinda Farias; De Pokomandy, Alexandra; Barnett, Tracie; Arekunnath Madathil, Sreenath; Schuster, Tibor (Fall)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor if graduate student is outside the Faculty.
Restrictions: Not open to students who have taken or are taking FMED 505.
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EPIB 507 Biostats for Health Sciences (3 credits)
Overview
Epidemiology & Biostatistics : Basic principles of statistical inference applicable to clinical, epidemiologic, and other health research. Topics include: methods of describing data, statistical inference for means, statistical inference for proportions, non-parametric statistics, correlation and introduction to linear regression.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Restriction: Restricted to students registered in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, Human Nutrition, Medical Residents, and Clinical Fellows.
Course not opened to students registered in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics programs.
Due to the intensive nature of this course during the summer session, the standard add/drop and withdrawal deadlines do not apply. Add/drop is the third lecture day and withdrawal is the sixth lecture day. The standard add/drop and withdrawal deadlines apply for sections of this course offered during the Fall or Winter semesters.
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EPIB 521 Regression Analysis for Health Sciences (3 credits)
Overview
Epidemiology & Biostatistics : The aim of this course is to provide students with basic principles of regression analyses applicable to the health sciences so that they can understand and use appropriate statistical regression techniques for continuous and discrete data. The course will cover: Linear regression: Regression for two or more explanatory variables, Polynomial regression, Dummy variables, Inference for regression parameters, Confounding and collinearity, Effect modification, Model-checking, Model selection, Prediction. Logistic and Poisson regression: Logistic regression for one or more variables, Interpreting odds ratios, Inference for logistic and Poisson regression parameters, Confounding and interactions in logistic regression, Model selection, Prediction. A very brief overview of survival analysis.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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EXMD 634 Quantitative Research Methods (3 credits)
Overview
Experimental Medicine : Topics covered include: 1) An overview of common research designs based on examples from research currently undertaken in the Division of Experimental Medicine; 2) Types of data arising from these designs; 3) Basic methods for data analysis; and 4) Application of these methods to student research projects.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Dendukuri, Nandini (Fall)
Restriction: Must be registered for graduate or postdoctoral studies in the Faculty of Medicine or the Faculty of Science.
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FMED 505 Epidemiology and Data Analysis in Primary Care 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Family Medicine : An introduction of epidemiological concepts, data analysis, and methods applicable to primary care research.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: De Pokomandy, Alexandra; Nicolau, Belinda Farias; Barnett, Tracie; Arekunnath Madathil, Sreenath; Schuster, Tibor (Fall)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor if graduate student is outside the department
Open to all graduate students in Faculty of Medicine.
Priority to students registered in the MSc in Family Medicine program.
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking DENT 505
OR
3 credits of a research design or statistics course at the 500 level or higher chosen in consultation with the student's mentor and approved by the Program Committee and the Graduate Program Director. Students who already have a very strong background in statistics may be exempt from taking a statistics course and would choose another 3-credit course. This must be approved by the Program Committee and the Graduate Program Director.
3 credits from:
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EPIB 671 Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention (3 credits)
Overview
Epidemiology & Biostatistics : This course will explore the common epidemiologic approaches to studying etiologic relations in carcinogenesis and for assessing the efficacy of cancer prevention interventions. Emphasis will be given on both molecular and social epidemiology domains with examples of different study designs and data analysis methods and of the impact of measurement error and other biases.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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EXMD 614 Environmental Carcinogenesis (3 credits)
Overview
Experimental Medicine : Methods for identification of carcinogens, including epidemiological studies, animal modelling and molecular biomarkers, and characteristics of known environmental carcinogens (viruses, chemical and physical agents and diet). Environmental factors will be placed in the context of overall cancer risk, which involves interaction of genetics, host and environment.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Wu, Jian Hui (Winter)
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EXMD 620 Clinical Trials and Research 1 (1 credit)
Overview
Experimental Medicine : Intensive day-long workshop discussing a topical subject or recent advance relevant to clinical research and the conduct of clinical trials.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Jean-Claude, Bertrand (Winter)
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EXMD 625 Clinical Trials and Research 2 (1 credit)
Overview
Experimental Medicine : Intensive day-long workshop discussing a topical subject or recent advance relevant to clinical research and the conduct of clinical trials.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Jean-Claude, Bertrand (Winter)
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EXMD 626 Clinical Trials and Research 3 (1 credit)
Overview
Experimental Medicine : Intensive day-long workshop discussing a topical subject or recent advance relevant to clinical research and the conduct of clinical trials.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Jean-Claude, Bertrand (Winter)
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EXMD 640 Experimental Medicine Topic 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Experimental Medicine : Study, through guided reading, visits, practicals, assignments, of an elected and approved topic of importance in medical science.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Jean-Claude, Bertrand; Basik, Mark; Burnier, Julia; Williams, Christopher; Rak, Janusz (Fall)
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EXSU 505 Trends in Precision Oncology (3 credits)
Overview
Experimental Surgery : Introduction to the emerging paradigms in cancer detection, management and treatment.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Labbé, David; Garzia, Livia (Fall)
Restriction(s): Open to all students in the Faculty of Medicine but priority will be given to students in the Department of Surgery and the Department of Oncology if the number of registered students exceeds the projected enrolment.
