Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics

The Department of Biochemistry offers a 2-year graduate program leading to a master’s degree in Biochemistry that involves a formal course work and a thesis level of independent research. The objectives of the program are to train students in biomedical research, introduce them to the various cellular and biochemical pathways, regulatory mechanisms that govern and maintain steady state and homeostasis, as well as recent developments in molecular biology and biotechnology. In addition, the program promotes self-learning and develops the ability of the students to: pose questions, identify a problem, postulate a hypothesis, set an experimental approach for solving the problem and draw conclusions ultimately.

Thus upon completion of the program, a graduate student will have the ability to critically analyze, apply and communicate knowledge/information. The academic qualifications including the research training of the graduating students would allow them to successfully pursue higher education (MD or PhD), teach in a high school, hold a research position in a medical or research Lab, or work in a pharmaceutical company or biotech company. 
 

Courses
Required courses include:

• Basic Biochemistry (Bioc 300, 6cr.)
• Developmental Biochemistry (Bioc 302, 3cr.)
• Signal Transduction of G-Proteins coupled receptors (Bioc 304, 3cr.)
• Immunology (MIBI 310, 3cr.)

In addition, students have the option to select any of the following elective courses (at least 6 credits):

• Departmental Electives
  • Biochemical research (Bioc 305, 3cr.)
  • Eicosanoids in vascular biology and Inflammation (Bioc 306, 2cr.)
  • Biochemical methods (Bioc 307-308, 4cr.)
  • Proteins and enzymes (Bioc 309, 2 cr.)
  • Advanced Biochemistry (Bioc 313, 3 cr.)
  • Mitochondria: genetics, proteins and disease (Bioc.314, 2 cr)
  • Biochemistry Tutorial (Bioc 311-312, 2cr.)
  • Bioinformatics (Bioc 316, 1 cr.)
  • Bioinformatics tools and applications in genomics (Bioc 326, 2 modules, 1 cr. each)
• Non-Departmental Electives
  • Molecular biology of Cancer (Biol 335, 3cr.)
  • Metabolism (PHYL 304, 3cr.)
  • Medical Statistics (EPHD 325, 3cr.
  • Signal transduction (Biol 333, 3cr.)

Students are required to submit a graduate application online, and to have a GPA of at least 80 or 3.0 and good recommendations to be considered for admission in a process that is competitive. Applicants to any graduate program other than AUB graduates and graduates of recognized colleges or universities in North America, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, must demonstrate proficiency in the English language.

The University provides fellowships covering partial or full tuition and a small stipend for students at the graduate level in return for a specified number of work hours per week in an academic department. Recipients are selected on the basis of their academic record and departmental needs.