Degree Offered
MS
Program Description
The Cellular and Molecular Biomedical Science (CMBS) MS program at the University of Maryland has a core curriculum incorporating subjects of importance to all students in the fields of cell and molecular biology. The subjects are then complemented by specific courses in each student’s area of research and interest. The CMBS MS program emphasizes medically relevant scientific research and education, utilizing state-of-the-art resources. The program is primarily designed as a 2-year curriculum for full-time students and may be completed within 5 years for part-time students. Students will become fluent in the study and implementation of biomedical research and will graduate as prepared and skilled researchers for their careers. CMBS graduates go on to have either a career in government or private industry, or to advance their education in PhD or MD degrees.
Cellular and Molecular Biomedical Science combines areas of biomedical study, including cancer biology, human genetics, molecular and cell biology, pathology, pharmacology, neuroscience, and physiology into a unique interdisciplinary graduate training program. Specifically designed to develop scientists for the post-genomic era, CMBS students will gain knowledge, research skills, and familiarity with biomedical tools and methodologies to solve important and timely questions in biomedical science.
The flexibility of the program allows students the ability to customize it to their particular areas of interest. On-campus lab rotations as well as thesis research projects provide an integrated variety of studies in molecular medicine.
Program Admission
Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree and have strong undergraduate training in the biological sciences, chemistry, mathematics, and general physics, as well as research experience in the biomedical sciences. The Admissions Committee evaluates the entire application package. Applicants are encouraged to have strong letters of recommendation, and a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or above.
Additionally, all international students must meet the Graduate School’s minimum requirements for scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. The Graduate Programs in Life Sciences (GPILS) requires international applicants to provide a transcript evaluation from a NACES member evaluation agency in addition to official, translated transcripts or mark sheets. The deadline for international applicants is April, 15. Admission to the program is highly competitive, and acceptances are made as qualified candidates are identified.
Degree Requirements
In the first semester, students participate in an innovative core course, Mechanisms in Biomedical Sciences: From Genes to Disease (GPLS 601), or an online version of this course, Cellular and Molecular Basis of Translational Research (GPLS 600). These courses are supplemented with material in one of the following: Current Topics in Vascular/Stem Cell Biology (GPLS 690), Molecular Neuroscience /Biophysics (GPLS 691), or Current Topics in Genetics/Genomics (GPLS 692).
Students in the program also must complete a course in bioethics and in biostatistics. Subsequent coursework and laboratory rotations are tailored to meet each student’s research interests and career goals from the rich opportunities available. Students can pursue a thesis or nonthesis track.
Students pursuing an MS degree in the CMBS program must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better in a total of 30 credit hours. Of the 30 credits, approximately 20 to 25 will be directly from coursework (see below). A minimum of 3, and a maximum of 6, credits are generated from laboratory research rotations (graded as pass/fail) lasting approximately eight to ten weeks each. For students pursuing the thesis MS, one of the rotation labs usually becomes the thesis lab. Selection of courses, rotations, and thesis labs should be in consultation with the program director.
For students seeking a thesis MS, a faculty mentor is selected in consultation with the program director. The mentor, who must be a member of the graduate faculty, is responsible for supervising the research.. The thesis defense consists of a public presentation of the thesis work followed by a closed oral examination by the thesis defense committee, which determines whether the student has presented an acceptable thesis.
To facilitate success in the program, GPILS offers an optional bridge course in the summer preceding matriculation for students who may be concerned about their academic preparation or transitioning to graduate school.
Laboratory Rotations
Graduate faculty in many GPLS programs are interested in mentoring CMBS-MS students for rotations and thesis research. To facilitate selection of rotation and/or thesis laboratories, and to ensure student exposure to the range of research opportunities, students attend weekly informal luncheon meetings during the first semester during which members of the graduate faculty give brief presentations describing the research activities of their labs.
In addition, a pilot collaboration has been established between the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center and the GPILS master’s programs. Mentored research in this competitive, paid internship program accrues graduate credit and can become the subject of a master’s degree thesis with GPILS/UMB approval.
Required Courses
| GPLS 600 | CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BASIS OF TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH | 5 |
| | Or | |
| GPLS 601 | MECHANISMS IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES: FROM GENES TO DISEASE | 8 |
one of the following:
| GPLS 690 | CURRENT TOPICS IN VASCULAR AND STEM CELL BIOLOGY | 1 |
| GPLS 691 | MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOPHYSICS | 1 |
| GPLS 692 | CURRENT TOPICS IN GENETICS AND GENOMICS | 1 |
and:
| CIPP 901 | RESEARCH ETHICS | 1 |
| GPLS 630 | FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOSTATISTICS | 3 |