Official Policy Manual of the Interdisciplinary Molecular Biosciences Ph.D. Program
Section
Goals of the Program
Admission
Retention
Graduation
Curriculum
Dissertation Topic and Committee Composition
Page
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3
4
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The Molecular Biosciences (MOBI) Ph.D. Program is an interdisciplinary program that focuses
on the study of biological problems at the molecular level using chemical, computational,
mathematical, physical, and statistical approaches as well as conventional biological approaches.
A number of faculty from the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematical Sciences, and
Physics and Astronomy participate in the program, which offers students a truly diverse
education. Faculty participants are engaged in a variety of research areas:
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Biochemistry
Biotechnology
Cell Biology
Ecology
Environmental Toxicology
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Evolutionary Biology
Immunology
Microbiology
Molecular Modeling
Structural Biology
Goals of the MOBI Ph.D. Program
1. To provide rigorous academic preparation for the study of molecular processes of
biological systems at an advanced level. This preparation will enable a MOBI Ph.D.
Program graduate to compete for future employment in academia, government, and/or
industry.
2. To develop in-depth research ability in a specific area within the sub-disciplines of
molecular biosciences. This will be accomplished initially by engaging students in bench
research with faculty mentors and later by requiring them to conduct in-depth research as
independent scientists who contribute original knowledge to the discipline and
successfully complete a dissertation.
3. To develop the ability to communicate scientific concepts to others through writing as
demonstrated by presenting the results of research at scientific conferences and symposia
and by submitting manuscripts to scientific journals.
4. To develop and nurture the skills that will lead to excellence in classroom and laboratory
teaching as future faculty members.
Each student in MOBI will enroll in core-curriculum coursework that will bring knowledge from
a variety of disciplines to the study of biological systems to develop scientific knowledge and
communication skills. Coupled with focused research, this program of study is consistent with
the philosophy of the nationally recognized “Preparing Future Faculty” program
(www.preparing-faculty.org), the “Reshaping the Graduate Education of Scientists and
Engineers” report of the National Academy of Sciences (www.nap.edu/catalog/4935.html), and
the model Ph.D. programs proposed by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through its
funding program entitled “Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program”
(IGERT). As in IGERT-funded programs, graduates of this Ph.D. in MOBI, armed with
technical, professional, and communication skills plus a deep knowledge in their chosen
disciplines, will be prepared to pursue productive research careers in academia, government, and
industry.
The program specifically emphasizes the rigorous training of students to enable them to
understand the interaction between observation, experimentation, and theory that is fundamental
to all science. The scope and structure of the MOBI Ph.D. Program encompass the standards
emphasized for Ph.D. degrees in molecular biosciences published in the 2006 report of the
Committee on Education of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
This report states “Molecular Biosciences (PhD’s) that apply chemical, physical, and molecular
biological methods and principles to the solution of biological problems are among the most
vigorous and productive areas of scientific development” (www.iubmb.org).
Admission
Admissions will be based on a comprehensive assessment of an applicant’s qualifications
including Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores, undergraduate and graduate
grade point average, and letters of recommendation. Applicants must:
1. Formally apply for admission to the College of Graduate Studies (CGS) and fulfill all
requirements. For international students, this includes meeting CGS requirements for
proof of English-language proficiency, which may be accomplished by submission of
TOEFL, IELTS or UMELI test scores that meet CGS requirements or by successful
completion of level 112 of ELS coursework. Please note that international students who
wish to be awarded a graduate teaching assistantship (GTA) must either score a 26 on the
Speaking subscale of TOEFL or a 6.5 on the Speaking subscale of IELTS.
2. Hold an appropriate baccalaureate, master’s, or prior doctoral degree in either
Biochemistry, Biology, or Chemistry. An equivalent degree in a closely related subject
may be acceptable upon consideration by the program faculty. In addition, the following
undergraduate courses are specifically recommended: six semesters of a combination of
general biology, microbiology, cell biology, genetics, and biochemistry courses,
including some laboratory coursework; two semesters of general/inorganic chemistry and
at least one semester of organic chemistry, which should include a laboratory component;
two semesters of physics; and one semester of calculus. Students who lack any
component of these minimum course requirements will be asked to remedy their
deficiency or demonstrate competency in these areas; additional hours may be required
for completion of the degree program based upon an assessment of the applicant’s prior
preparation in the sciences. A student entering with a prior doctoral degree will be
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treated the same as a student entering with a prior master’s degree (i.e., only relevant
courses from the prior doctoral degree may be considered for credit toward the MOBI
Ph.D. degree).
