Policy and Practices
The Graduate Program
Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology
Baylor College of Medicine
Adopted March 1981
Lastest Revision June 15, 2015
table of contents
PAGE
INTRODUCTION 3
A.DIRECTOR OF GRADUATE STUDIES 4
1.Appointment 4
2.Responsibilities 4
B.Graduate Education Committee 4
1.Membership 4
2.Responsibilities 4
C.Admission to the Graduate Program 5
1.Admission Procedures 5
2.Evaluation Procedures 5
D.Student Advisory Committee 5
1.Major Thesis Advisor 5
2.Thesis Advisory Committee 6
3.Modification of Thesis Advisory Committee 6
E.The Graduate Program 7
1.Courses 7
a.Curriculum Tracks 7
b. Thinking Like a Scientist10
c.Responsible Conduct of Research (Ethics)11
d.Transfer of Credit11
e.Seminars11
f.Research Rotations12
2.The Qualifying Examination 12
a.Purpose12
b.Eligibility12
c.Scope12
d.Timeline12
3.Candidacy for Degree 13
4.Progress Meetings and Status Reports 13
5.Permission to Write14
6.Dissertation and Defense of Dissertation 14
F.Student Promotions15
1.Promotional Procedures 15
2.Dismissal 16
3.Withdrawal 16
4.Leave of Absence 16
G.Student Affairs 17
H.Financial RegulationS 17
INTRODUCTION
The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) offers graduate programs leading to the Ph.D. degree. The graduate programs are coordinated by the Departmental Director of Graduate Studies. Policy and curriculum are established by the Graduate Education Committee, subject to approval of the faculty.
Policy and procedures set forth in the Department's guidelines are addenda to the Policy Handbook, Graduate School, BCM. Departmental policies supplement Graduate School policies; they do not supersede them.
A.DIRECTOR OF GRADUATE STUDIES
1.Appointment
The Director of Graduate Studies is appointed by the Chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB).
2.Responsibilities
The Director coordinates the graduate program within BMB and acts as liaison between the Graduate School Office and the BMB faculty and graduate students. It is the Director's responsibility to disseminate information as appropriate to ensure that the graduate program runs smoothly. The Director serves as chair of the Graduate Education Committee.
The Director represents BMB to the Graduate School by serving as delegate to the Executive Council of the Graduate School. The Director may also serve on the Promotions Committee. Other faculty members within the Department may be asked to serve on these committees should the need arise.
B.GRADUATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE (GEC)
1.Membership
a)The GEC is composed of the Director of Graduate Studies, who serves as Chair, at least four faculty representatives, and one graduate student representative.
b)Each graduate student representative will serve for one year. Each year, the Department's graduate students will elect a new representative during the first term of the Monday Student Seminar. The student elected must be in good standing academically and have completed the qualifying examination procedure.
2.Responsibilities
a)The principal responsibility of the GEC is to oversee the graduate program within the Department.
b)The GEC is charged with the responsibility of assisting the Director of Graduate Studies in executing the Policy and Practices of the Graduate Program, as set forth in this document. These responsibilities include screening applications, recommending student promotions, coordinating the qualifying examination procedure, monitoring student progress, reviewing the curriculum, and regulating outside employment.
c)The GEC assists the Director of Graduate Studies in reviewing each student's progress toward the degree. Although the GEC reviews all students, it assumes primary responsibility for monitoring students who have not yet qualified for candidacy. Students who have qualified for candidacy become the primary responsibility of their Thesis Advisory Committees.
d)The Chair of the GEC represents the BMB as the delegate to the Promotions Committee of the Graduate School. The Chair can appoint a member of the GEC to go in his/her place.
e)The GEC periodically evaluates the entire graduate curriculum to improve its quality and to strengthen the programs leading to Ph.D. degree in BMB. It is the responsibility of the GEC to review existing courses, to recommend revisions or deletions as appropriate, and to suggest new courses when necessary.
f)The Director of Graduate Studies and the GEC are available to aid and counsel students during their tenure in the Department in order to make their stay more productive. Situations regarding faculty, student and family relationships, as well as course and financial problems may be discussed.
C.ADMISSION TO THE GRADUATE PROGRAM
BMB adheres to the general admission procedures outlined by the Graduate School. Applicants are responsible for submitting complete applications.
1.Admission Procedures
a)Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Applicants are required to take the GRE within a three-year period prior to application. In addition to the general aptitude tests, an advanced test in one of the scientific or mathematical disciplines will also be considered.
