Graduate Coursework
The formal coursework is flexible and takes into account the student’s goals in research, career objectives, and the content and quality of the student’s undergraduate preparation.
Thirty credits (at the 400-600 level) are required for the thesis-based MS or PhD degree, typically about half in formal coursework and half in BMB 699, which is the course designator for graduate thesis research/writing. The formal coursework may include a wide variety of offerings, such as molecular genetics, graduate cell biology, physical biochemistry, graduate virology, statistics, experimental methods, molecular basis of cancer, image analysis, immunology, etc, and is tailored to individual students based upon their backgrounds and their thesis research project. The courses do not all need to be Molecular & Biomedical Sciences courses (which are designated “BMB”); relevant coursework is often found under the BMS, SBE, CHY, SMS, and other departments and is acceptable if relevant to the degree type and if approved of the student’s thesis committee. Accepted students will be provided with a graduate student handbook that details coursework requirements.
All graduate students on the Orono campus take at least four semesters of Graduate Seminar, BMB 580/582.
Comprehensive examinations are required for the doctoral degrees and typically are held after the 2nd year of study.
Information about coursework in the M.P.S. program is found on the Masters of Professional Studies webpage.