Achievement

Course Work. IGERT Trainees are required to take additional five to seven courses including one on ethics, in addition to those required for their doctoral research. The multi-disciplinary field of study continues enrich and enhance the scholarship of all of the trainees. New courses have been added to the curriculum to replace those that are no longer offered, or those for which the students believe are relevant and helpful to their research. The addition of the ethics course to the curriculum continues to reinforce the values and standards expected by the students and their departments. This is especially true since not all science and engineering doctoral programs require a course in ethics.

Initially some of the new trainees are intimidated by the extra course work but once they get more involved with their research, the students will somewhat reluctantly recognize that a broader foundation is more of a benefit than an impediment.