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FMED 619 Program Management in Global Health and Primary Health Care (3 credits)
Overview
Family Medicine : Program management design, theory, methods and practical applications in both domestic and global health settings, with a focus on primary health care in order to achieve rapid scale-up of effective health interventions towards universal coverage while strengthening health systems for sustained impact.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Bergevin, Yves (Winter)
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor if graduate student is outside the department
Restriction(s): Open to graduate students in the Department of Family Medicine
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HGEN 690 Inherited Cancer Syndromes (3 credits)
Overview
Human Genetics : The principles and practice associated with inherited predisposition to cancer (breast and colon cancers, example) such as the methods of gene discovery, clinical characteristics of inherited predisposition, methods of mutation analysis, genetic counselling, and ethical issues of genetic testing.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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NUR2 705 Palliative Care (3 credits)
Overview
Nursing : The concept of whole person care and its importance in caring for people with a life-threatening illness will be explored. Various aspects of the person, different contexts, and different types of research will be integrated and reflected upon to determine changes required in practice, policy, and research.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Note: Required for the Psychosocial Oncology Option for PhD students in the School of Nursing and Dept. of Psychology. Other PhD and Master's students are welcome to join.
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ONCO 611 Proteomics for Precision Medicine (3 credits)
Overview
ONCO : Proteomic applications in medicine, including an introduction to mass spectrometry and related state-of-the-art proteomics techniques, and how these techniques can be used to answer important medical questions using clinical samples. The determination of levels and post-translational modifications of diagnostic/prognostic protein markers, the concentration of protein therapeutics in plasma, the simultaneous imaging of multiple proteins on tissue slices by MALDI-MS, and global proteome and phosphoproteome analyses to study signaling pathways. Additionally, strategies for data analysis and data interpretation using modern bioinformatic tools.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Borchers, Christoph (Winter)
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ONCO 615 Principles and Practice of Clinical Trials (3 credits)
Overview
ONCO : An overview of the design, conduct and analysis of clinical trials. Topics include types of clinical trials, study designs, practical considerations when setting up a clinical trial, ethics, regulatory requirements, trial monitoring, data management, investigator responsibilities and statistical analysis.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Agnihotram, Venkata (Fall)
Restriction: Open to students who have an undergraduate degree or professional designation in fields related to health or biomedical disciplines. In the absence of the latter, the instructor's permission is required. Priority will be given to students enrolled in the Graduate Diploma in Oncology program.
English is the language of instruction but students may present in either of the official languages.
-
ONCO 625 Quality Improvement Principles and Methods (3 credits)
Overview
ONCO : Principles and methodology of quality improvement in the delivery of health services with a focus on clinical care in oncology. Topics include developing and conducting quality improvement initiatives, data collection, data analysis and implementation of change in clinical practice.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Restrictions: Open to those in health services research or practice who are involved with healthcare administration and management, however, priority will be given to those enrolled in the Graduate Diploma in Oncology program.
English is the language of instruction but students may present in either of the official languages.
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ONCO 635 Qualitative and Psychosocial Health Research (3 credits)
Overview
ONCO : An overview of the theoretical, methodological and analytical skillsets required to design, conduct and analyze qualitative health research studies, with emphasis on psychosocial oncology and palliative care research.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Pelaez, Sandra (Fall)
Restrictions: Only open to graduate students in the Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology.
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ONCO 645 Seminars in Global Oncology (3 credits)
Overview
ONCO : Identification of the challenges and strategies for addressing cancer prevention, diagnosis and care, as well as cancer research and education from an international perspective.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Restrictions: Open to students in the Graduate Diploma in Oncology. It is also open to graduate students in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; however, permission from the instructor is required for the latter students.
English is the language of instruction but students may present in either of the official languages
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POTH 637 Cancer Rehabilitation (3 credits)
Overview
Phys & Occ Therapy : Cancer pathology, risk stratification, the treatment process and rehabilitation needs throughout the disease trajectory.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prerequisite: PHTH 570 or permission of instructor
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PPHS 528 Economic Evaluation of Health Programs (3 credits)
Overview
PPHS : Concepts and methods used to carry out economic evaluations of health programs and interventions, including public health interventions, pharmaceuticals, and other health care interventions. Includes topics such as calculation of unit costs, measurement of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and assessment of uncertainty in cost-effectiveness analysis.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken EPIB 528.
No prior background in economics is required.
Open to graduate students and advanced undergraduates from all departments.
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PSYC 507 Emotions, Stress, and Illness (3 credits)
Overview
Psychology : Emotional effects on peripheral physiology and the development, course, and outcome of physical disorders such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, ulcers, asthma, and cancer.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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SWRK 668 Living with Illness, Loss and Bereavement (3 credits)
Overview
Social Work : This seminar addresses the psycho-social concerns of patients and family members living with illness and/or non-bereavement loss. An interdisciplinary theoretical perspective is combined with clinical practice interventions. Special attention will be given to the role of the social worker.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
The course will be chosen in consultation with the student's mentor and must be approved by the Program Committee and the Graduate Program Director.
Elective Courses (6 credits)
6 credits at the 500 level or higher can be chosen from the course list above or from other courses. The courses do no necessarily have to include cancer-related content, but must have relevance to the field. The courses will be chosen in consultation with the student's mentor and must be approved by the Program Committee and the Graduate Program Director.