A GRE ranking in the 70th percentile or above is usually necessary for favorable consideration.
b)Letters of Recommendation
At least three letters from undergraduate faculty sponsors must be offered in support of an application. Strong, unequivocal letters attesting to the applicant's educational background, motivation, analytical skills, and promise as a research scientist are important. If the applicant has had graduate or professional school experience, a letter from the graduate or professional school faculty must also be submitted.
2.Evaluation Procedures
a)The Director of Graduate Studies will review the applications, with assistance from the GEC, as needed. Prior to any formal meetings of the GEC, the completed applications are to be available to the members for review and evaluation. The GEC will review the guidelines for evaluation of students for the benefit of new members before reviews are initiated.
b)Evaluation procedures must accommodate applications of students who are considered good risks but do not meet the general admission requirements. Such students, if accepted, must be advised of specific deficiencies in background that they must correct.
c)After applicants have been interviewed (in person or by Skype), The Director of Graduate Studies will meet with the GEC and the individuals responsible for interviewing international candidates in order to decide which applicants to make offers to. The committee will make recommendations to the Director of Graduate Studies, who will be responsible for final decisions.
d)Upon favorable action by the Department and the Graduate School Admissions Committee, the Graduate School sends a letter to successful applicants advising them of their acceptance and of any financial awards. Information is also sent with specific details concerning stipend, tuition support, entrance procedures, and orientation dates.
D.STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
- Major Thesis Advisor
a)Students entering the Ph.D. program with a Bachelor's degree are expected to select a Major Thesis Advisor from among the faculty members of the Department by June 1 of their first year. Students are required to rotate through three labs before selecting a Thesis Advisor. Those students with an advanced degree or advanced credit equivalent to 36 quarter hours may be permitted to select a Major Thesis Advisor after two rotations. The Director of Graduate Studies must approve any request to rotate through the same lab twice.
b)All graduate students must submit their preferences for a major advisor in writing to the Program Administrator for review by the Director of Graduate Studies, using the Form, Appoint Major Advisor and Compact. Note that this Form includes the “Compact between graduate students and their mentors.” This Form requires that the student and the mentor discuss and agree to the goals of the compact, which outlines student and faculty rights and responsibilities.
c)The student and the Major Thesis Advisor may choose to select a second mentor from among the BMB primary and secondary faculty. The mentor pair must be approved by the Program Director. The Major Thesis Advisor will serve as the primary advisor and will, together with the student, be responsible for maintaining steady progress toward the degree. The dual mentorship is expected to enhance the training of the student and the progress to degree.
d)The Major Thesis Advisor counsels the student on the selection of future course work and is responsible, together with the student, for maintaining satisfactory progress toward the degree. The student and advisor select and plan the thesis research. The Major Thesis Advisor serves as chair of the student's Thesis Advisory Committee and counsels the student in the selection of the remaining members of that committee.
2.Thesis Advisory Committee
a)The Thesis Advisory Committee for each student consists of the student's Major Thesis Advisor, three additional members of the BMB faculty, and one (or more) faculty who holds a primary appointment in another department, for a minimum total of five. Three members constitute a quorum; a quorum must be present for all committee meetings. The student may select the outside faculty from other departments at Baylor College of Medicine as well as from other institutions (e.g., Rice University, University of Texas Health Science Center, University of Houston). The outside member mayhold a joint appointment in BMB. Any exception to these stated rules must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
b)The Thesis Advisory Committee is to be selected by July 1 of the first year at Baylor and is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School upon written request from the Department. Graduate School Form, Appointment of Advisory Committee, must be prepared by the student for submission to the Director who will, in turn, submit it to the Graduate School Office.
c)Students must meet twice yearly with the members of their Thesis Advisory Committee for advice and counsel regarding their dissertation research and general progress toward the degree. These will occur in the Spring (January to June) and Fall (July to December) of each year.
d)For third year students and above the deadlines for these meetings, and for submission of resulting status reports, are 5:00 p.m. on the last business day in the month of their birth and on the 6-month anniversary of their birth month. There are no extensions of these deadlines, but the advisory committee meeting may be held at any time between the deadlines. It is the responsibility of the student to schedule and hold the thesis advisory committee meeting so that they are completed before the deadlines.
e)For second year students, we will handle the Thesis Advisory Committee meeting in the context of our Qualifying Exams. As detailed under “The Qualifying Exam,” students will meet with their thesis committee before September 1 to discuss their Abstract of their proposed thesis project. That meeting constitutes their first thesis committee meeting, and will serve as the basis for their Fall Status Report (due by 5:00 pm on the last business day preceding December 23). The Qualifying Exam in March will serve as their second thesis committee meeting and the basis for their Spring Status Report (due on June 30th).
