Curriculum Requirements for MCDB Students
Ph.D.: 72 graduate credits of which 36 credits, including all dissertation research credits, must be earned under the supervision of the POS committee.
Graduate credits of B or better in a relevant discipline but earned at another institution may be transferred at the discretion of the POS committee and the approval of MCDB, the department and the Graduate College. Ph.D. students take the complete core requirements.
Additional coursework for both the Ph.D. and M.S. degrees is selected by the student in consultation with his/her POS Committee to meet departmental requirements and to satisfactorily prepare the student for their research project.
MCDB PhD Curriculum
A. Core Course Requirements
1. Two semester sequence of Biochemistry (404/405 or 501/502)
2. One Course from each of the following areas (dates of course offerings are subject to change, see ISU course catalog for details.):
a. Cellular Biology:
GDCB 529: Plant Cell Biology
2 credits Alternate Fall offered Fall 2006
GDCB 528: Cellular Growth and Regulation
3 credits Fall - offered Fall 2007
GDCB 640: Signal Transduction
3 credits Alternate Spring offered Spring 2008
BBMB 645: Molecular Signaling
2 credits Alternate Spring offered Spring 2007
BM.S. 575x: Cell Biology
3 credits Fall offered fall 2006
b. Developmental Biology:
GDCB 512: Plant Growth and Development
2 credits Spring
GDCB 533: Principles of Developmental Biology
3 credits Alternate Fall - offered 2007
c. Molecular Biology:
GDCB 545: Plant Molecular Biology
3 credits Fall offered Fall 2006
GDCB 511: Molecular Genetics
3 credits Spring only
BBMB 676: Biochemistry of Gene Expression in Eucaryotes
2 credits Alternate Spring - offered 2008
Microbiology 502: Microbial Genetics
3 credits Fall only offered Fall 2006
GDCB 520: Genetics Engineering
3 credits Not scheduled
VMPM/PLP 608: Molecular Virology
3 credits Alternate Spring - tentatively offered 2007
d. Research seminars two semesters every year with at least one of those semesters being MCDB 698. Note that MCDB 698 may not be offered both semesters each year. The other research seminar will be that of your home department.
e. Highly Recommended:
BCB 544x: Intro to Bioinformatics
3 credits Fall only
3. International students must pass the English Requirements test and subsequent courses as needed to be able to fulfill their teaching responsibility.
B. All graduate students are required to teach one semester as part of their training for an advanced degree. Students whose first language is not English must take and pass the SPEAK/TEACH tests at a level of II or III that allows them to receive TA support.
C. In addition, your eventual home department will have additional requirements. The student is responsible for learning of and fulfilling those additional departmental requirements.
D. MCDB Minor Curriculum at the Ph.D. Level
1. One year of Biochemistry (BB 404/405 or BB 501/502)
2. One course in each of two of the following three areas:
a. Cellular Biology:
GDCB 529: Plant Cell Biology, 2 credits
GDCB 528: Cellular Growth and Regulation, 3 credits
GDCB 640: Signal Transduction, 3 credits
BBMB 645: Molecular Signaling, 2 credits
BM.S. 575x: Cell Biology, 3 credits
b. Developmental Biology:
GDCB 512: Plant Growth and Development, 2 credits
GDCB 533: Principles of Developmental Biology, 3 credits
c. Molecular Biology:
GDCB 545: Plant Molecular Biology, 3 credits
GDCB 511: Molecular Genetics, 3 credits
BBMB 676: Biochemistry of Gene Expression in Eucaryotes, 2 credits
Microbiology 502: Microbial Genetics, 3 credits
GDCB 520: Genetics Engineering, 3 credits
VMPM/PLP 608: Molecular Virology, 3 credits
3. One Enrollment in MCDB 698 (Seminar in MCDB)
