Graduate Curriculum 2006

1. Each Ph.D. student will set up an ad hoc examination committee at the end of their 2nd semester (following completion of rotations) and no later than the end or their 3rd semester in the graduate program consisting of three (3) or more of the members of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology faculty. This subcommittee will 2) overseen the student’s development of a 4 page dissertation proposal by the end of year 1 and 2) assume responsibility for developing, scheduling and approving all aspects of the preliminary examination requirements as outlined below, however, all five (5) committee members must approve of the results of the examination and sign the candidacy form.
     
   1. The student will assume responsibility for selecting this committee, which must then be approved by the GPB Director.
   2. The student's thesis research director is ineligible to serve as the chair of this examination subcommittee and is a non-voting member of the committee, although he/she is encouraged to attend all committee meetings.

The UNR Graduate School requires that a Ph.D. student must have 5 committee members (usually consisting of the committee chair/permanent advisor, at least two faculty members from the students major department, at least one faculty member from a department in a field related to the student's major, and at least one graduate school representative. See full committee detail page 286 general catalog).

2. The preliminary examination will consist of the development and defense of a written scientific hypothesis. The examination committee or student will prepare a list of three (3) acceptable topics for the written hypothesis; the committee or student may select one of these topics and advise the committee within three (3) days after receiving the list of topics. The student may submit a list of three (3) acceptable topics subject of his/her own, which will be reviewed by the examining committee for its suitability. The student's own potential hypothesis may be disapproved if it is quite closely related to the student's thesis research. From these potential topics, the student is expected to develop an original hypothesis related to one topic based on the literature in this area. The committee will further advise the student as to acceptable style, length and form in which the hypothesis must be written.
     
   In general, it will be understood that the written hypothesis will be written in the style of an NIH, NSF or USDA research proposal with an Introduction to the Problem, a Statement of the Hypothesis to be tested, a Methods section, and a Discussion of the Probable Outcomes of the Research to be conducted and how these outcomes will be interpreted. The references should use the (Author, year) style for simplicity. The proposal may be no longer than 10 single spaced, or 20 double spaced pages, with a minimum font size of 12 pt Times New Roman font, excluding figures, tables and references.
     
   1. The topics for the hypothesis developed by the committee must be in areas of biochemistry or molecular biology, but should not be a direct correlate of the student's expected area of specialization in subsequent thesis or dissertation research.
       
   2. The student will have four (4) weeks from the date of the assignment of hypothesis topics to prepare a written document acceptable to the examination committee. If rewriting the proposal is deemed necessary prior to the oral defense, up to two (2) additional weeks will be allowed.
       
   3. Upon approval of the written hypothesis, and within two weeks of approval of the written hypothesis, the examination committee will schedule an oral defense of the document by the student. This examination, open to all faculty members in the BGP, will focus on the written hypothesis, but will not be limited to this and may, at the discretion of committee members, include appropriate general questioning in the field of biochemistry. The examination committee will make the determination as to whether the student has completed the preliminary examination requirements in satisfactory fashion to continue work on the PhD degree. Criteria to be considered by the committee will include the quality of the student's written hypothesis and performance in the oral examination.
        
   4. The defense will normally start with a 20-30 min presentation of the proposal, with examining members attempting to keep questions limited until this presentation is concluded.
        
3. The procedures in II (A-C) above must be completed by the end of the student's second year in the Graduate Program in Biochemistry.
    
   International students with initial language problems and exceptional cases in which students enter the program with significantly less than normal preparation in chemistry, biochemistry or molecular biology may be permitted to defer taking the preliminary examination subject to the following restrictions.
     
4. If the student fails the examination as described in I-III above, she/he may be allowed to retake the exam. The examining committee in consultation with the director of the graduate program in Biochemistry will make the decision as to whether or not the student may repeat the exam, if there are extenuating circumstances that contribute to an unsatisfactory performance. Should the student be offered the chance to repeat, the full examination procedure, including the development of a written hypothesis and its oral defense, must be repeated. Students who fail the exam may continue in the MS degree program.
     
   1. Any deferment must be requested in writing by the student to the GPB director.
   2. The request for deferment must include a firm date for completion of the examination.
   3. The Director of the Biochemistry Graduate Program, in consultation with the student admissions committee, will make the decision regarding extending the deadline for the completion of the oral and written comprehensive exam.

M.S. Candidates: No written and oral comprehensive examination is required for the M.S. degree.

V. M.S. thesis or Ph.D. committee structure. A PhD student must have 5 committee members (usually consisting of the committee chair/permanent advisor, at least two faculty members from the students major department, at least one faculty member from a department in a field related to the student's major, and at least one graduate school representative. See full committee detail page 286 general catalog)

Recommended Course Work & Research Curricula

Curriculum for the Ph.D. in Biochemistry¹

*  The above three classes are only required for students who have not taken equivalent courses as an undergraduate.

¹The exact required courses for each Ph.D. student must be determined in conjunction with and the approval of the Program Director.

²A student must take electives from the list shown above or equivalent 700 level classes approved by the student’s advisor and advisory committee.

Recommended Electives²

Curriculum for the Masters of Science Degree

The number of dissertation credits or thesis credits may be reduced if the student takes more coursework credits. The intention is for the student to take a total of 72 credits for the Ph. D. and 30 for the M.S. degree, with a minimum of 34 (Ph.D.) and 24 (M.S.) of the credits to be coursework. The sense of the requirements is that graduate students must take a total of 72 credits of which at least 34 must be course work.  If a student takes additional course work credits, the number of required dissertation credits is reduced proportionately.  Please note that if a student takes the approved courses, he/she may take as few as 25 credits of 700 level courses. This has been approved by the graduate school and the graduate council.  (This supercedes the catalog statement that 30 credits of 700 level course work are required for the Ph.D.).

For more information contact:

Dr. John C. Cushman
Graduate Director
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Nevada, Reno
1664 North Virginia Street, MS 200
Reno, Nevada 89557-0014
Phone: 775-784-6911
Fax: 775-784-1650
E-mail: jcushman@unr.edu