Doctor of Philosophy in Natural Sciences: Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from this program will:
As part of the Natural Sciences Ph.D. program, students in a primary discipline of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry must meet the minimum Ph.D. program requirements. These can be found within the main program page and subsequent requirement pages.
Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Please see the School of Graduate Studies web page for the contact information for the discipline Coordinator. To view all doctoral and graduate faculty in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, see this web page.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet both the general and the discipline-specific criteria for admission and be recommended for admission by the faculty review group. Upon approval by the graduate dean, students are admitted to the School of Graduate Studies.
Please see the website for updated application deadlines.
A cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) on all college work for bachelor's degree or post-baccalaureate work. New students selecting Molecular Biology and Biochemistry as their primary discipline will normally only be admitted in the fall term.
Qualifying Requirements for Full Admission
Minimum of 16 hours of approved graduate coursework at UMKC toward the Ph.D. program with a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. International students must establish English proficiency.
Core Coursework Requirements
Students with a Molecular Biology and Biochemistry primary discipline will complete a minimum of 48 credit hours for the degree. This includes at least 12 hours in the primary discipline, 9 hours outside the primary discipline, 12 hours of additional electives, and at least 15 hours of dissertation credit in the primary discipline.
At least 23 credit hours, including the core courses, should be completed by the end of the second academic year after admission to the graduate program on a full-time basis. Individual arrangements will be made for part-time students.
Primary Discipline
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum of 12 credit hours of coursework with the primary area, 9 hours outside the primary discipline, 12 hours of electives, and 15 dissertation hours. | ||
| Primary Coursework | 12 | |
| Advanced Experimental Molecular Biology I | ||
| Seminar in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry | ||
| Analytical Methods in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry | ||
| Proposal Writing | ||
Electives* (4 hours, see the list below of suggested courses) | ||
| Coursework Outside of Primary Discipline | 9 | |
| Advanced Experimental Cell Biology II | ||
| Seminar in Cell Biology and Biophysics | ||
Electives* (6 hours, see the list below of suggested courses) | ||
| Additional Electives | 12 | |
| Dissertation | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 48 | |
Total Credit Hours: 48
*Suggested elective courses for primary and outside-the-primary discipline coursework
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| LS-CBB 5520 | Advanced Principles of Cell Biology | 3 |
| LS-CBB 5523 | Advanced Principles of Genetics | 3 |
| LS-MBB 5530 | Advanced Principles of Molecular Biology | 3 |
| LS-MBB 5561 | Advanced Principles of Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIOLOGY 5514 | Graduate Biostatistics 1 | 3 |
| BIOLOGY 5525 | Bioinformatics and Data Analysis | 3 |
Secondary Discipline
Students with a Molecular Biology and Biochemistry secondary discipline will complete a minimum of 10 credit hours in the discipline.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum of 10 credit hours | 10 | |
| LS-MBB 5530 | Advanced Principles of Molecular Biology | 3 |
| LS-MBB 5561 | Advanced Principles of Biochemistry | 3 |
| LS-MBB 5611 | Seminar in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry | 1 |
| Electives - at least 3 hours | 3 | |
Other Discipline-Specific Special Requirements
Research
The Division of Biological and Biomedical Systems offers research opportunities in many areas of modern life sciences that address problems of basic life processes at the cellular, subcellular and molecular levels. Graduate studies offered with primary participation of the faculty in the Division of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry are based on the belief that training for research can be best accomplished by having an appropriate breadth of background coursework, combined with a depth of specialization in a particular research area. The faculty have established guidelines that have a minimum of formal requirements so that students have the flexibility to advance at a pace consistent with development of the individual. Diligence, creativity and independent thinking are the qualities desired in the candidate's dissertation work.
Teaching
As part of their graduate training, all Ph.D. students with Molecular Biology and Biochemistry as the primary discipline participate in the teaching program of the Division of Biological and Biomedical systems. This is an important component of preparation for a career in academia or other institutions and aids in the development of effective communication skills.
Course Restrictions
5700-level courses may not be used to satisfy Molecular Biology and Biochemistry discipline-specific course requirements.
Retention in the Program
For students with this primary discipline, no more than one C grade in a core course, and no D or F grades, are permitted. A student who receives more than one C grade will be recommended for termination from the doctoral program. A student who receives a D or F grade will be dropped from the program.
Each student must assemble a supervisory committee that is required to meet with the student at least once a year. The committee consists of at least three doctoral faculty chosen by the student in addition to the research mentor. After the yearly meeting, each student receives a written evaluation of his or her status and a report is placed in the student's file.
Comprehensive Examinations
To advance to Ph.D. candidacy, the student must pass a Comprehensive Exam. Full-time students with Molecular Biology and Biochemistry as their primary discipline must take their comprehensive examination before the beginning of the third academic year after admission to Ph.D. study. Part-time Ph.D. students in this primary discipline must complete their comprehensive examination immediately after completion of the 23-hour course requirement on their Ph.D. plan of study. This exam will be administered by the student's supervisory committee and will test the student's knowledge of background material, as well as the student's ability to analyze and interpret information and solve problems.
Written Portion
The written examination for students who have Molecular Biology and Biochemistry as their primary discipline consists of an NIH-style grant proposal that the student will prepare. The topic of the research proposal will be determined by the student in consultation with the student's supervisory committee.
Oral Portion
The oral examination also has two aspects: (1) questions covering the grant proposal prepared by the student for the written examination and (2) other related material in the student's area of specialization, including fundamental knowledge of the discipline(s).
Dissertation
Each student is required to write a dissertation to conclude the program of study in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. The Plan of Study, including a description of the proposed thesis research, should be submitted to and approved by the supervisory committee prior to completion of the comprehensive exam. The student is required to submit all other dissertation forms required by the School of Graduate Studies (list of forms available here), and upon completion, to pass an oral defense of the dissertation.