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PhD Curriculum Requirements for MCDB

Ph.D. candidates majoring in MCDB must take at least 72 graduate credits.  These 72 credits include the core course requirements (below) and applicable research credits earned.  Credits taken during a student's M.S. program in MCDB at Iowa State University may count towards their Ph.D. in MCDB.

Additional coursework for both Ph.D. and M.S. degrees may be selected by the student in consultation with his/her Program of Study (POS) Committee to meet departmental requirements and to satisfactorily prepare the student for their research project.

Graduate credits of B or better earned at another institution may be transferred at the discretion of the POS Committee and with the approval of the MCDB Program and the ISU Graduate College.

Additional information relating to credits required for graduate degrees can be found in the ISU Graduate College Handbook
 

MCDB PhD Core Curriculum requirements include:

Two semester sequence of Biochemistry (either BBMB404/405 or 500-level sequence)   
BBMB 404Biochemisry I3 creditsFall
BBMB 405Biochemistry II3 creditsSpring
Students with a biochemistry background can elect to take a 500-level sequence (two courses)   
BBMB 504Amino Acids and Proteins2 creditsFall
BBMB 505Bioenergetics and Metabolism2 creditsFall
BBMB 506Membrane Biochemistry2 creditsSpring
BBMB 507Biochemistry of Nucleic Acids2 creditsSpring

All PhD students must take one course from each of the following areas: A) Cellular Biology, B) Developmental Biology, and C) Molecular Biology.

A) Cellular Biology Course Options   
GDCB 528Advances in Molecular Cell Biology3 creditsAlt. Fall, Even Years
BMS 575Cell Biology3 creditsFall
BBMB 645Molecular Signaling2 creditsAlt. Spring, Odd Years
GDCB 545Plant Molecular, Cell, & Developmental Biology*See Footnote3 creditsAlt. Fall, Odd Years
B) Developmental Biology Course Options   
GDCB 533Advances in Developmental Biology3 creditsAlt. Fall, Odd Years
GDCB 545Plant Molecular, Cell, & Developmental Biology*See Footnote3 creditsAlt. Fall, Odd Years
C) Molecular Biology Course Options   
MICRO 502Microbial Genetics & Genomics3 creditsAlt. Fall, Even Years
GDCB 511Molecular Genetics3 creditsSpring
VMPM 608Molecular Virology3 creditsAlt. Fall, Even Years
GDCB 545Plant Molecular, Cell, & Developmental Biology*See Footnote3 creditsAlt. Fall, Odd Years

*Footnote: GDCB 545 - Plant Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology may be used to fulfill any one of the required component areas.  This course may only be used once.

In addition to the above course requirements, MCDB graduate students are required to take:

    1. Two semesters of research seminar every year.

Fall semester students will enroll in 1) a "for credit" research seminar series offered by the student's home department, 2) a workshop comprised of a research seminar series, or 3) another ISU research seminar series, typically chosen from one of the following departments: Agronomy,  Animal Science; Biochemistry, Biophysics & Molecular Biology; Biomedical Sciences; Chemistry; Chemical & Biological Engineering; Ecology, Evolution, & Organismal Biology; Entomology; Food Science & Human Nutrition; Genetics, Development & Cell Biology; Horticulture; Kinesiology; Physics & Astronomy; Plant Pathology; Veterinary Microbiology & Preventive Medicine; and Veterinary Pathology.  (Options 2 and 3 are subject to approval by the POS committee).   

Spring semester register for MCDB 698, Seminar in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. In seminar, students will make journal and research presentations and attend MCDB seminars. Three semesters of MCDB 698 are required. Beyond this requirement, students must enroll in additional semesters of MCDB 698 or enroll in seminar series as described above for fall semesters.

MCDB 698 - Journal Discussion/Student Presentations

MCDB 698 is a student seminar series. Students present their research to the other students in the class.  The purpose of MCDB 698 is to help you develop formal oral and visual communication skills that you will use at scientific conferences, for teaching, and for job interviews after you graduate from the program.  In addition, other members of the class are expected to participate and gain experience in thoughtfully critiquing the presentation and asking questions. Students in the audience are encouraged to ask questions to foster thought-provoking discussion on the speakers’ research. The audience consists only of other students and the instructor so that students will not be intimidated by senior faculty or other scientists. Students should feel free to ask any question at all, no matter how basic it is.

First or second year students may present a journal paper or other research that is not their own, if they do not have enough of their own data to present. If a journal paper is used, the other students in the class will read the paper before participating in discussion. The presenter is expected to present a brief review of the background material and then discuss the material presented in the paper.

    2. One credit hour of ethics training. 

Possible Ethics Courses Include   
GRST 565Responsible Conduct of Research in Science & Engineering1 creditFall & Spring

Not required, but highly recommended for MCDB graduate students:

BCB 544Introduction to Bioinformatics4 creditsFall

Non-native English speakers must pass the English Requirement as established by the university.  Depending on the results of this exam additional courses may be required to meet English proficiency standards. 

MCDB graduate students need 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 Oral English Certification Test (OECT) to be eligible to teach.