Program Description

The cross-disciplinary Molecular Biosciences field is revolutionizing discovery and technological advances in disciplines ranging from agriculture to medicine, from forensics to environmental sciences, from food sciences to renewable energy. The Molecular Biosciences Doctoral Program provides training and research opportunities that integrate molecular, genomic, cellular and developmental information, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches, state-of-the-art technologies and innovations addressing real world problems.

The mission of the program is to produce scientists with sufficient background and training to advance the field of Molecular Biosciences. Molecular Biosciences addresses classical and contemporary problems in biology through creative integration of molecular, genomic, cellular and developmental research areas. Among other topics Molecular Biosciences research may include the study of biomolecular interactions, the engineering and design of metabolic pathways to produce bioactive molecules, bioinformatics, discovery and development of novel biomaterials, and process development and scale-up.

Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission into the Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Biosciences Program must meet the admission requirements of Graduate Admissions in addition to the Program’s specific requirements.

Each applicant must have a minimum of a BS in a basic or applied science, although preference may be given to MS level applicants. Some required MBS courses have prerequisites which must be met in order to succeed in these classes. These courses may include general and organic chemistry, biochemistry, introductory biological science, and cellular biology. Based on previous undergraduate coursework, students may be required to pass one or more of these prerequisite courses before attempting graduate level study in this field.

In addition to official transcripts, applicants must also provide official Graduate Record Examination scores for the Verbal, Analytical and Quantitative tests. Scores from the Graduate Record Examination showing a score of 150 on both the verbal and quantitative tests or a combined score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative sections for scores that used the old scoring system are the minimum requirements. Although not required, scores from an advanced test related to Molecular Biosciences may increase a candidate’s chance for admission. Once the basic Graduate Admissions application requirements are met, applications will be forwarded to the Molecular Biosciences Program Committee for their consideration and determination for student admission. Applicants are advised that admission to Graduate Programs does not imply admission to the Molecular Biosciences PhD Program. Other materials required of MBS applicants are three strong letters of recommendation, a current curriculum vitae and a statement of research interests that includes identification of possible faculty mentors the applicant would like to work with. Foreign applicants must also meet the requirements of the Office of International Programs.

Admission to the PhD in Molecular Biosciences Degree Program

Applicants to the PhD in Molecular Biosciences Program must have a minimum of a BS in a basic or applied science, although preference may be given to MS level applicants. Applicants must submit the following to Graduate Admissions by February 15th for consideration for Fall admission and by July 15th for consideration for Spring admission:

1. A completed application for admission to the A-State Graduate Programs (or to the Office of International Programs for international students). Forms are available directly from Graduate Admissions and Office of International Programs.
2. One copy of official transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate coursework attempted, to be sent directly from the institution(s) previously attended. Graduate Admissions will compute the graduate GPA by counting all graduate courses completed, including any repeated courses.
3. Three letters of recommendation to be reviewed by the Molecular Biosciences Program Committee.
4. A personal statement (maximum of two pages) describing the student’s academic and research goals. Applicants are encouraged to identify areas of research interest as well as possible research mentors within the faculty of the Molecular Biosciences Program.
5. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores for the Verbal, Analytical and Quantitative tests. Scores from the Graduate Record Examination showing a score of 150 on both the verbal and quantitative tests or a combined score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative sections for scores that used the old scoring system are the minimum requirements. Although not required, scores from an advanced test related to Molecular Biosciences may increase a candidate’s chance for admission.
6. A current copy of curriculum vitae.
7. A $50 nonrefundable application fee. This can be paid online as part of the application or a check can be mailed to the A-State Treasurer’s Office with the applicant’s name and date of birth in the memo line. Checks must be made payable to Arkansas State University. If applications are received without payment, Graduate Admissions will hold all materials and notify the applicants that no action will be taken until payment is received. International students may use a check or an International Postal Money Order to remit payment in U.S. currency.
8. International student applicants must demonstrate a satisfactory level of proficiency in the English language if English is not their native language.

Program Information

All candidates for a PhD degree in Molecular Biosciences are required to complete or have completed the specified core courses and elective courses, or their equivalent, as directed by the student’s Doctoral Advisory Committee. All candidates must attend every Molecular Biosciences Seminar when in residence on campus. Each PhD student must complete a minimum of 15 hours of Molecular Biosciences approved course work (including the specified 9 credits in Core Technical courses, 1 credit in Responsible Conduct in Research and 4 credits from the Techniques in Molecular Biosciences course). Students must also take the Seminar in Molecular Biosciences every semester, except the last semester of their study, plus a minimum of 18 hours of dissertation research credits along with any other academic studies required by the student’s Doctoral Advisory Committee. The committee may alter or require additional academic work as it deems appropriate to meet the student’s specific program needs. The committee will also provide a written plan of study by semester for each student.

Any additional coursework requirements will be determined by the Doctoral Advisory Committee to meet the student’s specific program needs. Each candidate for the PhD in Molecular Biosciences must execute an original and rigorous research project culminating in the completion and defense of a dissertation.

Graduate Student Support

Any university support, whether as a Graduate Teaching Assistant or as a Graduate Research Assistant, will be awarded competitively through the Molecular Biosciences Program Committee. Students may also be supported from faculty research grants.

Doctoral Advisory Committees

During the first year of their program of study, each student is expected to identify a Doctoral Advisory Committee Chair to direct the research of the student and who must be approved by the Director of the Molecular Biosciences Program and by the Program Committee. In addition to the chair, the Doctoral Advisory Committee will consist of members of the graduate faculty and other professionals as deemed appropriate and approved by the Molecular Biosciences Program Committee, the Molecular Biosciences Program director and the Dean. Each committee must have at least four members. The Doctoral Advisory Committee is to review the student’s dissertation proposal, administer the Qualifying and Candidacy Exams and provide guidance toward the successful completion of the research project.