3. Have a grade point average (GPA) in their previous academic degrees that indicates
potential for success in doctoral-level study. Successful applicants typically present a
minimum 3.5 GPA at the graduate level or a minimum 3.0 GPA when entering with a
bachelor’s degree.
4. Submit scores for the verbal, quantitative and analytical writing measures of the Graduate
Record Examination (GRE) that indicate potential for success in the MOBI Ph.D.
Program. The GRE is an important measure and is given significant consideration in the
admissions review process. Successful applicants typically have scores on the verbal and
quantitative measures at or above the 50th percentile for persons intending to pursue
graduate study in science.
5. Provide letters of recommendation directly from at least three professors or professionals
that address the candidate’s potential for successfully completing a Ph.D. in MOBI.
6. Apply by January 15 if they wish to be considered for graduate assistantships for the
following fall. Late applications may be considered, but financial support is not
guaranteed.
Applicants who do not meet these minimums but whose application materials indicate high
potential for success may be admitted conditionally and would have to meet the
conditions of their admission in the time stated to remain in the program of study.
Retention
Students must meet the expectations of the University in terms of adequate progress toward
the degree. Specifically:
1. Students are expected to maintain a 3.25 or higher grade point average for all graduate
coursework.
2. All courses in which the student enrolls must be completed with a grade of B or better in
each.
3. Students may not enroll for more than one semester before full admission is granted.
4. Students must complete and submit a degree plan by the time two semesters are
completed.
5. Students are expected to continuously enroll and complete coursework in their area of
study, making continuous progress toward attainment of the degree. During the Fall and
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Spring semesters, students must be enrolled for a minimum of 6 credit hours. During the
Summer semester, students must be enrolled for a minimum of 3 credit hours, but
graduate assistants enrolling in fewer than 5 graduate credit hours will have Social
Security and Medicare taxes deducted from their monthly stipends. After students
complete all of the courses listed in their degree plans, they are only required to register
for 1 credit hour of MOBI 7640 Dissertation Research each semester until they graduate;
email notification that they have reached this point in their program of study should be
sent from the graduate program director to the College of Graduate Studies.
6. The preliminary exam will consist of a written grant based proposal and an oral
presentation of the proposal that constitutes the student’s dissertation research objectives
and should be completed by the end of the Summer semester of Year 2. Students will be
given two attempts to pass the preliminary exam; the second attempt must occur no later
than the end of the Fall semester of Year 3. Students who do not pass on the second
attempt will be allowed to continue in the program through the end of the Spring
semester of Year 3. At that point, a student who has failed both attempts of the
preliminary exam will be given the option of enrolling into the master’s program in either
the Department of Biology or Chemistry. Relevant coursework taken toward the Ph.D. in
MOBI will be transferred and substituted with permission of the department chair. If a
student is admitted into the master’s program in a department, the student must satisfy all
of the requirements of that degree to be awarded a master’s degree.
7. At least two thirds of the student’s program of study must be taken at the 7000 level.
8. Successful defense of the dissertation will require the approval of all committee
members.
Graduation
Because the aim of the MOBI Ph.D. Program is to produce graduates who are fully prepared
to pursue research careers in academia, industry, and at national labs, the MOBI Ph.D.
program requires a series of benchmarks to be accomplished as the student progresses along
the path to graduation. These minimum benchmarks fall into three specific categories.
Students must:
1. Present at least two research presentations at regional, national or international
meetings as the lead or co-author.
2. Be lead author or make significant contribution as co-author of two articles published,
in press, or under review in high-quality, peer-reviewed journals.
3. In collaboration with an MTSU faculty member serving as principal investigator,
make a significant contribution to the development of at least one external grant proposal.
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Although some of these expectations would be realized naturally in the course of a student’s
progress towards the Ph.D., the MOBI Ph.D. Program at MTSU makes them explicit to
emphasize to incoming students the expectation that they will become actively engaged in
the research process. Publications and presentations are already recognized as standard
metrics of research progress. The involvement of Ph.D. students in the proposal writing
process is a developing trend designed to train graduates to be more effectively prepared for
jobs in the research environment. Experience in proposal writing is both a necessary skill
and an important insight into the manner in which science and engineering are funded. A
student’s progress on the benchmarks will be reviewed annually with his or her advisor
and/or dissertation committee.
