Graduate Program Overview
The science of biochemistry
Biochemistry explores the molecular basis for life processes through chemical and physical studies on the structure and behavior of complex molecules found in biological materials. Biochemistry has emerged as a highly creative and successful discipline that has developed many new technologies and broadly applies the technological advances of other disciplines. Through characterizing the structure, function, assembly, and dynamic changes of macromolecules, biochemists seek to answer fundamental questions about living processes (basic research) and to bring to fruition significant improvements in the quality of life and medical care (applied research). The great complexity and endless variety of biological systems, together with the need for broad explorations, assure that imaginative research will continue in the field of biochemistry for the foreseeable future.
Graduate program approach
The biochemistry program seeks excellence in teaching and research through a program tailored to the development of the individual student. The Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group administers granting of M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in biochemistry whether the research is conducted within the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics or in other cooperating departments. The program of study is flexible, accommodating students with a wide range of backgrounds, including genetics, microbiology, physics, and medicine as well as the traditional chemistry, biochemistry, and biology degrees. The graduate program is structured to aid students in the successful completion of their graduate training in biochemistry by providing access to leading researchers in biochemistry and related fields, offering a core curriculum, seminars, and teaching and research opportunities.
Faculty
One of the unique features of the graduate program is the versatile collection of over two dozen faculty members formally associated with the Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group. The faculty members are scientists from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, the Division of Biology, the Department of Chemistry and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Many other researchers with interests in biochemistry and molecular biology are collaborative investigators and participants on graduate student supervisory committees. The Graduate Group faculty members and their academic departments are noted for strong research programs in the basic and applied sciences. The research environment in biochemistry is exciting and vigorous because of these diverse yet interacting programs.
Core curriculum
The core curriculum is broad and students are expected to specialize through appropriate choice of advanced courses from the many offerings taught by faculty in their areas of research expertise. Students in either the M.S. or Ph.D. degree program take the two-semester, comprehensive, core biochemistry courses Biochemistry I and II, and the one semester Molecular Biophysics course. All students are expected to attend the weekly graduate student seminar and individual research group meetings. For the M.S. degree, students must complete 22 to 24 hours of course work and do research leading to a satisfactory thesis. Admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. requires satisfactory performance in the two core biochemistry courses, and, early in the second year, preparation and defense of a research proposal on a topic selected by the student in consultation with their supervisory committee. This defense serves as the preliminary examination for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. Approximately 30 to 40 hours of course work are required for the Ph.D. in addition to research for a satisfactory dissertation.
Seminars
Graduate students are encouraged to attend and participate in both graduate and departmental seminar programs in order to become informed of the latest research in biochemistry and related fields. A strong seminar program involves presentations by eminent visiting scholars from around the world and by the faculty of many departments on campus. A graduate student seminar program provides further opportunity for acquiring insights into new developments in the field.
Teaching and research
The Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group offers teaching and research opportunities to students. Graduate students teach a variety of courses and assist with labs in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. In the graduate program, research is viewed as a cooperative effort in which graduate students learn to design and execute significant experiments by interaction with faculty, postdoctoral research associates, and fellow graduate students. Whereas the growth of each graduate student is supported by this team effort, the program encourages and guides students towards the achievement of a self-sustaining capability and independence, qualities that are necessary for the continuing in the learning, teaching, and researching of biochemical topics. Success in achieving that goal is apparent in the activities of our graduates.
Financial support
The Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group generally admits only those applicants for whom financial support is available. The primary form of financial aid is a combined teaching/research assistantship within the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. As employees of KSU, teaching/research assistants are provided with several benefits. Teaching/research assistants receive health insurance at a reduced rate and a waiver of their academic tuition for each of fall and spring semesters (up to 10 credit hours per semester).
Additionally, U.S. resident graduate students are eligible for other forms of financial support. Exceptional applicants may be considered for a supplement to the assistantship of up to $8,000 for the first year of graduate study. Also, several national fellowships are open to U.S. citizens.
Before being considered for the teaching/research assistantship, applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in the English language by submitting official TOEFL scores.