Teaching Experience

Teaching is an important component of any doctoral training program. Learning to teach provides insight into effectively communicating scientific ideas and concepts in an understandable manner. This skill is one of the hallmarks of the modern-day professionalscientist. Moreover, experience in teaching is a highly desirable commodity in today's competitive job market. For these reasons, students in the BMCB program teach at least two classes during their graduate careers.

Students in the BMCB Graduate Program gain valuable experience as teaching assistants in undergraduate courses in the biological sciences. Students teach at least two semesters during their career. The first occurs during the second year, and the second occurs at sometime prior to the end of the third year. Graduate students who desire additional teaching experience can take advantage of other opportunities, including formal teaching as well as participation in science education outreach programs. The University of Arizona has been recognized for excellence in undergraduate teaching in the Biological Sciences by the National Science Foundation. The Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology Departments have pioneered many innovations in instruction through the use of instructional multimedia, the use of problem solving approaches in large classrooms, and integration of undergraduate students into laboratories. Examples of these innovations can be found at these links:

• Biology Learning Center
• Undergraduate Biology Research Program
• Bravo! - Biomedical Research Abroad
• student.biology.arizona.edu
• The Biology Project