The general mission of graduate education for M.A. degrees in Molecular Biosciences based upon basic research, is to enhance your academic knowledge base, teaching ability, and communication ability, and to provide you with advanced, but less than, Ph.D.-level, training in at-the-bench research within a particular scientific area. The specific missions within this framework are: (1) to provide academic training in current knowledge in the field through graduate-level coursework; (2) to develop research ability within a particular research field, through basic at-the-bench-research following newly developed and existing (scientific literature) protocols; (3) to develop instructional skills through teaching undergraduate laboratories; (4) to develop writing ability through completion of a thesis or manuscript on the research performed; and, (5) to provide overall training which will allow you to obtain or advance to, a more responsible and demanding research and/or teaching position (beyond entry-level) within academia (two-year or four-year undergraduate college) or industry. The general mission of graduate education for M.A. degrees in Molecular Biosciences based upon library research of the literature is to enhance your academic knowledge base, teaching ability, and communication ability. This path of graduate level education is not intended to prepare you for at-the-bench research skills accomplished through basic research. Instead, the specific missions within this framework are: (1) to provide academic training in current knowledge through graduate-level course-work and library research of the literature that pertains to a defined problem; (2) to develop teaching skills through instruction of undergraduate laboratories; and, (3) to develop writing skills through completion of a library research thesis.
Please refer to each degree discipline area listed below to determine specific courses and requirements in conjunction with the following general requirements for the M.A.
Biochemistry/Biophysics M.A.
One laboratory rotation during the first semester of graduate study, plus each of the following courses:
BIOL 701 Topics in Molecular Biosciences (every semester)
BIOL 750 Advanced Biochemistry
BIOL 752 Cell Biology
BIOL 772 Gene Expression
BIOL 818 Techniques in Molecular Biosciences
BIOL 901-904 Graduate Seminar in __ (1 semester)
And, electives to satisfy the 30 hours course requirement for graduate school. These electives are to be determined in consultation with your Major Advisor and Graduate Advisory Committee. BIOL 985 will be taken to reflect bench research. BIOL 899 will be taken when writing and defense of the thesis takes place.
Microbiology M.A.
A candidate for the Master of Arts in Microbiology must fulfill the major requirements for a B.A./B.S. degree in microbiology at the University of Kansas, or their equivalent. One lab rotation is required during the first semester, plus the following courses:
BIOL 701 Topics in Molecular Biosciences (every semester)
BIOL 818 Techniques in Molecular Biosciences
And, at least three of the following graduate courses:
BIOL 811 Advanced Molecular & Cellular Immunology
BIOL 812 Mechanisms of Host Parasite Relationships
BIOL 814 Advanced Molecular Virology
BIOL 815 Advanced Molecular Genetics
And, electives to satisfy the 30 hours course requirement for graduate school. No more than 6 of these hours can be courses lower than the 700-level. At least two courses are recommended in the areas of chemistry, biochemistry, or in other areas outside the microbiology focus that are approved by your Major Advisor. BIOL 985 will be taken to reflect bench research. BIOL 899 will be taken when writing and defense of the thesis takes place.
Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology M.A.
One laboratory rotation is required during the first semester of graduate study, plus each of the following courses:
BIOL 701 Topics in Molecular Biosciences (every semester)
BIOL 750 Advanced Biochemistry
BIOL 752 Cell Biology
BIOL 772 Gene Expression
BIOL 818 Techniques in Molecular Biosciences
BIOL 901-904 Graduate Seminar in __ (1 semester)
And, electives to satisfy the 30 hours course requirement for graduate school. These electives are to be determined in consultation with your Major Advisor and Graduate Advisory Committee. BIOL 985 will be taken to reflect bench research. BIOL 899 will be taken when writing and defense of the thesis takes place.
Once the final draft of the thesis has been accepted, but before it has been signed and bound and only after receiving approval from the M.A. Graduate Advisory Committee, the Final Oral Defense is scheduled with the Graduate Program Assistant. Your performance on the defense will be rated as “Honors,” “Satisfactory,” or “Unsatisfactory” and this rating will be forwarded to the Graduate School. If the rating is “Unsatisfactory,” you may be allowed to repeat the examination, with the recommendation of the Department. The repeat examination may not be scheduled sooner than three months after the first attempt. Under no circumstances will the student be allowed to take the Final Defense Examination more than twice. If a rating of “Satisfactory” is not achieved after the second attempt, you will not be allowed to continue in the M.A. program.
Theses are now being submitted electronically. Check out http://www2.ku.edu/~etd/ for instructions.
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