Cell Biology and Biophysics

Discipline Coordinator

G. Sullivan Read, (816) 235-2583, readgs@umkc.edu

Discipline-Specific Admission Requirements

Qualifying Requirements for Full Admission

Suggested Compatible Co-disciplines

Other sciences such as chemistry, molecular biology and biochemistry, pharmaceutical science, pharmacology, oral biology or physics.

Core Program Requirements

Minimum Core

30 credit hours of courses and 15 credit hours of dissertation research for a total of 45 credit hours of post-baccalaureate credits, distributed as indicated below. The core courses should be completed by the end of the second academic year after admission to the graduate program on a full-time basis (individual arrangements will be made for part-time students).

• 30-credit-hour minimum core of courses and competencies.
  • 13 to 17 credits in cell biology and biophysics (5500-level or higher), including:
    • LSCBB 5596 or 5597 Advanced Experimental Cell Biology and Biophysics (two credits)
    • LSCBB 5612 Seminar in Cell Biology and Biophysics (two credits)
    • 9 to 12 credits selected from among the following three-credit-hour courses: LSCBB 5520 Eukaryotic Cell Biology, LSCBB 5566 Membrane Biochemistry, LSCBB 5530 Prokaryotic Molecular Biology, LSCBB 5569 Structural Biology or LSCBB 5505 Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology.
  • LSCBB 5690/LSMBB 5690 Analytical Methods (five credits)
  • 9 to 12 credits in related disciplines. Related disciplines are molecular biology and biochemistry, chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacology and oral biology, although others are not precluded.

  Seminar courses are part of this component of required courses, up to a maximum of three for the program, as are additional credits of Advanced Experimental Molecular or Cell Biology (a total of four credits in experimental laboratory courses, independent of thesis research, is required). 5700-level courses may not be used to satisfy cell biology and biophysics discipline-specific course requirements.

  Any of the above courses, whether part of the primary or related discipline requirements, will be credited toward the 30-credit Ph.D. course requirement if taken as part of any graduate program at UMKC and if a grade of B or better is received.

• At least 15 credit hours of dissertation research in cell biology and biophysics.

For Students with this Discipline as a Co-discipline

Students who select this discipline as a co-discipline must take a minimum of 11 credit hours of core courses, plus seminars, including the following:

• LSMBB 5561 General Biochemistry I (four credits)
• LSMBB 5562 General Biochemistry II (four credits)
• LSCBB 5612 or LSMBB 5611 (1 credit)
• A sufficient amount of other core courses to constitute the required percentage of their overall program of study. 5700-level courses may not be used to satisfy cell biology discipline-specific course requirements.

Other Discipline-Specific Special Requirements

Students with this discipline as a coordinating unit or co-discipline must participate in seminars.

Retention in Program

No more than one C grade will be permitted in basic core coursework. If a student with this discipline as the coordinating-unit discipline receives more than one C grade in a basic course, he or she will be dropped from the doctoral program. Students with this discipline as a co-discipline who receive more than one C grade will be dropped from the discipline.

A minimum grade of B in LSMBB 5561 and 5562 is required to remain as a doctoral student in this discipline.

For students with this discipline as their coordinating-unit discipline, no more than two C grades will be allowed in any courses and no D or F grades are permitted. A student who receives more than two C grades or a D/F grade will be recommended for termination from the doctoral program.

The doctoral faculty in cell biology and biophysics meets formally at the end of each academic year to discuss and evaluate all graduate students' progress. Each student's committee also meets with the student at least once a year. After the annual doctoral-faculty meeting, each student receives a written evaluation of his or her status and a report is placed in the student's file.

Comprehensive Examination Regulations

Format

For students with this discipline as their coordinating-unit discipline, written and oral examinations are required.

Written Portion

The written examination, for students who have cell biology and biophysics as their primary discipline, has two components. The first component consists of a written, general comprehensive examination testing an integrated knowledge of material acquired through the courses and the seminar series in the coordinating-unit discipline and co-discipline. The second component of the written examination consists of an NIH-style grant proposal that the student will prepare. The topic of the research proposal will be determined by the student in consultation with the student's supervisory committee.

Oral Portion

The oral examination has two aspects: (1) questions covering the grant proposal prepared by the student for the written examination and (2) other related material in the student's area of specialization, including fundamental knowledge of the student's chosen disciplines.