The Rutgers-Newark/NJIT Federated Department of Biological Sciences
offers programs leading to the master of science and the doctor of
philosophy degrees.
Master of Science Program
The master of science in biology is designed to provide students with
advanced knowledge of both plant and animal biology and microbiology.
The program requires a minimum of 30 credits. These must include at
least one 3-credit course in each of four of the following five areas:
cell biology and biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, ecology
and evolution, and plant biology.
The program includes a
research component that students meet either by writing a thesis on an
experimental laboratory or field project or by submitting a written
paper based on current literature in the field. The student and his or
her major adviser select jointly the topic of the thesis or the written
paper. Students electing to write a thesis must complete a minimum of
24 credits of course work and 6 credits of research (26:120:701,702).
In addition, they must give an oral presentation of the thesis they
have submitted.
Students choosing the written-paper option are
required to take 30 credits of course work, pass a written
comprehensive examination, and complete a written paper.
Doctor of Philosophy Program
The Ph.D. curriculum in biology is divided into three tracks. Students
may select the cell/molecular/biochemical track, the ecology/evolution
track, or the computational biology track. Each of the three options
requires 36 credits of course work, including three core courses, and a
minimum of 36 credits of research. The following are the requirements
for each of the three tracks:
1. Cell/molecular/biochemical track: (a)
26:120: 571 Biochemistry, (b) 26:120:515 Molecular Biology of
Eukaryotes, and (c) 26:120:524 Molecular Cell Biology.
2. Ecology/evolution track: one
course from each of three areas: (a) landscape, ecosystem, and
community ecology (either 26:120:587 Systems Ecology, 26:120:586
Landscape Ecology, or 16:215:565 Community Dynamics); (b) organismal
ecology (either 26:120:593 Physiological Ecology, 16:215:533 The
Behavior of Animal Populations, or 16: 215:590 Population Ecology), and
(c) evolution and systematics (either 26: 120:503 Plant Morphology,
26:120:532 Evolution, or 26:120:594 Systematics).
3. Computational biology track: (a)
26:120:502 or MATH 637 (NJIT) Foundations of Mathematical Biology, (b)
6 credits of graduate-level biology courses pertinent to the fields of
specialization, and (c) 6 credits of mathematical and computational
courses.
Students must earn at least a grade of B to
receive credit for these courses, which provide a formal foundation in
research fields covered in each track. The balance of a student`s
course work is chosen with permission of the graduate program director
and in consultation between the student`s adviser and the Standards
Committee. During the first two years, each doctoral student undertakes
rotations through at least two departmental research laboratories.
After completing all core course requirements and the two required
laboratory rotations, students in each track take the qualifying
examination. The qualifying examination will consist of a written and
oral component. The written component of the exam requires students to
write a research proposal using a format typical of a pre-/postdoctoral
grant application submitted to the National Science Foundation. The
oral component of the exam will consist of a question and answer period
related to the material in the written proposal as well as material
from the core courses designated for the specific Ph.D. track. After
completing successfully the qualifying examination in his or her chosen
track, the student is admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree.
Once a student has attained candidacy status, he or she chooses an
adviser, begins research for the dissertation, and forms a dissertation
committee. The dissertation committee for all students is composed of
the adviser and at least three other members of the graduate faculty.
One member must be from outside the program. The dissertation committee
administers at least one dissertation prospectus meeting and also meets
for the final defense of the dissertation. In between the two required
meetings, the dissertation committee members may meet with the student
once every six months to assess his or her progress. The graduate
school has a seven-year limit (for full-time students) for attaining a
doctoral degree.
In addition, please see computational biology 197 (joint computational biology M.S. program with NJIT).
Bridge Courses
Students who hold baccalaureate degrees in an academic discipline that
differs markedly from the programs offered by the Federated Department
of Biological Sciences may be required to take additional courses to
remedy any gap in preparation for graduate work. These courses must be
completed before 12 credits of graduate- degree courses are earned.
Bridge courses are not counted as degree credits. They do count,
however, in the graduate GPA calculations if the course is numbered 500
or above.
Undergraduate Courses
With approval
from the program director, students may enroll in upper-level
undergraduate biology courses (at the 300 and 400 levels). These
courses may form a regular part of the graduate program, or they may
serve to remedy a deficiency in preparation for graduate work. No more
than 9 credits numbered below 500 may be used in fulfillment of course
requirements for an advanced degree in biology.
Departmental Facilities
The department`s Analytical Microscopy Facility is second to none in
the state of New Jersey. Facilities include a FEI Tecnai 12 TEM
equipped with a Gatan high resolution CCD camera, a Zeiss IM35
fluorescence microscope and low-light level CCD cameras, Perkin-Elmer
Ulra View Spinning Disc Confocal Microscope, Bio-Rad MRC 1024 Laser
scanning confocal microscope, and multiple image analysis and
processing workstations. In addition, the department has a FACS Calibur
fluorescent cell sorter, an AutoMACS immunomagnetic cell separator, an
Applied Biosystems real-time PCR apparatus, an oligo synthesizer, an
automated DNA sequencer, ultracentrifuges, a typhoon scanner,
scintillation and gamma counters, FPLC, an AAALAC-approved animal
facility, and a greenhouse. Individual research laboratories house
tissue culture facilities, electrophysiological equipment, fluorescence
microscopes, and thermal cyclers. A student also can take advantage of
additional facilities that are available at neighboring institutions.
The Graduate School-Newark maintains affiliations with the University
of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Institute of
Technology, and various industrial research laboratories.
