Program Overview

Introduction to the Molecular Biology & Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program

The Molecular Biology & Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program is designed for students seeking to understand and explain biological processes in chemical, biological, and genetic terms. This interdisciplinary program combines expertise from diverse traditional disciplines, directing them along converging experimental lines.

Vision and Mission

• Provide education and training to students in molecular techniques to study biological and chemical processes, structures, and functions.
• Promote interdisciplinary partnerships, merging techniques and perspectives across traditional disciplines.
• Prepare students for careers in applied biological sciences in industry, academia, and government.

Academic Offerings

The Molecular Biology & Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program (MBIL-ILS) offers curricula leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in areas such as biochemistry, molecular genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, bioinformatics, and microbiology. Because research is central in both the M.S. and Ph.D. curricula, early selection of a research adviser is required.

Admission Criteria

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact at least three individual program faculty before applying to identify a prospective advisor and laboratory in which to pursue graduate research. The selection process weighs previous course records and GPA standings (typically a minimum of 3.3/4.0), TOEFL scores of foreign applicants (typically a minimum of 550 on the paper-based or 213 on the computer-based), a letter of interest from the applicant that identifies faculty laboratories of interest, and three letters of reference regarding research performance or potential.

Degree Requirements

• M.S. Degree: Students with a B.S. degree in one of the disciplines listed above can expect to earn the M.S. degree in about 30 credits, including at least 6 credits of thesis research.
• Ph.D. Degree: The Ph.D. degree can be earned in about 30 to 40 credits of formal coursework, plus additional thesis research credits, for a minimum total of 75 credits beyond the B.S. The Ph.D. program in molecular biology is designed to facilitate an interdisciplinary approach to graduate research, utilizing both traditional techniques and the latest advances in biotechnology and recombinant DNA methodology. Participants in this program will take core courses in biochemistry, molecular biology, and cell biology. Subsequent coursework will be tailored for the individual student, depending upon their research emphasis.

Comprehensive Examinations

Ph.D. degree candidates will successfully complete a written and oral qualifying examination based on their proposed research and the subject matter in the core courses at the end of the first year of study. Ph.D. candidates will subsequently complete a comprehensive written examination and oral examination approximately at the end of the second year of study.

Final Thesis Defense

A final, formal presentation and oral defense of the original research documented in the M.S. or Ph.D. thesis completes the degree requirements.

Minors

The MBIL-ILS Program also offers formal minors in molecular biology or bioinformatics. The bioinformatics minor is jointly offered with the Department of Computer Science and consists of 9 credit hours for Master's students and 12 credit hours for Ph.D. students. The courses selected will depend on whether the student is majoring in a biological or non-biological science and include courses from the graduate Computer Science and Molecular Biology curricula.

Master's Accelerated Program

Details about the Master's Accelerated Program are available upon inquiry with the Molecular Biology & Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program office.