3.Modification of Thesis Advisory Committee
A student who wishes to remove or add members of the Thesis Advisory Committee must submit the Graduate School Form, Appointment of Advisory Committee, to the Program Administrator for review by the Director of Graduate Studies, who will submit it to the Graduate School. Changes in the Thesis Advisory Committee must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.
E.THE GRADUATE PROGRAM
1.Courses
a. Curriculum Tracks
BMB currently offers a choice of two tracks for graduate students—a general (flexible) track and a biophysics track—and one track for MD/PhD students. (MD/PhD students are admitted to Baylor through the medical school.) The required coursework for each track is listed below. BMB students are required to choose one track and complete the associated coursework, which will allow them to complete the Graduate School requirement for 30 credit hours of didactic courses. Additional coursework may be elected from courses available at BCM and allied institutions of higher learning within the Texas Medical Center and the City of Houston. (Course information is available at the BCM Graduate School web site.)
All students are required to sign up every term for Monday Student Seminar (Seminar in Biochemistry, 310-466). Students who have obtained Permission to Write, or who have entered their 7th year as a graduate student, are exempted from registering for the Seminar.
All students must register for some form of research throughout their graduate career. First year students who are rotating through labs should register for Research Rotation (310-549). Students who have joined a laboratory, but have not yet been admitted to candidacy (see below) should register for Special Projects (310-435). Students who have been admitted to candidacy should register for Dissertation Research (310-550). The number of hours for Research, when combined with the other courses, should sum to 12 hours.
BMB CURRICULUM (FLEXIBLE TRACK)
(30 hours didactic credit required)
REQUIRED COURSES (* = Non-didactic credit courses)
Term 1Organization of the Cell (2 hrs)
Molecular Methods (3 hrs)
Genetics A (2 hrs)
*Thinking Like a Scientist (1 hr)
*Science as a Profession 1 (Ethics for first year students) (0.5 hr)
*Seminar in Biochemistry (1 hr)
*Research Rotation
Term 2Cell Division (2 hrs)
Thinking Like a Scientist (2 hrs)
*Science as a Profession 1 (Ethics for second year students) (0.5 hr)
*Seminar in Biochemistry (1 hr)
*Research Rotation
Term 3Macromolecules: Structure and Interactions (3 hrs)
Gene Regulation (3 hrs)
Thinking Like a Scientist (2 hrs)
*Science as a Profession 1 (Ethics for third year students) (0.5 hr)
*Seminar in Biochemistry (1 hr)
*Research Rotation
Term 4Introduction to Biostatistics (2 hrs)
Thinking Like a Scientist (2 hrs)
*Science as a Profession 1 (Ethics for fourth year students) (0.5 hr)
*Seminar in Biochemistry (1 hr)
*Research Rotation
Term 5*Research Rotation
FLEXIBLE REQUIRED ELECTIVES (choose a total of at least 7 hrs distributed among at least 3 different areas)
GENETICS
Term 2Genetics B (2 hrs)
Term 3Mammalian Genetics (2 hrs)
Term 4Human Genetics (3 hrs)
Term 4Genetics of Animal Viruses (3 hrs) odd years only
DEVELOPMENT
Term 1Classic Developmental Biology (2 hrs)
Term 2Development (2 hrs)
Term 3Evolutionary Conservation of Developmental Mechanisms (3 hrs)
Term 4Neural Development (3 hrs)
IMMUNOLOGY
Term 2Immunology (3 hrs)
Term 3Immunology (1 hr)
Term 5Molecular Immunology (3 hrs)
NEUROSCIENCE
Term 2Neuroanatomy: Functional Organization of the CNS (2 hrs)
Term 3Neuroscience (1 hr)
Term 3 Genetics of Neuroscience (2 hrs)
Term 4Neural Development (3 hrs)
