Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, M.S.
Minimum Totals for Graduation: 30 hours
The Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology (BCMB) at Central Michigan University is an interdepartmental program that provides scientific training in biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology.
Admission Requirements, Retention & Termination Standards
Students do not do rotations among multiple labs in the BCMB program; rather, students need to confirm a match with a faculty mentor prior to final acceptance in the program. You are encouraged to email BCMB faculty members during the Fall semester to learn if they are taking new students, to describe why your experience and interests are a good match for their lab, and/or to ask more about their research programs. Faculty often ask students to meet for an interview to determine if the student will be a good match for the lab. Students are encouraged to independently try to match with a faculty mentor before they submit their application, but a second option is to submit your application with a list of 3 faculty whose research interests you. If a faculty member is interested, they will contact you.
Preference will be given to applications received by January 10 in order to be considered for admission into the program the following fall semester. In some cases, applications may be considered after the January 10 deadline provided that the prospective student has secured a match with a faculty mentor, and the mentor has requested an exception to the standard admissions timeline.
Application materials must be submitted to the Admissions online portal and must include:
- CMU graduate application;
- official college transcripts;
- A statement of purpose explaining (1) how graduate study will aid in your plans for your future occupation or profession, (2) any substantial research experience (independent or class-based), focusing on one specific project, (3) describe the reasons you are interested in the specific research projects of the requested labs, (4) any opportunities or challenges you have encountered in your pursuit of an education, especially if they may have affected your academic performance or strength of your application;
- CV/Resume;
- Three letters of recommendation that address your research ability, academic ability, communication skills, and ability to work with other people. Applicants should ask their recommenders to address these points in their letter.
Candidates are expected to hold a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in biology, biochemistry, chemistry or a related area of science, with a GPA of 3.0.
International students must meet the requirements for regular admission. For English proficiency requirements, see the CMU English Language Standards in the current Graduate Bulletin.
Students admitted for a master's degree in BCMB must have a faculty mentor approved, and the faculty member must provide a plan for financial support, which may include a teaching or research assistantship. In some cases, a separate application with its own deadline may apply. Students should check with their faculty mentors.
Although no specific undergraduate major is required, students enrolled in the program should have an adequate background in basic sciences including biology, chemistry, and mathematics. Normally, coursework should include the following topics:
- General Chemistry (1 year)
- Biochemistry (1 semester)
- Pre-calculus (1 semester)
- Cell or Molecular Biology (1 semester)
- Organic Chemistry (2 semesters)
- Genetics (1 semester)
- Statistics (1 semester)
Under special circumstances, students who have not completed all these prerequisites may be admitted provided that any deficiencies are corrected at the beginning of their graduate studies.
An evaluation of each student's background will be carried out during the first semester of enrollment by the student's mentor. This evaluation will be used to determine the plan of study including elective coursework.
Students must form a thesis committee within the first semester of graduate work; this committee will include the faculty mentor plus two additional faculty members. Student progress will be assessed using the BCMB student rubric at mandatory biannual meetings between each student and the thesis committee. Each student will defend the final thesis in a public presentation summarizing research results followed by an oral defense. The public presentation and defense of the thesis will be judged and voted on by the committee and must be approved by the Office of Graduate Studies. All BCMB students will be encouraged to publish their results in scientific journals and to present their work at professional conferences. It is anticipated that full-time students will complete the program in two years.
Program Overview
The BCMB M.S. is a research-intensive master's degree in which students are trained by conducting research under the guidance of a faculty mentor to complete a thesis. The program includes a set of core courses to develop specialized knowledge in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology that will be augmented by elective courses in the student's area of interest.
Program Requirements
Required Courses I (10-11 hours)
| SCI 710 | Biomolecular Structure and Function-Proteins and Nucleic Acids | 4(4-0) |
| SCI 720 | Advances in Cell/Molecular Biology and Genetics | 4(4-0) |
| SCI 731 | Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Colloquium | 1-2(Spec) |
| SCI 740 | Research Ethics and Responsible Conduct of Research | 1(1-0) |
Required Courses II (1-4 hours)
| SCI 760 | Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Student Seminar | 1-12(Spec) |
Electives (6-10 hours)
Select from the following in consultation with the student's advisor and committee:
| SCI 750 | Directed Research in Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology | 1-30(Spec) |
| SCI 770 | Careers in Biomedical Sciences | 1(1-0) |
| | Biology: 500-700 level BIO courses | |
| | Chemistry: 500-600 level CHM courses | |
| | Mathematics and Statistics: 500-700 level MTH and STA courses | |
Other graduate-level courses recommended by the advisor and approved by the committee.
Thesis (9 hours)
Total: 30 semester hours