MCB Degree Requirements

Graduate Student Handbook and MOU

General Procedures
- Admission
- Student Progress and Graduation
- Stipends and Other Financial Support
Specific Requirements
- Research Adviser
- Doctoral Advisory Committee
- Coursework
- Additional Courses Required by Home Departments
- Demonstration of Competency
- Grades
- Research Proposal
- Comprehensive Examinations
- Teaching Requirement
- Financial Support
- Scholarly Disciplines
- Dissertation Defense
- Probation and Remediation
- Academic Misconduct

90 credit hours (30 graded credits of course work) are needed to complete the Ph.D. degree, unless entering with a previously earned MS degree in a related field. A student entering the program with an earned MS degree is required to complete a minimum of 24 graded credit hours of graduate coursework. Required core curriculum for MCB students consists of:
- Biochemistry - CHEM 5901 (4 credits) and CHEM 5902 (4 credits)
- Biological Research and Science Ethics – PBIO 5170 (1 credit)
- Molecular Biology - MCB 7200 (3 credits)
- Bioinformatics – Genomics Laboratory – MCB 5280 (3 credits) or Problem Solving with Bioinformatics Tools – MCB 5160 (3 credits)
- Advanced Cell Biology - MCB 7600 (3 credits)
- Writing in the Life Sciences - PBIO 5180 (3 credits)
- Seminar in Molecular and Cellular Biology - MCB 7410 (1 credit)
Written Comprehensive Exam
Oral Comprehensive Exam
Teaching Requirement of 2 full semester assignments (excluding Chemistry and Biochemistry Dept.)
Written Dissertation and oral defense.

Culminating Experience: Written Dissertation and oral defense.