Rochester Bridges to the Doctorate - Program

Students and mentors in graduation caps and gowns
 

Rochester Bridges to the Doctorate

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Program

Program Expectations

Bridges trainee’s master’s degree requirements, the following activities are designed to help trainees prepare for their PhD aspirations.

Bridges Curriculum
  • Professional Development (PD): ~ 3x per semester
  • Monthly Events
    • Deaf Scientist Time (DST)
    • Deaf Hub Exploring Perspectives Series (DHEP)
    • Peer Mentoring Group Meetings
  • PhD Readiness Meetings: ~2x per semester
UR Coursework
  • Year 1 Fall: UR Course
    • IND-501 Ethics & Professional Integrity in Research
  • Year 2: UR electives may be available on a case-by-case basis (optional and must be approved by Bridges ET in advance)
Professional Conference
  • Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS)
    • Year 1: Attend
    • Year 2: Present
  • Discipline-based conferences: optional, maximum one per year. Must be approved by the Bridges RIT PI and the Deaf Hub Executive Director in advance.
Research Experience
  • Year 1 Fall & Spring Terms
    • RIT Research Lab, up to 20 hours per week
    • Trainees identify and begin work with a thesis advisor at RIT
  • Summer Term
    • UR Research Lab, 35 hours per week.
  • Year 2 Fall & Spring Terms
    • UR Research Lab, up to 20 hours per week
    • Trainees continue their thesis research but also perform research in a UR laboratory.

First Year

  • Individual Ph.D. Readiness Team Meetings each semester
  • Deaf Hub Explores Perspectives Seminar Series
  • Professional Development Seminar Series
  • Peer Mentoring Group Meetings
  • Research Assistantship at RIT Laboratory
  • Attendance at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS)
  • Fall UR Course: Ethics and Professional Integrity in Research
  • Writing Workshop


First Summer

  • 10 week Research Assistantship at UR Laboratory


Second Year

  • Individual Ph.D. Readiness Team Meetings each semester
  • Deaf Hub Explores Perspectives Seminar Series
  • Professional Development Seminar Series
  • Peer Mentoring Group Meetings
  • Research Assistantships at UR Laboratories
  • Present at a discipline-based professional conference


Second Summer

  • 10 week Research Assistantship at UR Laboratory

Degree Programs

With the Rochester Bridges to the Doctorate program, getting a doctorate is possible now more than ever.

To become Bridges trainees, students must be accepted to a RIT master’s program (listed below). During their time at RIT, Bridges trainees will begin preparations to apply for a Ph.D. program in a biomedical or behavioral science discipline. Programs from our partner institution, University of Rochester, are listed below, but we also encourage trainees to submit multiple PhD applications nationwide as they prepare for careers as university professors, laboratory directors, or research scientists.

 

RIT Masters of Science Programs

The following programs offer training relevant to biomedical or behavioral science fields:

College of Computing & Information Science


College of Engineering

College of Health Science and Technology


College of Liberal Arts

College of Science


Office of the Provost

University of Rochester Doctoral Programs

Bridges trainees have the opportunity to take courses and work in laboratories within the following UR Doctral Programs during their master’s training at RIT:

School of Medicine & Dentistry programs

Hajim School of Engineering And School Arts & Sciences programs

FAQs

Deaf and hard-of-hearing RIT master’s degree students who are accepted into the Rochester Bridges to the Doctorate program.

Two to three trainees will be accepted into the program each year.

You can apply through email. It is preferred you do so after you have been accepted to one of RIT’s masters programs in behavioral or biomedical science that we accept under the Bridges Program. However, you are able to apply to the Bridges Program at the same time you are applying to one of RIT’s MS programs, with the understanding that your application will not be reviewed until we have all of the required paperwork including an acceptance letter from RIT Graduate Admissions.

Unfortunately, this National Institute of General Medical Sciences grant only supports US Citizens and permanent residents.

In addition to the application materials required, you should be available for video conference interviews, and be ready to respond to e-mails as soon as possible.

The Bridges trainees must:

  • Maintain a GPA of 3.5 or above
  • Commit to continue their graduate training in a doctoral program in a biomedical or behavioral science discipline
  • Participate in all of the required Bridges activities
  • Travel to professional conferences

Funding is for up to two years per Bridges trainee, contingent upon the trainee’s satisfactory performance in their program and in Bridges.

This program provides:

  • Interpreting services
  • Tutoring support
  • Travel coordination and expenses
  • Funds for books and supplies for UR courses/research needs ($1000 per year)
  • Paid research assistantships in labs at RIT and URMC, currently $27,144 annually
  • Partial tuition waiver ($16,000 annually per trainee)

Yes, you must attend RIT for your master’s degree. 

All Bridges trainees are expected to go for doctoral training but not necessarily at the UR. However, the Bridges program will give the trainees opportunities to begin working in laboratories at UR and take UR doctoral courses there to get to know the UR faculty. The transition to doctoral training at UR might be more streamlined than at another university. If trainees are accepted at UR, they might be able to continue to working in the same laboratory and continue to receive support from the same Bridges personnel who work at the UR.

Yes.  Throughout their time in the program, all Bridges trainees are expected to work 12-15 hours per week in research laboratories, and up to 35 hours weekly during the summer.

It is likely that if a Bridges trainee receives more than one C, they will be asked to leave the Bridges program (but might be able to remain in the RIT Master’s program). An A/B average is acceptable, but an A average is preferable to maximize the trainee's chance to successfully enter a doctoral program.

While many biomedical and behavioral science Ph.D. programs do not require a master’s for admission, having a master’s degree in your chosen discipline from RIT will likely not shorten the length of time or credits required for your chosen Ph.D. program.