Term 4Neurobiology of Disease (3 hrs)
DISEASE
Term 1Cellular & Molecular Basis of Disease (2 hrs)
Term 2Cancer (1 hr)
Term 4Pathophysiology & Mechanisms of Human Disease (3 hrs)
Term 4Introduction to Molecular Carcinogenesis (3 hrs)
Term 4Gene & Cell Therapy (2 hrs)
Term 4Biology of Aging & Age-Related Diseases (3hrs)
STRUCTURE & INFORMATICS
Term 2Bacterial Structure & Function (3 hrs)
Term 2 ABC: Applications to Biology of Computation (2 hrs)
Term 3Practical Introduction to Programming for Scientists (3 hrs) even years only
Term 4Computer-Aided Discovery Methods (2 hrs)
Term 4Electron Cryomicroscopy for Molecules & Cells (3 hrs) odd years only
Term 4Advanced X-Ray Crystallography (3 hrs) even years only
Term 4Bioinformatics & Genomic Analysis (3 hrs)
WILD CARDS
Term 2Method & Logic in Molecular Biology (3 hrs)
Term 4Regulation of Energy Homeostasis (2 hrs)
OTHER
Term 4*Introduction to Scientific Writing (1 hr) (Note: ISW is NOT a didactic course; thus, will not count towards your 30 required credit hours)
BMB CURRICULUM (BIOPHYSICS TRACK)
(30 hours didactic credit required)
REQUIRED COURSES (*Non-didactic credit courses)
Term 1Organization of the Cell (2 hrs)
Molecular Methods (3 hrs)
Molecular Biophysics I (3 hrs) (Rice U)
*Thinking Like a Scientist (1 hr)
*Science as a Profession (Ethics for first year students) (0.50 hr)
*Seminar in Biochemistry (1 hr)
*Research Rotation
Term 2Molecular Biophysics II (3 hrs) (Rice U)
Thinking Like a Scientist (2 hrs)
*Science as a Profession (Ethics for second year students) (0.50 hr)
*Seminar in Biochemistry (1 hr)
*Research Rotation
Term 3Gene Regulation (3 hrs)
Thinking Like a Scientist (2 hrs)
*Science as a Profession (Ethics for third year students) (0.50 hr)
*Seminar in Biochemistry (1 hr)
*Research Rotation
Term 4Thinking Like a Scientist (2 hrs)
*Science as a Profession (Ethics for fourth year students) (0.50 hr)
*Seminar in Biochemistry (1 hr)
*Research Rotation
Term 5*Research Rotation
FLEXIBLE REQUIRED ELECTIVES (choose 10 hours of electives, with at least 6 hours from the Biophysics List, to reach total of 30 didactic hours)
BIOPHYSICS
Term 2ABC: Applications to Biology of Computation (2 hrs)
Term 2Computational Mathematics for Biomedical Students (4 hrs)
Term 3Computer-Aided Discovery Methods (2 hrs)
Term 3Macromolecules: Structure and Interactions (3 hrs)
Term 4Electron Cryomicroscopy for Molecules & Cells (3 hrs) odd years only
Term 4Advanced X-Ray Crystallography (3 hrs) even years only
CELL BIOLOGY (This is only a partial list; check with the Program Director for other choices)
Term 1Genetics A (2 hrs)
Term 1Cellular & Molecular Biology of Disease (2 hrs)
Term 2Method and Logic in Molecular Biology (3 hrs)
Term 2Cell Division (2 hrs)
Term 2Cancer (1 hr)
OTHER
Term 4*Introduction to Scientific Writing (1 hr) (Note: ISW is NOT a didactic course; thus, will not count towards your 30 required credit hours)
BMB CURRICULUM (MSTP TRACK)
(30 hours didactic credit required)
REQUIRED COURSES (* = Non-didactic credit courses)
Term 1Molecular Methods (3 hrs)
Genetics A (2 hrs)
*Thinking Like a Scientist (1 hr)
*Science as a Profession 1 (Ethics for first year students) (0.5 hr)
*Seminar in Biochemistry (1 hr)
*Research Rotation
Term 2Cell Division (2 hrs)
Thinking Like a Scientist (2 hrs)
*Science as a Profession 1 (Ethics for second year students) (0.5 hr)
*Seminar in Biochemistry (1 hr)
*Research Rotation
Term 3Macromolecules: Structure and Interactions (3 hrs)
Gene Regulation (3 hrs)
Thinking Like a Scientist (2 hrs)
*Science as a Profession 1 (Ethics for third year students) (0.5 hr)
*Seminar in Biochemistry (1 hr)
*Research Rotation