MA in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry
Admission
Prospective students are expected to have strong undergraduate backgrounds in biology and chemistry (general and organic). College-level courses in physics, calculus, and statistics are also expected to have been completed. Any deficiencies in these areas may need to be corrected after matriculation into the program, but without receiving graduate course credit. Applicants must submit scores for the General Graduate Record Examination. The Subject GRE, while not required, is strongly encouraged. Normally, the Subject test should be taken in Biology, Chemistry, or Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Applicants whose native language is not English are also required to submit results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Admission is limited to September enrollment.
With the exception of MB and BB courses, the reader is referred to individual department listings for descriptions of the courses listed below. For details on requirements regarding grade point averages, annual reports, and responsible conduct in research, please see the MCBB graduate program guide at www.bu.edu/mcbb.
Course Requirements
32 credits of coursework are required for the MA, distributed as follows:
Required Core Courses (24 credits total)
- CAS BI 552 Molecular Biology I (4 cr)
- GRS BI 553 Advanced Molecular Biology (4 cr)
- CAS BI 583/584 Progress in Cell and Molecular Biology (2 cr each; the student is required to attend this seminar throughout his or her graduate career at Boston University, but may only count a total of 4 credits toward the degree.)
- GRS MB 621 Graduate Biochemistry (4 cr)
- GRS MB 622 Advanced Biochemistry (4 cr)
- GRS BI 735 Advanced Cell Biology (4 cr)
Elective Courses
(at least 8 credits total)
In consultation with the student’s advisor, he or she will choose the remaining graduate-level courses, of which no more than 4 credits may be obtained from 2-credit seminar/readings courses. Appropriate courses are listed below. However, other courses, subject to the approval of the MCBB committee, may also be appropriate depending on the student’s area of research:
- CAS BB 522 Molecular Biology Laboratory (4 cr)
- CAS BF 527 Bioinformatics Applications (4 cr)
- CAS BI 505 Evolution and Development (4 cr)
- CAS BI 544 Cell Motility and Cytoskeleton (4 cr)
- CAS BI 545 Neurobiology of Motivated Behavior (4 cr)
- CAS BI 554 Neuroendocrinology (4 cr)
- CAS BI 555 Techniques in Cell Biology (4 cr)
- CAS BI 556 Membrane Biochemistry (4 cr)
- CAS BI 557 Biological Transport Mechanisms (4 cr)
- CAS BI 572 Advanced Genetics (4 cr)
- CAS BI 575 Techniques in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (4 cr)
- CAS BI 581/582 Seminar in Biology (2 cr each)
- GRS BI 610 Cellular Aspects of Development and Differentiation (4 cr)
- GRS BI 642 Physiology and Biochemistry of Reproduction (4 cr)
- GRS BI 645 Cellular and Molecular Neurophysiology (4 cr)
- GRS BI 646 Biology of the Cell Cycle (4 cr)
- GRS BI 647 Vascular Physiology (4 cr)
- GRS BI 655 Developmental Neurobiology (4 cr)
- GRS BI 681 Molecular Biology of the Neuron (4 cr)
- GRS BI 708 Biochemical and Molecular Aspects of Development (4 cr)
- GRS BI 753 Advanced Molecular Biology (4 cr)
- CAS CH 525 Physical Biochemistry (4 cr)
- GRS CH 612 Separation Methods in Chemistry and Biochemistry (4 cr)
- GRS CH 634 Metallobiochemistry (4 cr)
- GRS CH 721 Enzyme Kinetics and Mechanisms (4 cr)
- GRS CH 722 Protein Chemistry (4 cr)
- GRS CH 723 Physical Chemistry of Biological Macromolecules (4 cr)
- GRS MB 701/702 Graduate Readings in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, & Biochemistry (2 cr each)
- GRS PY 771 Concepts in Biophysics (4 cr)
- ENG BE 508 Quantitative Studies of the Respiratory and Cardiovascular Systems (4 cr)
- ENG BE 512 Biomedical Instrumentation Design (4 cr)
- ENG BE 560 Biomolecular Architecture (4 cr)
- ENG BE 561 DNA Protein Sequence Analysis (4 cr)
- ENG BE 565 Molecular Biotechnology (4 cr)
- ENG BE 726 Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering I (4 cr)
- ENG BE 727 Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering II (4 cr)
Non-research MA
For a non-research MA, a scholarly review paper covering a topic agreed upon with the student’s advisor is required. The paper will be evaluated and approved by the student’s MA committee, consisting of at least three faculty, of whom at least two must be members of the MCBB Program. Students normally enroll in MB 701/702 as credit for scholarly thesis work.
Research MA
For a research MA, a thesis describing the student’s original research is required, to be evaluated and approved by the MA committee. The MA committee for the research degree consists of at least three faculty, of whom at least two must be members of the MCBB Program. No formal defense is required. Students pursuing a research MA may use graduate research courses to complete the required eight credits of Elective Courses, upon recommendation of the advisor. Students normally enroll in MB 701/702 as credit for scholarly thesis work.
