Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (MS)

13_lab_work

Admission Requirements

All applications must be submitted online to the Graduate School. 

Only complete applications will be reviewed. A complete application must have all the following:

  • Transcripts of all course work
  • At least two letters of recommendation, preferably from faculty in biology and/or chemistry
  • A personal statement of interest

Selection Process

Applications will be reviewed by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Executive Committee of the Department. We use a holistic review process and use the GPA and experience to select applicants we feel will be successful in our program.

Final decisions for admissions will be made in April-May of each year.

Program Requirements

Program Core18
BIOC 606Biochemistry Seminar1
BIOC 630Responsible Conduct of Research: Survival Skills and Research Ethics1
BIOC 645Advanced Biochemistry I4
BIOC 647Advanced Biochemistry II4
BIOC 668Molecular Biology4
Students complete one of the following options:12
MS Thesis Option
Electives (6 credit hours)
Ten (10) credit hours from the following:
BIOC 613Biochemistry Laboratory2-4
BIOC 619Research1-15
MS Non-Thesis Option: Laboratory-Based
BIOC 611Techniques in Biomolecular Interactions4
BIOC 613Biochemistry Laboratory4
Electives4
MS Non-Thesis Option: Course-Based
Two from the following:
BIOC 670Biomedical Genetics and Genomics3-5
BIOC 675Cancer Biology4
BIOC 661Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicology3
BIOC 663High-Throughput Sequencing Data Analysis3
Electives (inside or outside BIOC), 8+ credit hours 1
Minimum Total Hours30-32
1

Laboratory work (BIOC 613) may be considered an elective to count towards the non-thesis, course-based degree option.


Thesis/Final Paper

Thesis 
A MS research thesis is required for the thesis option. Students, with the consent of their committee, may choose between a traditional research thesis format or a thesis in which the methods and results sections are replaced by manuscripts ready for submission for publication in a refereed journal.

In either case, the thesis must conform to the Graduate School Standards for Preparation of Theses and Dissertations

Paper
A paper based on literature research or laboratory research (rotation research) is required for the non-thesis, lab option. The topic will be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and the paper evaluated by two faculty. 

A paper based on literature research is required for the non-thesis, coursework option. The topic will be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and the paper evaluated by two faculty. 


Schedule of Course Offerings

Plan of Study Grid
Year 1
FallHours
BIOC 611 Techniques in Biomolecular Interactions 4
BIOC 645 Advanced Biochemistry I (Required) 4
BIOC 648 Journal Club in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics 1
BIOC 663 High-Throughput Sequencing Data Analysis (Elective) 3
BIOC 670 Biomedical Genetics and Genomics (Elective) 3 or 5
BIOC 680 Biomolecular Interactions (Elective) 2
BIOC 606 Biochemistry Seminar (Required) 1
BIOC 603 Special Topics in Biochemistry (Elective) 1-4
BIOC 613 Biochemistry Laboratory (Required for lab-based option) 2-4
BIOC 619 Research (Required for thesis-based option) 1-9
 Hours18-20
Spring
BIOC 603 Special Topics in Biochemistry 1-4
BIOC 606 Biochemistry Seminar 1
BIOC 613 Biochemistry Laboratory (Required for lab-based option) 2-4
BIOC 619 Research (Required for thesis-based option) 1-9
BIOC 647 Advanced Biochemistry II (Required) 4
BIOC 675 Cancer Biology (Elective) 4
BIOC 630 Responsible Conduct of Research: Survival Skills and Research Ethics (Required) 1
BIOC 661 Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicology (Elective) 3
BIOC 667 Cell Biology (Elective) 3
BIOC 668 Molecular Biology (Required) 4
 Hours19
 Minimum Total Hours37-39