Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group

The Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group administers granting of M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in biochemistry whether the research is conducted within the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics or in other cooperating departments. The program of study is flexible, accommodating students with a wide range of backgrounds, including genetics, microbiology, physics, and medicine as well as the traditional chemistry, biochemistry, and biology degrees. The graduate program is structured to aid students in the successful completion of their graduate training in biochemistry by providing access to leading researchers in biochemistry and related fields, offering a core curriculum, seminars, and teaching and research opportunities.

The core curriculum is broad and students are expected to specialize through appropriate choice of advanced courses from the many offerings taught by faculty in their areas of research expertise. Students in either the M.S. or Ph.D. degree program take the two-semester, comprehensive, core biochemistry courses Biochemistry I and II, and the one semester Molecular Biophysics course. All students are expected to attend the weekly graduate student seminar and individual research group meetings. For the M.S. degree, students must complete 22 to 24 hours of course work and do research leading to a satisfactory thesis. Admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. requires satisfactory performance in the two core biochemistry courses, and, early in the second year, preparation and defense of a research proposal on a topic selected by the student in consultation with their supervisory committee. This defense serves as the preliminary examination for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. Approximately 30 to 40 hours of course work are required for the Ph.D. in addition to research for a satisfactory dissertation.

The Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group offers teaching and research opportunities to students. Graduate students teach a variety of courses and assist with labs in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. In the graduate program, research is viewed as a cooperative effort in which graduate students learn to design and execute significant experiments by interaction with faculty, postdoctoral research associates, and fellow graduate students. Whereas the growth of each graduate student is supported by this team effort, the program encourages and guides students towards the achievement of a self-sustaining capability and independence, qualities that are necessary for the continuing in the learning, teaching, and researching of biochemical topics. Success in achieving that goal is apparent in the activities of our graduates.