Molecular Cellular and Integrative Biosciences

The Intercollege Graduate Degree Program (IGDP) in Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences (MCIBS) is designed to prepare researchers across an array of specializations in the biological sciences that share an emphasis on  trans-disciplinary training, an approach that considers the whole organism and spans the continuum of understanding from fundamental mechanisms of action at the molecular/cellular level of discovery, to the function of the organism in its environment, with applications that enhance health and well-being. To achieve this goal, the IGDP in MCIBS serves as an umbrella portal for the entry and subsequent training of the next generation of researchers for academic, industrial, non-profit foundation, government, and other research entities in the biomedical sciences. Researchers will be trained across a wide range of specializations in the biological sciences that share the goal to elucidate mechanisms of action at the molecular, cellular, and organismal level, including disease.

The program currently offers educational and research emphasis areas in Cell and Developmental Biology; Immunology and Infectious Disease; Molecular and Evolutionary Genetics; Molecular Medicine; and Molecular Toxicology; and an Option in Bioinformatics and Genomics, but is structured to remain contemporary with evolving or emerging fields within the biological/health sciences. Incoming students enroll in core courses of instruction covering basic biochemistry and molecular biology of cellular processes; ethics; and current research topics related to the diverse pathological mechanisms that underlie disease etiologies in humans and animals. In addition, students take specialized courses associated with one of the above programmatic emphasis areas or the option, as well as elective courses that complement and support their research interests and foci.

Calling upon the expertise of an extensive list of life science research faculty members representing an array of different departments across multiple colleges, the IGDP in MCIBS offers a unique opportunity to learn about and work in multiple bioscience disciplines. The MCIBS graduate program is supported by modern telecommunications facilities and equipment, and students not only explore new conceptual connections at the frontiers of research, but also engage in active group learning experiences and explore a variety of potential career opportunities before graduation.

1. Core Curriculum (Required of all Students in MCIBS):

Core Required Courses:

*Students in the BG Option are not required to complete BIOL 593 during their first semester, but are required to complete this course prior to undertaking the required semester of TA experience (see additional requirement below). 

2. Emphasis Areas: The IGDP in MCIBS offers curricular/research specializations in the following Emphasis Areas:

• Cell and Developmental Biology
• Immunology and Infectious Disease
• Molecular and Evolutionary Genetics
• Molecular Medicine
• Molecular Toxicology  

Specialized Courses and Research for Emphasis Areas: To complete an emphasisin any of the areas listed above, students take a minimum of 9 credits of specialized coursework, in addition to the required Core and Additional courses (indicated above and below, respectively), and conduct original research associated with the respective Emphasis Area. Specialized courses for each Emphasis Area are listed on the IGDP in MCIBS website [program URL to be inserted once the website has been finalized. Note to curricular reviewers: Appendix B contains a general outline of the curricular information specific to each Emphasis Area that will appear on the website].

3. Bioinformatics and Genomics (BG) Option: The IGDP in MCIBS also offers an option in Bioinformatics and Genomics. In addition to the Core required courses described above, to complete an Option in Bioinformatics and Genomics, students must take a minimum of prescribed course work and conduct original research associated with Bioinformatics and Genomics. Prescribed courses for the BG Option for students at University Park and in the College of Medicine are listed in #4 below.

Students admitted to the BG option will be tested for their knowledge in STAT 500-Applied Statistics (3 credits), BIOL 405-Molecular Evolution (3 credits) and BMMB 852-Applied Bioinformatics (2 credits). Those found deficient will be required to register for these courses (UP) or equivalent courses (HY) during the first 18 months in the program.

4. Additional Course Requirements:

"Base” Program (All Emphasis Areas):

MCIBS/BIOL/BMMB/VB SC 503 Critical Elements of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology (4 credits)
(taken the first semester in the program)

Quantitative Foundation Course (> 3 credits): 400- or 500-level courses in a quantitative area such as statistics, genetics, bioinformatics, etc. (e.g., STAT 501 Regression Methods; STAT 502 Analysis of Variance and Design of Experiments; STAT 503 Design of Experiments; Population Genetics; etc. - See emphasis area course lists for specific suggestions [program URL to be inserted once the website has been finalized]).

Prescribed Base Program Credits: 7

Specialized Courses -To complete an emphasis in any of the areas listed above, students take a minimum of 9 credits of specialized coursework in the respective Emphasis Area. Specialized courses for each Emphasis Area are listed on the IGDP in MCIBS web site [program URL to be inserted once the website has been finalized. Note to curricular reviewers: Appendix B contains a general outline of the curricular information specific to each Emphasis Area that will appear on the website].

