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CLAS : Biological Sciences : Department of Molecular Biosciences

Curriculum: Masters

Masters  |  Doctorate

Master of Arts Degrees

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 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.

General Requirements for All M.A. Students

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.

  1. A minimum of 30 hours of graduate credit.
  2. A minimum of one laboratory rotation is required for each new graduate student.
  3. Enrollment in BIOL 701 Molecular Biosciences Seminar is required every semester.
  4. A Graduate Advisory Committee must be established by the beginning of the spring semester of the first year.
  5. An annual (minimum) Graduate Advisory Committee meeting is required until completion of the degree.
  6. A public defense of the master's thesis and examination by Graduate Advisory Committee.
  7. Students must complete the degree within four years. Exceptions to this requirement require a recommendation for extension of study by the Department’s Graduate Director and Chairperson, and approval by Graduate Studies.

First-Year Course Requirements for All M.A. Students

  1. Topics in Molecular Biosciences (MB Seminar)—BIOL 701 (every semester)
  2. Graduate Molecular Biosciences—BIOL 807 (fall)
  3. Techniques in Molecular Biosciences—BIOL 818
  4. Laboratory Rotations—BIOL 985

Specific Course Requirements by Degree

Biochemistry/Biophysics M.A.
One laboratory rotation during the first semester of graduate study, plus each of the following courses:

  • BIOL 750 Advanced Biochemistry
  • BIOL 772 Gene Expression
  • BIOL 901 Graduate Seminar in Biochemistry (1 semester)

And, electives to satisfy the 30 hours course requirement for Graduate Studies. 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 at least three the following courses:

  • BIOL 811 Advanced Molecular & Cellular Immunology
  • BIOL 812 Mechanisms of Host Parasite Relationships
  • BIOL 813 Advanced Bacterial Physiology
  • BIOL 814 Advanced Molecular Virology
  • BIOL 815 Advanced Molecular Genetics

And, electives to satisfy the 30 hours course requirement for Graduate Studies. 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 752 Cell Biology
  • BIOL 755 Mechanisms of Development

And one of the following two courses:

  • BIOL 753 Advanced Genetics
  • BIOL 772 Gene Expression

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.

Thesis Options

  1. Write a thesis resulting from original research in the areas of molecular biosciences.
  2. Publish a research paper in a national, refereed journal. Acceptance of the paper for publication constitutes publication insofar as the conferral of degree is concerned. Two copies of the publication shall be filed with Graduate Studies as soon as they become available.
  3. Write a thesis based upon library research (library thesis) of the literature on a given topic, approved by your Graduate Advisory Committee.

Final Oral Defense of Thesis

Once the final draft of the thesis has been accepted and approved by 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 College Office of Graduate Affairs. 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.