Curriculum
A. Total Credits Required for Graduation:
Curriculum Component
Core Courses
Electives
Special Topics & Seminars
Directed Research
Dissertation
TOTAL
76 credit hours post-baccalaureate*
Hours Required
28
14
16
6
12
76
* Students entering with a master’s degree in a science discipline may have up to 16 graduate
credit hours of previous coursework applied after determination that the content of the
courses is directly equivalent to existing courses in the MOBI Ph.D. Program curriculum.
This application is made at the recommendation of the student’s graduate coordinator and
with the approval of the graduate dean. Students entering the Ph.D. program who lack
specific prerequisite courses will be required to complete those courses as part of their
program of study in addition to degree requirements.
B. Core Courses – Total Credits:
28 hours
The MOBI Ph.D. Program has, at its foundation, a core of courses drawn from multiple
scientific disciplines whose focus is the understanding of and ability to use the basic tools of
discovery at the cellular and molecular level of biology. Students whose research requires
additional courses in a particular subject area, such as statistics, can obtain them by taking
them as electives.
BIOL 6380
BIOL 6390
BIOL 7760
CHEM 6500
CHEM 6510
MOBI 7010
MOBI 7100
Experimental Immunology
Advanced Cell and Molecular Biology
Bioinformatics
Biochemistry I
Biochemistry II
Lab Rotation
Research Ethics
4 credit hours
4 credit hours
4 credit hours
3 credit hours
3 credit hours
4 credit hours
3 credit hours
4
STAT 7020
Introduction to Biostatistics
3 credit hours
Because MOBI is an interdisciplinary program and the core courses cannot necessarily meet
the educational requirements of all disciplines in molecular biosciences, students may (with
the permission of their dissertation committee) substitute two courses in the core with two
courses from the electives as long as the total hours of the core courses that they take remains
28 hours.
C. Electives – Total Credits:
14 hours
Each student, in consultation with his/her advisor and dissertation committee, will
complete at least 14 hours of elective coursework from the courses listed below.
Other courses not listed below may be substituted with approval of the student’s
advisor and dissertation committee.
BIOL 6220
BIOL 6270
BIOL 6290
BIOL 6330
BIOL 6360
BIOL 6410
BIOL 6430
BIOL 6440
BIOL 6450
BIOL 6590
BIOL 6720
BIOL 6730
BIOL 6750
BIOL 6770
BIOL 6780
BIOL 7010
CHEM 6100
CHEM 6110
CHEM 6230
CHEM 6300
CHEM 6520
CHEM 6530
CHEM 6610
CHEM 6720
CHEM 7110
CHEM 7510
CHEM 7710
MOBI 7200
MOBI 7654
PHYS 7010
STAT 6604
Speciation
Cell Metabolism
Advanced Scanning Electron Microscopy
Principles of Physiology
Energy Dispersive X-Ray Theory & Anal.
Adv. Transmitting Electron Microscopy
Clinical & Pathogenic Microbiology
Advanced Virology
Advancements in Molecular Genetics
Environmental Toxicology
Advanced Animal Development
Advanced Microbial Phys. & Biochemistry
Advanced Plant Biotechnology
Issues in Biotechnology
Principles of Systematics
Analysis of Genetic Markers
Intermediate Organic Chemistry
Topics in Organic Chemistry
Intermediate Analytical Chemistry
Intermediate Physical Chemistry
Topics in Biochemistry
Biochemical Techniques
Environmental Soil Chemistry
Surface Characterization of Nanomaterials
Advanced Topics in Organic Chemistry
Advanced Biochemistry
Topics in Applied Chemistry
Biomolecular Modeling and Simulation
Professional Seminar
Biophysics
Experimental Design
3 credit hours
3 credit hours
4 credit hours
4 credit hours
1 credit hour
4 credit hours
4 credit hours
4 credit hours
4 credit hours
4 credit hours
4 credit hours
4 credit hours
4 credit hours
2 credit hours
4 credit hours
4 credit hours
3 credit hours
3-6 credit hours
4 credit hours
3 credit hours
3-6 credit hours
2 credit hours
3 credit hours
3 credit hours
3 credit hours
3 credit hours
3 credit hours
3 credit hours
1 credit hour
3 credit hours
3 credit hours
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MOBI 7654 may be repeated up to three times.
D. Special Topics Courses and Seminars: Total Credits:
16 hours
Every student will complete a minimum of four special topics courses and four
seminars. These are viewed as crucial to staying abreast of this rapidly developing
field.