Specialized Course Credits: 9

Total Additional Credits: 16

MINIMUM TOTAL COURSE CREDITS
(CORE PLUS ADDITIONAL): 24

Option in Bioinformatics and Genomics (Prescribed Option-Specific Courses):

• IBIOS/BMMB 551 Genomics (3 credits)
• IBIOS 541 Critical Analysis of Bioinformatics and Genomics Research Topics (1 credit per offering; 2 credits required) IBIOS/BIOL/STAT 555. Statistical Analysis of Genomics Data (3 credits) 
• IBIOS/BMMB 554 Foundations in Data Driven Life Sciences (3 credits)

Prescribed Option-Specific Credits: 11

Elective Courses – In addition to the above prescribed courses, students electing the BG Option in MCIBS must take > 5 credits of 400- or 500-level elective courses relevant to their research and career interests from an extensive list (see the BG Graduate Student Handbook), contingent upon approval in advance by their adviser and doctoral committee, in consultation with the BG Option Director. Available elective courses may vary from year to year.

Elective Course Credits: 5

Total Additional Credits: 16

MINIMUM TOTAL COURSE CREDITS (CORE PLUS ADDITIONAL): 24

5. Teaching Experience - All graduate students in MCIBS are required to have one semester of teaching experience by serving as a teaching assistant (TA) in an undergraduate course (400-level or lower) in a bioscience-related field. Teaching assistant opportunities are arranged in consultation with the adviser and program chair.

1. Completed official Penn State Graduate School application (online).
2. Paid, nonrefundable application fee (see Requirements for Graduate Admission for current fee).
3. Two official transcripts from each institution attended.
4. Application for a U.S. visa (international applicants only).
5. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test; successful applicants generally have scores above the 75th percentile for each of the verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing sections.
6. Names and contact information, including business email addresses, for three references.
7. Statement of goals that pertain to the life sciences including motivation for pursuing a research doctorate; research experience and interests; and professional goals. The statement should include biological problems that are of interest to the applicant and how the applicant’s past experiences have prepared him or her to pursue this research.
8. All international applicants must take and submit scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), with the exceptions noted below. The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 575 for the paper-based test, or a total score of 90 with a 21 on the speaking section for the Internet-based test (iBT). Successful applicants generally have a minimum score of 100 (with a 23 on the speaking section) on the Internet-based test. Applicants with iBT speaking scores between 15 and 20 may be considered for provisional admission, which requires completion of specified remedial English courses ESL 114G (American Oral English for Academic Purposes) and/or ESL 116G (ESL/Composition for Academic Disciplines) with attainment of a grade of B or higher. The minimum acceptable composite score for the IELTS is 6.5. International applicants are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement who have received a baccalaureate or a graduate degree from a college/university/institution in any of the following: Australia, Belize, British Caribbean and British West Indies, Canada (except Quebec), England, Guyana, Republic of Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the United States, and Wales.
9. An applicant must hold either (1) a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or (2) a tertiary (postsecondary) degree that is deemed comparable to a four-year bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. This degree must be from an officially recognized degree-granting institution in the country in which it operates. Successful applicants generally will have completed coursework in biochemistry, molecular and/or cell biology, physics, chemistry (organic and inorganic), and calculus have a minimum 3.5/4.0 Jr./Sr. undergraduate grade point average.

Scholarships

Assistantships

The most common form of graduate support, teaching and research assistantships, include a stipend, tuition remission, and a subsidy for medical insurance. Recipients are assigned to a faculty adviser who supervises the experience. Graduate assistants support undergraduate instruction or undertake research projects. A specified time commitment of 10-30 hours per week is required depending on the unit (a half-time/20 hour per week commitment is typical). Appointments are available only to graduate students who are registered for courses and enrolled in degree programs.

Fellowships

Fellowships are highly prestigious financial support packages that typically include a stipend, tuition remission, and a subsidy for medical insurance. They derive from University or outside awards. Unlike assistantships, they do not have a required work commitment; they are duty-free. Recipients must be enrolled in degree programs and be registered full time. Fellowship recipients are not permitted to accept employment without obtaining approval from the unit and/or agency supporting the fellowship.

Traineeships

Training grants are derived from agencies outside the University and are intended to support specific student learning experiences in core curricular areas and research methods. Institutional awards, typically under the direction of a faculty principal investigator, afford funding to support selected students with stipends, tuition grants-in-aid, and often include a subsidy for medical insurance.