Pathways Curriculum

Students begin the program in the summer preceding their first fall term.

Students must complete:

24 Rackham credits in MCDB and related areas, including a minimum of 16 credits of coursework and 8 credits of research (MCDB 700).
Responsible Conduct of Research Course (e.g., PIBS 503 or MCDB 499) during their first year in the program.
Only graduate-level courses (400 level and above) may count towards the M.S. degree.
Courses offered by departments other than MCDB must be approved by the student's thesis advisor and the director of the Pathways Master's program before they are taken.

All courses will be selected in consultation with the student's research advisor and the program director.

Students are required to be a Graduate Student Instructor (teaching assistant) for a minimum of two terms during their program, typically the winter semester of the first year and the fall semester of the second year.

Students will be matched into research labs during the first summer. They will work in that research lab for 2 years, completing a research project that is of sufficient quality for a Master's thesis.

Students will defend their thesis in an open seminar, followed by an oral exam by their thesis committee.

MCDB Pathways Timeline

Year 1

Year 1: Summer

Students will be matched with labs to find a thesis advisor and begin lab work.

Year 1: Fall

3-4 credits of a 400 level or higher course
3-4 credits of research in a faculty member's lab (MCDB 700).
1 credit PIBS 503 or MCDB 499
1 credit MCDB 800
Confirm thesis lab selection and continue thesis work.
Form a committee consisting of three faculty including the thesis advisor by October 1.

Year 1: Winter

GSI appointment.
3–4 credits of a 400 level or higher course (may include cognate)
2–3 credits MCDB 700
One credit of MCDB 800
First committee meeting before April 30th.

Year 2

Year 2: Summer

Continue thesis research.
Each student is expected to attend 1 professional meeting.

Year 2: Fall

GSI appointment
3-4 credits of a 400-level or higher course
2–3 credits MCDB 700
1 credit MCDB 800
Thesis committee meeting before January 30

Year 2: Winter

3-4 credits of a 400-level or higher course
3-4 credits MCDB 700
1 credit MCDB 800
Thesis defense

Advising

It is important that you seek advice from the Director of Master’s Programs and the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC). Students should schedule an advising appointment once per semester.

For questions concerning the program, advice on the curriculum, or any concerns you may have please contact:

Mary Carr, Graduate Program Coordinator, carrmm@umich.edu,
(734) 615-1635 or
Gyorgyi Csankovszki, Professor, gyorgyi@umich.edu,
(734) 764-3412

MCDB Master's Courses

Below is a partial list representing the broad range of courses that Master's students will be eligible to take during their studies.

MCDB 401—Advanced Topics in Biology
MCDB 402—Molecular Biology of Pain
MCDB 403—Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Synapse
MCDB 404—Genetics, Development, and Evolution
MCDB 405—Molecular Basis of Development
MCDB 408—Genomic Biology
MCDB 411—Protein Structure and Function
MCDB 415—Microbial Genetics
MCDB 417—Chromosome Structure and Function
MCDB 418—Endocrinology
MCDB 421—Topics in Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology
MCDB 422—Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology; Brain Development
MCDB 423—Introduction to Research in Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology
MCDB 425—Biotechnology: From Concepts to Technologies
MCDB 426—Molecular Endocrinology
MCDB 427—Molecular Biology
MCDB 428—Cell Biology
MCDB 430—Molecular Biology of Plants
MCDB 432—Biochemistry and Physiology of Prokaryotes
MCDB 435—Intracellular Trafficking
MCDB 436—Human Immunology
MCDB 441—Cell Biology and Disease
MCDB 444—Bacterial Cell Biology
MCDB 450—Genetics and Molecular Biology of Complex Behavior
MCDB 451—Molecular Neurobiology of Health and Disease
MCDB 455—Cell Biology of Neurodegeneration
MCDB 462—Epigenetics
MCDB 489—Microbial Genes and Genomes
MCDB 499— Research Ethics
MCDB 589—Mechanisms of Microbial Evolution
MCDB 600—Special Topics in MCDB
MCDB 614—Experimental Models in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
MCDB 700—Advanced Studies (Independent Study)
MCDB 800—Biology Seminars
PIBS 503 —Research Responsibility and Ethics

Thesis Committee Meetings

After a student and a faculty member have agreed on a project suitable for the thesis-based Master’s degree, the student will assemble a committee made up of the thesis advisor and two faculty members selected by the student in consultation with the advisor. The committee will meet with the student during the fall and winter terms to help the student and the advisor to keep research on track. The thesis committee will aim to advise and guide the student towards the degree completion. Reports of these meetings and the student’s progress will be due to the Pathways Program Director and the Graduate Coordinator by the end of each term and will become a permanent part of the student’s academic file.

Pathways Master's Thesis Committee Form

Thesis and Defense

The written thesis is due to the committee one week prior to the defense. Students defend their thesis at the end of the winter term, prior to May 1^stin an open seminar. The public seminar is followed by a closed oral examination by the committee. Required revision to the thesis, if any, are due two weeks after the defense. The final thesis should be submitted to the Pathways Program Director and the Graduate Coordinator.

Pathways Master's Oral Defense Form

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