Cellular and Molecular Biology, MS
Program Overview
Overview of the Cellular and Molecular Biology Program
The University of WisconsinMadison offers a research-oriented interdisciplinary program in Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB) leading to the PhD degree. Although a master's degree is officially offered, students are not admitted into the CMB Program for a terminal master's degree. The program is renowned for its cooperation and collaboration across department boundaries, providing students with the opportunity to work with over 190 faculty members in 40 departments.
Admissions
This masters program is offered for work leading to the PhD. Students may not apply directly for the masters and should instead refer to the admissions information for the PhD.
Funding
The Bursars Office provides information about tuition and fees associated with being a graduate student. Resources to help afford graduate study include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum degree requirements and policies, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Major Requirements
Mode of Instruction
The mode of instruction for this program is face-to-face.
Curricular Requirements
- Minimum Credit Requirement: 30 credits
- Minimum Residence Credit Requirement: 16 credits
- Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement: 30 credits must be graduate-level coursework.
- Overall Graduate GPA Requirement: 3.00 GPA required.
- Other Grade Requirements: n/a
- Assessments and Examinations: See PhD requirements.
- Language Requirements: No language requirements.
Required Courses
All Cellular and Molecular Biology course requirements must be completed by the end of the student's second year, before completing the preliminary exam and obtaining dissertator status.
- Students must complete 11 credits from the following categories:
- Molecular Biology Core: At minimum, complete one of the following:
- BIOCHEM/GENETICS/MD GENET 620: Eukaryotic Molecular Biology
- BIOCHEM/GENETICS/MICROBIO 612: Prokaryotic Molecular Biology
- ONCOLOGY/M M & I/PL PATH 640: General Virology-Multiplication of Viruses
- Cell Biology Core: At minimum, complete one of the following:
- BOTANY 860: Plant Cell Biology
- ZOOLOGY/NEURODPT 765: Developmental Neuroscience
- PATH 750: Cellular and Molecular Biology/Pathology
- ONCOLOGY 703: Carcinogenesis and Tumor Cell Biology
- GENETICS/CRB 710: Developmental Genetics
- GENETICS/BOTANY/M M & I/PL PATH 655: Biology and Genetics of Fungi
- Ethics Core: At minimum, complete 1 credit from the following:
- BIOCHEM 729: Advanced Topics
- ONCOLOGY 715: Ethics in Science
- COMP BIO/PATH-BIO 812: Research Ethics and Career Development
- Elective Courses: Students may complete elective courses or additional courses from above to satisfy the 11-credit course requirement.
- B M E 510: Introduction to Tissue Engineering
- B M E 520: Stem Cell Bioengineering
- B M E/CBE 783: Design of Biological Molecules
- B M E/CRB 670: Biology of Heart Disease and Regeneration
- B M E 545: Engineering Extracellular Matrices
- B M E 556: Systems Biology: Mammalian Signaling Networks
- B M I/COMP SCI 576: Introduction to Bioinformatics
- B M I/STAT 541: Introduction to Biostatistics
- B M I/STAT 877: Statistical Methods for Molecular Biology
- B M I 826: Special Topics in Biostatistics and Biomedical Informatics
- BIOCHEM/B M I/BMOLCHEM/MATH 609: Mathematical Methods for Systems Biology
- BOTANY/BIOCHEM/GENETICS 840: Regulatory Mechanisms in Plant Development
- BIOCHEM/BOTANY 621: Plant Biochemistry
- BIOCHEM/NUTR SCI 619: Advanced Nutrition: Intermediary Metabolism of Macronutrients
- BIOCHEM 601: Protein and Enzyme Structure and Function
- BMOLCHEM 675: Advanced or Special Topics in Biomolecular Chemistry
- BOTANY/ENTOM/PL PATH 505: Plant-Microbe Interactions: Molecular and Ecological Aspects
- BOTANY/PL PATH 563: Phylogenetic Analysis of Molecular Data
- CHEM 665: Biophysical Chemistry
- CRB/MEDICINE 701: Cell Signaling and Human Disease
- CRB 640: Fundamentals of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology
