Program Overview

MEES Graduate Program Overview

The MEES Graduate Program encompasses research topics that include current molecular approaches to study biodiversity, bioremediation, food chains, discovery of drugs and enzymes from marine microbes and macroorganisms, sustainable aquaculture, biofuels, biogeochemistry of carbon cycling, and genomics/metabolomics of marine organisms. An entrepreneurship program is available for translation of scientific research into start-up businesses through development of business plans and formation of biotechnology start-up companies.

Prerequisites

• A Bachelor's degree in the natural sciences, life sciences, bioengineering, or related discipline, including a minimum grade of C in the following:
  • 2 Introductory science courses
    • Introductory science courses are defined as 100 and 200 level courses, generally taken in students’ freshmen or sophomore years in college.
  • 2 Advanced science courses
    • Advanced science courses are defined as 300 and 400 level courses, generally taken in students’ junior or senior years in college.
  • 2 Quantitative courses
    • Quantitative courses can be Calculus-level math (or higher), computer programming, or statistics courses.
  • 2 Foundation-relevant courses
    • At least one of these must be an advanced science course.

Courses & Other Requirements (M.S. & Ph.D)

1. Foundational Course: MEES 680 - Cell and Molecular Biology for Environmental Scientists - Genes to Ecosystems
2. A minimum of three Professional Development courses including:
   • MEES 601 (formerly MEES 609A) - Applied Environmental Science (*required)
3. One Issue Study Group
4. Elective courses approved by the student's advisory committee

Degree Requirements

• Students seeking a M.S. degree must take a minimum of 30 credits with 24 credits of course work and 6 credits of graduate research. Of the 24 course credits, 12 of them must be at the 600 level or higher.
• Students seeking a Ph.D. must complete a minimum of 36 credits, with at least 24 credits of course work and 12 credits of dissertation research. At least twelve credits of course work must be at the 600 level or above.

Research Areas

The program encompasses various research areas, including:

• Biodiversity
• Bioremediation
• Food chains
• Discovery of drugs and enzymes from marine microbes and macroorganisms
• Sustainable aquaculture
• Biofuels
• Biogeochemistry of carbon cycling
• Genomics/metabolomics of marine organisms

Program Structure

The MEES Graduate Program is structured to provide students with a comprehensive education in environmental science, including foundational courses, professional development courses, issue study groups, and elective courses. The program also offers an entrepreneurship component, allowing students to translate their research into start-up businesses.