MOBI 7300
MOBI 7400
Special Topics in Molecular Biosciences
(taken four times)
Seminar in Molecular Biosciences (taken
four times)
2 credit hours
2 credit hours
E. Directed Research: Total Credits:
MOBI 7500
Directed Research*
6 hours
1-6 credit hours
*Students will enroll in this course prior to their advancement to candidacy.
F. Dissertation: Total Credits:
12 hours
Every student will be required to undertake, complete, and successfully defend a dissertation.
MOBI 7640
Dissertation Research*
1-6 credit hours
*Students are only allowed to enroll in this course following successful completion of their
preliminary exam (see below) and their advancement to candidacy.
G. Residency Requirements:
All students in the MOBI Ph.D. program will be expected to complete a minimum of two
consecutive semesters of full-time study in residence at MTSU. Only full-time students will
be admitted.
Example Course Schedule with Important Dates
Each student should adhere to the following schedule for completion of his/her coursework and
dissertation research:
Year 1 – Fall semester
MOBI 7010 Lab Rotation
CHEM 6500 Biochemistry I
STAT 7020 Introduction to Biostatistics
MOBI 7300 Special Topics in MOBI
MOBI 7400 MOBI Seminar
4
3
3
2
2
Year 1 – Spring semester
BIOL 7760 Bioinformatics
CHEM 6510 Biochemistry II
4
3
6
MOBI 7100 Research Ethics
MOBI 7300 Special Topics in MOBI
MOBI 7400 MOBI Seminar
3
2
2
NOTE: By the end of the Spring semester of Year 1, the student must file their degree plan and
decide on the composition of their dissertation committee and dissertation topic.
Year 1 – Summer semester
MOBI 7500 Directed Research in MOBI
Year 2 – Fall semester
BIOL 6390 Adv. Cell and Molecular Biol.
Elective (#1)
Elective (#2)
MOBI 7300 Special Topics in MOBI
MOBI 7400 MOBI Seminar
4
3-4
3-4
2
2
Year 2 – Spring semester
BIOL 6380 Experimental Immunology
Elective (#3)
MOBI 7300 Special Topics in MOBI
MOBI 7400 MOBI Seminar
4
3-4
2
2
Year 2 – Summer semester
MOBI 7500 Directed Research in MOBI
3
3
NOTE: By the end of Year 2 in the program, the student is expected to complete the preliminary
exam.
Year 3 – Fall semester
Elective (#4)
Elective (#5) if necessary
MOBI 7640 Dissertation Research
3-4
3-4
3
Year 3 – Spring semester
MOBI 7640 Dissertation Research
3-6
Year 3 – Summer semester
MOBI 7640 Dissertation Research
3-6
Year 4 – Fall semester
MOBI 7640 Dissertation Research
3-6
Year 4 – Spring semester
MOBI 7640 Dissertation Research
3-6
Year 4 – Summer semester
MOBI 7640 Dissertation Research
3-6
Year 5 – Fall semester
MOBI 7640 Dissertation Research
3-6
Year 5 – Spring semester
MOBI 7640 Dissertation Research
3-6
NOTE: By the end of the Spring semester of Year 5 (if not earlier), the student should
defend his/her dissertation.
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Dissertation Topic and Committee Composition
The candidate’s dissertation topic will incorporate interdisciplinary knowledge of molecular
biosciences to address the question(s) posed in his/her research project.
The candidate’s dissertation committee will consist of five members. The chair of the committee
will be the student’s major professor. Together with the chair, the student will select the other
members of the committee, which must include any faculty directly involved with the student’s
dissertation. Although the student has one official major professor/committee chair, the student
will be expected to have regular contact (approximately once per week) with both the major
professor and any faculty directly involved in the dissertation.
If the student and the dissertation chair feel that an external committee member from a
department not participating in the MOBI Ph.D. program, another university, or a government
laboratory can provide additional expertise vital to the dissertation, then this person can serve as
a committee member after obtaining adjunct graduate faculty status from the Graduate Council.
All faculty serving on a dissertation committee must be members of the graduate faculty, and the
Chair of the Committee must be a doctoral-level graduate faculty member.
The student and the committee (once formed) will meet to finalize the topic of the dissertation.
The dissertation topic will be presented to the committee in the form of a written proposal (4-8
pages). All dissertation topics must reflect the research specialties of the faculty involved.
The student and the committee will meet formally once per year to review progress in
coursework and research. The committee will make recommendations in both areas at said
meetings and will ensure that the student’s research is in continual accordance with the chosen
dissertation topic. The committee will administer the preliminary exam; successful completion
of this exam requires a simple majority vote of the committee.
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