Biochemistry and Biophysics, M.S.

Three types of Masters of Science degrees are available in Biochemistry and Biophysics: 1) Course-based Masters, 2) Thesis-based Masters, 3) Professional Project-based Masters. Students should consult with the program director prior to choosing one of these options. For all options of the Master of Science degree in Biochemistry and Biophysics, at least 15 credits must have the BIOL, BCBP, CHEM or PHYS prefix, at least 15 credits must be in courses at the 6000–6999 level, and at least 8 credits must be from Molecular Biophysics Module courses*. In addition, for option 2, four to nine credits must be in research and for option 3, two to nine credits must be in professional project.

Students must either have taken BCBP 4760 in their undergraduate study or must include it in their M.S. Plan of Study.

Outcomes of the Graduate Curriculum

Students who successfully complete this program will be able to:

explain general principles and concepts from a variety of sub-disciplines within the broader fields of biochemistry and biophysics.
demonstrate extensive knowledge of a specialized fields of biochemistry and biophysics and be able to answer challenging questions in that field.
critically analyze and interpret the scientific literature and scientific presentations.
discuss issues related to scientific ethics and scientific misconduct and apply ethical standards to their own research and/or professional conduct.
for students doing laboratory research—design, prepare, and execute experiments, using appropriate research techniques.
critically interpret research data and evaluate findings using appropriate statistical analyses.
effectively communicate their scientific research and findings in a variety of written and oral formats.

Molecular Biophysics Module courses

Pick at least 8 credits from the evolving list of courses below:

BCBP 6310 - Genetic Engineering Credit Hours: 4
BCBP 6420 - Molecular Modeling Credit Hours: 4
BCBP 6550 - Ethical Issues in Biotechnology Credit Hours: 3
BCBP 6650 - The Biology of Systems Credit Hours: 4
BCBP 6800 - Methods in Biophysics Credit Hours: 4
BCBP 6870 - Protein Structure Determination Credit Hours: 4
CHEM 6720 - Proteomics and Structural Bioinformatics Credit Hours: 4
ITWS 6600 - Data Analytics Credit Hours: 3

Masters Option 1: Course-Based Masters

This option requires 30 credits of coursework per the requirements above.

Masters Option 2: Thesis-based Masters

This option requires four to nine research credits towards a master’s thesis and the remainder course work as specified above.

Masters Option 3: Professional Project-based Masters

This option requires two to nine credits towards a master’s professional project and the remainder course work as specified above.

SCHOOLS & PROGRAMS