Integrated Biosciences Graduate Program

Program Description

The IBS Program is an M.S. degree program (Plan A only) and Ph.D. degree program which provides training in integrative biology through the following mechanisms:

1. A first year course sequence required of all students and which includes courses in integrated systems approaches in biology, advanced evolutionary biology, experimental design, a course in either animal or plant physiology, and professional practice and ethics;

2. Student research/journal clubs;

3. Colloquia in current topics of research interest of the faculty;

4. Specialization in either a Cell, Molecular, and Physiological Biology emphasis or an Ecology, Organismal, and Population Biology emphasis. Student examination committees will be chosen from faculty in both concentrations.

The Cell, Molecular, and Physiological (CMP) Biology Emphasis

The CMP emphasis of the Integrated Biosciences Graduate Program provides students with a broad base of knowledge to investigate questions in biology from the molecular, biochemical, cellular and organism physiology levels. Through coursework in biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, physiology and statistics, students obtain the basic knowledge required for critical analysis of research questions in the biosciences.

Elective courses provide more specialized information in specific areas of research. Students choosing the CMP emphasis are required to take some courses from the Ecology, Organismal and Population Biology emphasis and are encouraged to pursue it as an internal related field. Areas of research include diverse topics integrating knowledge in such traditional disciplines as molecular biology, physiology, biochemistry, cell biology, pharmacology, pathology, and microbiology. In addition, participation in program seminars and coursework in conjunction with students in the EOP emphasis provide CMP students with a unique perspective regarding population biology and the influence of the environment on the structure and function of the organism.

The Ecology, Organismal, and Population (EOP) Biology Emphasis

The EOP emphasis provides students with a broad curriculum in ecology, statistical analysis of ecological data, and mathematical analysis of theories and models. Students choosing the EOP emphasis are required to take some courses from the Cell, Molecular and Physiological Biology emphasis and are encouraged to pursue it as an internal related field.

Thesis topics that cross disciplinary boundaries are encouraged. Examples of such topics currently pursued by students and faculty include use of genetic markers to quantitatively describe population structure and dynamics, the physiological basis of material and energy transfers between organisms and their environment, and mathematical analysis of complex behaviors of populations and ecosystems, such as bifurcations, catastrophes, and chaos.