Cellular and Molecular Biology, M.S.

A. CMB Core Courses (13 units)

• BCH 705 - Molecular Genetics (3 units)
• CMB 701 - Laboratory Practicum I (3 units)
• CMB 710 - Molecular Cell Biology (3 units)
• CMB 790 - Graduate Seminar (1 unit) (2 units required)
• CMB 794A-F Colloquium OR
• BCH 794 - Colloquium  OR 
• BIOL 794 - Colloquia  OR
• CMPP 794 - Colloquium  (2 units)

B. Additional Course Requirements

• PHAR 725 - Ethics and Scientific Research (2 units) (fall of even years only)
• Statistics (if not previously taken)

C. Electives

• BCH 605 - Molecular Biology (3 units)
• BCH 610 - Plant Physiology (3 units)
• BCH 617 - Metabolic Regulation (3 units)
• BCH 687 - Systems-Based Approaches in Biochemistry (3 units)
• BCH 703 - Grant Writing for Molecular Biosciences (2 units)
• BCH 706 - Functional Genomics (3 units)
• BCH 707 - Protein Structure and Function (3 units)
• BCH 709 - Introduction to Bioinformatics (3 units)
• BCH 718 - Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (3 units)
• BCH 740 - Enzymology (3 units)

• Biology Courses

• BIOL 604 - Population Genetics (3 units)
• BIOL 615 - Evolution (4 units)
• BIOL 654 - Genomic Conflict, Epigenetics & Human Disease (3 units)
• BIOL 656 - Molecular Basis of Epigenetics (3 units)
• BIOL 666 - Developmental Biology (3 units)
• BIOL 675 - Neurobiology (3 units)
• BIOL 677 - Genes, Brain, and Behavior (3 units)
• BIOL 682 - Cell Biology of Disease (3 units)
• CMB 793 - Independent Study (1 to 6 units)

• Chemistry Courses

  The Chemistry Department offers courses of interest to some students.

• Microbiology Courses

• MICR 653 - Immunology (3 units)
• MICR 670 - Microbial Pathogenesis (3 units)
• MICR 700 - Biotechnology Today and Tomorrow (2 units)
• MICR 780 - Introductory Cellular Immunology (3 units)

D. Thesis (6 units)

• CHS 797 - Thesis (1 to 6 units)

E. Additional Program Requirements

During the first year of residence in the CMB program students will complete their laboratory rotations. These are designed to expose students to research in cellular and molecular biology and to aid them in selecting an advisor. Normally, the number of rotations is three.  Rotations can vary in length from a month to a semester.  However, if a student has a Masters degree, this may be reduced to one rotation, usually in their home laboratory.

Before the third semester of residence in the CMB program, each student must select, in consultation with the CMB program director and the desired faculty member, a research/thesis advisor from among the CMB faculty. Selection depends on a mutual agreement between the student and the desired advisor, and the program can not guarantee the availability of any particular advisor. This advisor will serve as chair of the student’s advisory/examination committee.

Academic requirements as determined by the Graduate School and the Program will be met by all CMB students. Required courses will be chosen from core and elective courses as outlined above.  The final decision on courses to be taken is made by each individual student’s advisory/examination committee, and approval by the CMB director.

All students working toward the doctoral degree must pass a comprehensive examination before the end of year 2 in which the student independently proposes a research project in the form of a written research grant proposal. Following acceptance of the written proposal by an examining committee, the proposal must be defended orally before the committee. All doctoral degree candidates must present a public seminar of their thesis research and pass an oral defense of the dissertation. Candidates for the M.D. /Ph.D. degree must meet the requirements as outlined in the M.D. /Ph.D. program.