Students in the program without a designated committee chair during their first semester will be assigned an interim adviser by the Director of the Molecular Biosciences Program. The primary role of the interim adviser will be to establish a tentative curriculum for the student, pending establishment of the Doctoral Advisory Committee. An interim adviser may serve for a maximum of one year until a permanent advisory committee chair is selected.

Membership of Advisory Committees may be changed if either the student or a member of their committee feels that such a change is appropriate and the requested change is approved by the Molecular Biosciences Program Committee and the Director of the Molecular Biosciences Program. Such a change will not be approved except in clearly unusual circumstances. If approval is given, the student will be notified in writing by Graduate Admissions.

General Program of Study

A program of study, to be developed by the Doctoral Advisory Committee in consultation with the student, is to be submitted to the Director of the Molecular Biosciences Program for approval no later than one calendar year after admission to the program. As a reflection of the interdisciplinary nature of the program, a course of study will be tailored to each student’s own scholarly interests, research, and proposed career direction. General course requirements are outlined on the Molecular Biosciences home page under “Program of Study for the PhD in Molecular Biosciences”.

Each Doctoral Advisory Committee will meet once every six months and when not possible at least once a year to review and provide a written report of the student’s progress that the student should include for their annual review by the director of the program.

Satisfactory Progress

Students are required to earn a grade point average of “B” or better. A single instance of a grade below “C” will be accepted and a second instance of a grade of “C” or a single instance of a grade below “C” will be cause for the review of the student’s status within the program by the Molecular Biosciences Program Committee. After such review, the Program Committee may recommend dismissal of the student from the program.

Time to Degree

A minimum of 72 graduate credits beyond the baccalaureate degree or 45 graduate credits beyond the master’s degree is required. All requirements for the degree must be completed within six calendar years of admission to the program. Requirements subsequent to admission to candidacy must be completed within four calendar years of admission to candidacy.

A student exceeding the time limit may be required to repeat the qualifying examination, replace out-of-date credits with up-to-date ones, and/or show other evidence of being current within both the core curriculum and the student’s area of specialization. Extension of the six-year requirement will be granted only if a student has obtained prior approval from his or her Doctoral Advisory Committee, the Molecular Biosciences Program Committee and the Arkansas State University Graduate Programs.

Qualifying Examination

The student’s Doctoral Advisory Committee will administer a Qualifying Examination as one means of assessing a student’s preparedness for doctoral level study. This exam will consist of the student’s written dissertation proposal which is then orally defended. The student may be required to take additional academic work at the discretion of the committee. All dissertation research proposals must be approved by the student’s Doctoral Advisory Committee through the mechanism of a dissertation proposal seminar. It is the responsibility of the student to file an announcement of the seminar with the program office at least two weeks in advance of the seminar. The seminar will be an open forum. The candidate will be notified in writing of the committee’s approval. If required by the committee, the candidate may hold a second seminar in order to meet the committee’s approval. This exam must be taken during the third semester, and successfully completed no later than the end of the fourth semester.

Admission to Candidacy

A student may apply for admission to candidacy upon successful completion of the Qualifying Examination and defense of the dissertation proposal. A student may not apply for candidacy while on probation or with a GPA of less than 3.00.

Candidacy Examination

The Candidacy Examination is designed to assess a student’s ability to develop and defend a hypothesis-driven research proposal outside the area of the student’s thesis project. The selected topic must be approved by the student’s Doctoral Advisory Committee. The format of the proposal will follow that of either NSF or NIH guidelines or another federal agency approved by the student’s Doctoral Advisory Committee. The seminar will include an open forum and, if required, may involve a second seminar in order to meet with the Doctoral Advisory Committee’s approval. This exam must be completed within one year after passing the Qualifying Exam.

Dissertation Defense

After the research is completed, the student will submit a draft of the dissertation to his or her Doctoral Advisory Committee. Upon the recommendation of the Committee, the candidate will arrange with the chair of the Doctoral Advisory Committee to schedule and conduct a presentation of the results.

The candidate will also be required to orally defend the dissertation before the Doctoral Advisory Committee, the Director of the Molecular Biosciences Program, members of the faculty, students and interested persons. Arrangements for the dissertation defense will be made through the Molecular Biosciences Program Office, but announced by the Registrar. Students are advised to be aware of the deadlines set by the Registrar for submission of defense results and dissertations.

The defense must occur at least four weeks before the date of graduation. A successful defense receives no more than one negative vote by the members of the Doctoral Advisory Committee. Failure of the defense requires a one semester probation before a second defense can be scheduled. A second failure of the defense results in elimination from the program.

Deadline for Submission

The completed dissertation must follow the format requirements of Graduate Programs as contained in the Guide to Dissertations and Theses: Preparation and Electronic Submissions (http://www.astate.edu/college/graduate-school/files/Guide-to-Theses-and-Dissertations-09-2017.pdf). Before submission online, the completed dissertation must be approved by the advisory committee. Candidates will also be responsible for the preparation of an abstract of the dissertation, not to exceed 350 words, which will be submitted with the completed dissertation.

The student is required to purchase three copies of the bound dissertation for the A-State Library, the Molecular Biosciences program office, and the dissertation advisor.

Checklist for the Last Semester Before Graduation

In the last semester before graduation, candidates must:

• register for graduation and pay the fee.
• file an Intent to Graduate Form with the registrar’s office through the MBS Program office by the relevant deadline.
• complete the oral defense of the dissertation.
• submit the dissertation by the relevant deadline.