- John R. Hawse, IV, Ph.D., Program Director
- Matthew J. Schellenberg, Ph.D., Associate Program Director
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Track:
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology
- Cell Biology and Genetics
- Cancer Biology Sub-tracks
Application
Candidates must complete a formal application. More details are available on the MCGSBS Master’s Programs web page. Additional details specific to the CTS Master’s Program can be found here. Applicants must be approved by the track program director and admission endorsed by MCGSBS.
Eligibility
Applicants must be employed at Mayo Clinic. The employment appointment, as documented at the time of application, must be greater in length than the time required for completion of all requirements of the program. Eligible roles include: Any Mayo Clinic physician, scientist, fellow or resident with a doctoral degree in a discipline applicable to clinical research or medical student who plans to have a research career. Visiting clinicians, research trainees and research collaborators are not eligible.
Time Requirement
Applicants must have adequate protected time to complete course and research requirements within designated program length. Applications with inadequate protected time to complete the program will not be accepted. Time to completion can vary by program and Mayo Clinic role from two to five years. All scholars must be in their program a minimum of 1 year in order to meet the MCGSBS residency requirement. Scholars must complete all program requirements within 5 years.
Students must have dedicated time for their program commitments and abide by course attendance requirements as defined in course syllabi. Students must be appropriately engaged in their program and demonstrate continued progress towards graduation.
Registration Requirement
At least 75% of the coursework for the Master’s degree must be completed in MCGSBS. It is expected that a minimum of one year will be devoted to research. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of one course per term. If students are not registered for courses, they will be considered inactive to some reporting agencies and subject to any implications of the inactive status, e.g. eligibility for student loan deferral if applicable.
Minimum Credit Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 45 credits, which can include a maximum of 16 Research credits. (See individual specialty track descriptions for specific course requirements.)
Transfer Credits
A total of 6 didactic credits may be transferred into the program. For more details, see the Credit Transfer Policy on the MCGSBS Policies and Procedures intranet site.
This Master’s degree track in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is open only to residents and research fellows in the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education. It offers a flexible course for Master’s study that can be designed to emphasize one of three areas of specialty: Biochemistry and Structural Biology (BSB), Cell Biology and Genetics (CBG) or Cancer Biology (CB).
Course Requirements
The curriculum for the Basic Science Master’s degree consists of 45 credits, which can include a maximum of 16 Research credits.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| MGS 6100 | Master's Thesis Proposal | 3 |
| MGS 6840 | Master's Research (4 cr/qtr - 4 qtrs required) | 16 |
| MGS 6000 | Responsible Conduct of Research | 1 |
| BMB 5100 | Chemical Principles of Biopolymer Systems | 2 |
| BMB 5150 | | 2 |
| 2 | 17 |
| 3 | 4 |
| Total Hours | 45 |
Written Qualifying Exam
The Master’s candidate must pass the BMB Written Qualifying Exam to complete the degree requirements. Students take the written qualifying exam once they have completed the core courses and have considered whether to take the others featured in the exam. The exam is a one-day exam held at the beginning of July and consists of demonstrating critical evaluation and understanding of two published primary research papers relevant to the broad field of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology as covered in the core courses BMB 5100 and BMB 5150. Three sets of papers reflecting the three areas of emphasis of the track: BSB, CBG and CB, will be made available to the students three days before the exam. On the day of the exam, students are required to answer a series of specific questions associated with any two of the six papers. The questions will cover foundation of knowledge in addition to synthesis of concepts. The exam is prepared and graded by the faculty and an overall grade of 70% is required for successful completion of the exam.
This is a suggested sequence based on a summer term start. Individual course plans may vary depending on true start date, program, employment/personal commitments, and research interests. Be sure to confirm you have met your requirements using your degree planning tool. Course offerings may vary slightly. Current course offerings are posted in the course catalog.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| MGS 6000 | Responsible Conduct of Research | 1 |
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| BMB 5100 | Chemical Principles of Biopolymer Systems | 2 |
| MGS 5031 | Fundamental Principles in Genome Dynamics, Biochemistry, and Cellular Biology | 3 |
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| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| BMB 5150 | | |
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| BMB 6500 | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Journal Club | 1 |
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| BMB 6500 | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Journal Club | 1 |
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| BMB 6500 | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Journal Club | 1 |
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| BMB 6500 | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Journal Club | 1 |
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