Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Dr. Vance Watson, Dean

Dr. John A. Boyle, Department Head

Dr . Din-Pow Ma, Graduate Coordinator

402 Dorman Hall

662-325-2640

dm1@ra.msstate.edu

The department offers graduate study leading to the Master of Science degree in Agricultural Life Sciences with a concentration in Biochemistry.  The department also participates in an interdisciplinary program leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemical Sciences.

Admission Criteria—Prerequisites for admission include a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a physical or life science with a strong background in chemistry and biochemistry.  A minimum of 2.75 overall grade point average on a 4.00 scale is required.  The GRE general test is required.  It is recommended that students applying for the Ph.D. also take the GRE advanced test in Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology or Chemistry.  It is required that International students have a TOEFL score of 550 or better in order to be considered.  Letters of recommendation will also be considered in the admissions decision.

Program of Study/Completion Requirements – M.S.—The Master of Science degree requires a minimum of 24 hours of graduate course work including successful completion of BCH 6414, BCH 6804, BCH 8654, and a final oral examination.  The student may select either a research thesis or a project option in his or her program of study.  If a thesis is selected, the student must register for a minimum of six credit hours of research/thesis and complete a research project.  If the project option is selected, the student must complete two additional graduate courses (six credit hours) in an area of interest and complete an independent research paper related to the area of interest by enrolling in three hours of directed individual study.  The research paper will be the equivalent of a research literature review and will be reviewed by the student’s committee.  All students are required to present one formal (full-length, graded) seminar and one informal seminar (one-half length, non-graded).  The informal seminar will be presented in the second semester in residence.  The formal seminar will be a presentation of the final research results or project of the student.  Students are required to attend all departmental seminars.

Program of Study/Completion Requirements: Ph.D.—The Ph.D. degree is primarily a research degree.  However, a minimum of 30 to 40 hours of course work, and 30 hours of research beyond the B.S. degree are required.  A student entering the program with a master’s degree will be required to take 30 to 40 hours past that degree.  The courses shall come from the offerings of the department and from supporting programs.  If the student desires a specific minor, 12 hours should be in that field.  The selection of courses is left to the student in consultation with the major professor and graduate committee.

A student is required to take a core of General Biochemistry I, General Biochemistry II (or their equivalents), Protein Methods, Molecular Biology Methods, Molecular Biology or Molecular Genetics and Intermediary Metabolism.  An entrance exam will be provided to the student wishing to bypass General Biochemistry I and General Biochemistry II.  If a student has successfully completed any of these courses as undergraduates at Mississippi State , he or she need not repeat them.  The student must have a 3.00 average or better in all core courses taken.  The student will not be allowed to drop a core course.

The student is required to show technical proficiency in one skill area not directly or routinely related to his or her research area.  This proficiency must be demonstrable by successful completion of a course taken at Mississippi State (including directed individual study courses) approved by the student’s graduate committee that is not part of the program of study.  Such proficiencies could include (but are not limited to) statistics, computers, electron microscopy, plant transformation, tissue culture, production of monoclonal antibodies.

The student is required to present two formal (full-length, graded) seminars and one informal seminar (one-half length, non-graded).  The informal seminar will be presented in the second semester in residence.  The first formal seminar should be after the student has been in residence for 1.5 years.  The final seminar will be a presentation of the final research results of the student.  The student is required to attend all departmental seminars.

The student’s graduate committee will consist of a total of five members with at least three from the department .  The student will submit a research proposal to the committee.  No time limit is imposed, but it is suggested that the proposal be submitted within the first 1.5 years.  The student will have yearly reviews with the graduate committee.  The student is expected to produce publishable research.

The student must pass written and oral preliminary examinations dealing with his or her program of study.  A student not passing the preliminary exams on a second attempt will be given the option of completing the research required for an M.S. (provided the course work is also adequate).  The student must pass a final oral defense of the dissertation upon completion of the research program.

Provisional Admission—A student who has not fully met the requirements stipulated by the University and the appropriate department for admission to graduate study may be granted admission as a degree-seeking graduate student with provisional status.  Such students must have as their initial objective advancement to regular status.  A provisional student must receive a 3.00 GPA on the first nine hours of graduate level courses on their programs of study taken at Mississippi State University in order to achieve regular status.  Neither transfer credits nor unclassified graduate credits can fulfill this requirement.  If a 3.00 is not attained, the provisional student may be dismissed from graduate study.  While in the provisional status, a student is not eligible to hold a graduate assistantship.

Academic Performance—The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has the following standards for graduate students in both the M.S. and Ph.D. programs.  The student is allowed only two Cs.  Any third C or the first grade below C is grounds for dismissal.

For additional information, contact the Graduate Coordinator, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Box 9650 , Mississippi State , MS    39762 or dm1@ra.msstate.edu.

Graduate Courses—Course prerequisites are noted in parentheses.

BCH 6414     Protein Methods. 4 hours

BCH 6603-    General Biochemistry (CH 6613   4523/6523 or consent of instructor). 3 hours each      

BCH 6623     Biochemistry of Specialized Tissues (coregistration in BCH 4613/6613).3 hours 

BCH 6713     Molecular Biology (coregistration in BCH 4613/6613) [same as GNS 6713]. 3 hours

BCH 6804     Molecular Biology Methods (coregistration in BCH 4613/6613) [same as GNS 6805]. 4 hours     

BCH 6990     Special Topics in Biochemistry. 1-9 hours      

BCH 7000     Directed Individual Study. 1-6 hours       

BCH 8000     Research/Thesis. 6 hours

BCH 8101     Seminar. 1 hour

BCH 8133     Biochemical Oxidations and Bioenergetics (BCH 4613/6613). 3 hours

BCH 8243     Molecular Biology of Plants (coregistration in BCH 4613/6613). 3 hours 

BCH 8613     Membrane Biochemistry (BCH  4613/6613). 3 hours

BCH 8623     Physical Biochemistry (BCH 4423/6423 and coregistration in BCH 4613/6613). 3 hours

BCH 8633     Enzymes (BCH 4613/6613). 3 hours

BCH 8643     Molecular Genetics ( PO 3103 or ZO 3103 and coregistration in BCH 4613/6613) [same as GNS 8643, PHY 8643]. 3 hours

BCH 8654     Intermediary Metabolism (BCH 4613/6613). 4 hours       

BCH 8990     Special Topics in Biochemistry. 1-9 hours

BCH 9000     Research/Dissertation. 20 hours