The Rutgers-Newark/New Jersey Institute of Technology 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 an opportunity to develop both depth and breadth of understanding in present-day biological disciplines. The program requires a minimum of 30 credits and includes either a comprehensive exam or a research thesis capstone option.
Students electing the comprehensive exam route to the M.S. are required to successfully complete at least one 3-credit course in four of the following five areas: cell biology and biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, ecology and evolution, and plant biology. In addition to the minimal 12-credit core requirements, students must complete an additional 18 credits of elective coursework followed by successful completion of a written comprehensive exam.
Students electing to finish their M.S. degree using the thesis option must successfully complete a core requirement of at least one 3-credit course in three of the following five areas: cell biology and biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, ecology and evolution, and plant biology. During the initial phase of graduate study, the student will complete an additional 15 elective credits (totaling 24 course credits) and identify a prospective thesis adviser. The student, in consultation with his or her adviser, will prepare a plan for completion of 6 credits of research which serves as the foundation for writing and publicly defending the thesis.
Doctor of Philosophy Program
The Ph.D. curriculum in biology is divided into three tracks. Students may select the cell and molecular track, the ecology and evolution track, or the computational biology track. Each of the three options requires 36 credits of coursework, including core courses, and a minimum of 36 credits of research. The following are the requirements for each of the three tracks:
1. Cell and molecular track: (a) 26:120:571 Biochemistry, (b) 26:120:515 Molecular Biology of Eukaryotes, and (c) 26:120:524 Molecular Cell Biology.
2. Ecology and evolution track: (a) 26:120:523 Scales of Biodiversity, (b) 26:120:593 Physiological Ecology, (c) 26:120:516 Microbial Ecology, and (d) 26:120:532 Evolution.
3. Computational biology track: (a) 26:120:502 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 coursework is chosen with permission of the graduate program director and in consultation between the student's mentor/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, thermal cyclers, and digital plant canopy and root analyzer. 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.