- CRB 650: Molecular and Cellular Organogenesis
- F&W ECOL/STAT 571: Statistical Methods for Bioscience I
- PLANTSCI 550: Molecular Approaches for Crop Improvement
- GENETICS/MD GENET 677: Advanced Topics in Genetics
- GENETICS/BIOCHEM 631: Plant Genetics and Development
- GENETICS 633: Population Genetics
- GENETICS 885: Advanced Genomic and Proteomic Analysis
- M M & I/PATH-BIO 528: Immunology
- M M & I 740: Mechanisms of Microbial Pathogenesis
- MICROBIO 657: Bioinformatics for Microbiologists
- NEURODPT/NTP/PSYCH 611: Systems Neuroscience
- M M & I/PATH-BIO 750: Host-Parasite Relationships in Vertebrate Viral Disease
- MED PHYS 671: Selected Topics in Medical Physics
- MICROBIO/BMOLCHEM 668: Microbiology at Atomic Resolution
- ONCOLOGY 675: Advanced or Special Topics in Cancer Research
- ONCOLOGY 778: Bioinformatics for Biologists
- OPHTHALM 750: Ocular Diseases of the Mammalian Vision System
- PATH 751: Biology of Aging
- PATH 803: Pathogenesis of Major Human Diseases
- PATH 807: Immunopathology: The Immune System in Health and Disease
- PATH-BIO 675: Special Topics
- ZOOLOGY 604: Computer-based Gene and Disease/Disorder Research Lab
- Molecular Biology Core: At minimum, complete one of the following:
- Research Requirement: A minimum of 30 credits taken in graduate-level courses are required, including the 11 credits above and 19 credits of 990 research credits.
Graduate School Policies
The Graduate Schools Academic Policies and Procedures serve as the official document of record for Graduate School academic and administrative policies and procedures.
Major-Specific Policies
Prior Coursework
The program refers to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy for graduate credits earned at other institutions, undergraduate credits earned at other institutions or UW-Madison, credits earned as a professional student at UW-Madison, and credits earned as a University Special student at UWMadison.
Probation
Refer to the Graduate School: Probation policy.
Advisor / Committee
The thesis advisor will assist the graduate student throughout their studies. The student and thesis advisor should work together to ensure mutual goals and expectations are met. After joining a thesis lab, students are required to form a thesis committee consisting of five faculty members, including the thesis advisor.
Credits Per Term Allowed
15 credit maximum. Refer to the Graduate School: Maximum Credit Loads and Overload Requests policy.
Time Limits
Refer to the Graduate School: Time Limits policy.
Grievances and Appeals
If a student feels unfairly treated or aggrieved by faculty, staff, or another student, the University offers several avenues to resolve the grievance. The student should first speak with the person toward whom the grievance is directed. If satisfactory resolution is not achieved, the student should contact the CMB Office and the CMB Program Chair.
Professional Development
Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.
Learning Outcomes
The program aims to achieve the following learning outcomes:
- Gain a broad understanding of the cellular and molecular principles that underlie biological processes.
- Develop proficiency in a chosen area of cellular and molecular biology.
- Learn to think critically and problem solve to address research challenges using a broad range of theories, research methods, and approaches to scientific inquiry.
- Create research and scholarship that makes a substantive contribution to the field of cellular and molecular biology.
- Experience collaboration with scientists within the lab, the department, the program, the university, and beyond.
- Clearly and effectively communicate scientific ideas and research to both scientists and non-scientists in written and oral forms.
- Exhibit and foster ethical and professional conduct.
- Gain exposure to potential career paths and develop leadership and professional skills that will prepare them for a successful and rewarding career.
- Develop and apply skills to foster a climate of inclusion for diverse members of the scientific community.