Curriculum Overview

Curriculum Component	Hours Required
Core Courses	27
Electives	15
Special Topics and Seminars	16
Directed Research	6
Dissertation	12
TOTAL	76

Core Courses – Total Credits (27 hours)

The proposed Ph.D. in Molecular BioSciences 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. The program core is comparable to existing MBS Ph.D. programs at Washington State University, the University of Kansas, and New Mexico State University. Students whose research requires additional courses in a particular subject area, such as statistics, can obtain them by taking them as electives.

Course	Title	Credits
BIOL 6390	Advanced Cell and Molecular Biology	4
BIOL7760	Bioinformatics	4
CHEM 6500	Biochemistry I	3
CHEM 6510	Biochemistry II	3
MBS 7010	Advanced Lab in Molecular BioSciences	4
MBS 7100	Research Ethics	3
PHYS 7010	Biophysics	3
STAT 7020	Introduction to Biostatistics	3

Electives – Total Credits (15 hours)

Each student, in consultation with his / her advisor and committee, will select at least 15 hours of elective coursework from at least two of the rubrics represented below. Because MTSU already has extensive graduate programs in each of the disciplines represented in the MBS doctoral program, a number of potential elective courses already exist and are listed below. Other courses not listed below may be substituted with approval of the student’s advisor and committee.

Course	Title	Credits
BIOL 6270	Cell Metabolism	3
BIOL 6290	Advanced Scanning Electron Microscopy	4
BIOL 6330	Principles of Physiology	4
BIOL 6360	Energy Dispersive X-Ray Theory & Analysis	1
BIOL 6380	Experimental Immunology	4
BIOL 6410	Advanced Transmitting Electron Microscopy	4
BIOL 6430	Clinical and Pathogenic Microbiology	4
BIOL 6440	Advanced Virology	4
BIOL 6450	Advancements in Molecular Genetics	4
BIOL 6590	Environmental Toxicology	4
BIOL 6720	Advanced Animal Development	4
BIOL 6730	Advanced Microbial Physiology and Biochemistry	4
BIOL 6750	Advanced Plant Biotechnology	4
BIOL XXXX	Issues in Biotechnology	2
BIOL 7010	Analysis of Genetic Markers	4
CHEM 6100	Intermediate Organic Chemistry	3
CHEM 6110	Topics in Organic Chemistry	3-6
CHEM 6230	Intermediate Analytical Chemistry	4
CHEM 6300	Intermediate Physical Chemistry	3
CHEM 6520	Topics in Biochemistry	3-6
CHEM 6530	Biochemical Techniques	2
CHEM 6610	Environmental Soil Chemistry	3
CHEM 7110	Advanced Topics in Organic Chemistry	3
CHEM 7510	Advanced Biochemistry	3
MBS 7200	Biomolecular Modeling and Simulation	3
STAT 6604	Experimental Design	3

Special Topics Courses and Seminars: Total Credits (16 hours)

Every student in the proposed Ph.D. in Molecular BioSciences will be required to complete a minimum of four special topics courses and four seminars. These are viewed as crucial to staying abreast of this rapidly developing field.

Course	Title	Credits
MBS 7300	Special Topics in Molecular BioSciences (taken four times)	2
MBS 7400	Seminar in Molecular BioSciences (taken four times)	2

Directed Research: Total Credits (6 hours)

Course	Title	Credits
MBS 7500	Directed Research*	1-6

*Students will enroll in this course prior to their advancement to candidacy.

Dissertation: Total Credits (12 hours)

Course	Title	Credits
MBS 7640	Dissertation Research*	1-6

*Students are only allowed to enroll in this course following successful completion of their preliminary exam (see below) and their advancement to candidacy.