Biology Graduate Programs
Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics
A minimum of 84 credit hours of instruction is required for the MBB Ph.D. Students should consult the section "Transfer Credits" in the Graduate Bulletin for rules on how many credit hours may be transferred from another institution. Completion of an M.S. degree is not normally required for admission to the Ph.D. program. Students must complete the 21 credit hours of core courses and at least five additional courses from the list of electives.
Each graduate student must take and pass the written Ph.D. qualifying examination in order to enter into candidacy for the doctorate. Each student, in addition, will be required to pass a comprehensive examination (which serves partly as an oral defense of the thesis proposal) taken prior to performing the major portion of the dissertation research, and in any event, prior to the sixth semester of study and at least one year before oral defense of the thesis. The final examination for the Ph.D. degree consists of an oral presentation and defense of the dissertation.
The Ph.D. program is tailored to fit the student's background and goals and is subject to approval at the time of filing of the program of study (Form 401). The program of study must include at least 36 credit hours in formal courses (exclusive of BIOL 591 and BIOL 691).
Required Courses
All students will be required to take the following core courses, or have equivalent background:
Core Courses
Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics students, in consultation with their academic adviser, choose the remainder of their formal coursework from the following courses:
Elective Courses
Other courses may be prescribed by the adviser/thesis committee according to the student's individual needs for the program of study. All research for the dissertation must be carried out under the direct supervision of a faculty research adviser who will also act as the candidate's academic adviser.