Cell and Developmental Biology
B107 Chemical and Life Sciences Laboratory
601 South Goodwin Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-6118
E-mail: mcbinfo@life.uiuc.edu
Major: Cell and Developmental Biology
Degrees Offered: M.S., Ph.D.
Medical Scholars Program: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Cell and Developmental Biology and Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) through the Medical Scholars Program
Graduate Degree Program
The graduate curriculum in Cell and Developmental Biology is designed to educate students for careers in research and teaching in the biological sciences. Departmental faculty are concerned with the structural and functional relationships of cells and organisms, with research emphases upon eukaryotic cell and molecular biology, neurobiology, developmental biology, and molecular genetics. The department has embarked on a major program to develop research strengths in molecular aspects of developmental, neural, structural, and eukaryotic cell biology to complement existing faculty interests. Students are not admitted to the M.S. program; M.S. requirements are completed as part of the Ph.D. program.
Admission
Students interested in this program must apply directly to the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology (www.mcb.illinois.edu/graduate/gradprospect.html). During the first semester, students perform three laboratory rotations, choosing from any laboratory in the School. Students select a laboratory for their thesis research in December and formally join the appropriate graduate program/department at that time.
Important factors in the evaluation of applications are general academic performance, background in the biological and chemical sciences and mathematics, Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, and letters of recommendation from college professors. The department does not admit students to the M.S. program.
Degree Requirements
*For additional details and requirements refer to the department's Graduate Student Handbook and the Graduate College Handbook.
Master of Science
| Required Courses | Required Hours |
|---|---|
| MCB 501, 502, 580, and 529 AB1 & AB2 | 14 |
| CDB 595 A and C | 2 |
| MCB 581, 582 and 583 | 15 |
| Coursework hours to bring total course work hours to | 32 |
| Total Hours | 32 |
| Other Requirements: | |
| Completion of one of the following: Pass the qualifying exam, or approval of the graduate program committee (chaired by a tenured CDB faculty member and comprised of at least 5 CDB faculty members), or by approval of the research advisor and department head. |
|
| Minimum GPA; | 2.75 |
Doctor of Philosophy
| Required Courses | Required Hours |
|---|---|
| MCB 501, 502, 580, and 529 AB1 & AB2 | 14 |
| CDB 595 A and C | 2 |
| MCB 581, 582 and 583 | 15 |
| Elective hours to bring total course work hours to | 32 |
| Thesis Hours Required– CDB 599 (min/max applied toward degree): | 64 |
| Total Hours | 96 |
| Other Requirements: | |
| The department requires each graduate student to teach the equivalent of 50% for one semester. | |
| Minimum GPA; | 3.0 |
| Masters Degree Required for Admission to PhD? | No |
| Qualifying Exam Required | Yes |
| Preliminary Exam Required | Yes |
| Final Exam/Dissertation Defense Required | Yes |
| Dissertation Deposit Required | Yes |
Medical Scholars Program
The Medical Scholars Program permits highly qualified students to integrate the study of medicine with study for a graduate degree in a second discipline, including Cell and Developmental Biology. Students may apply to the Medical Scholars Program prior to beginning graduate school or while in the graduate program. Applicants to the Medical Scholars Program must meet the admissions standards for and be accepted into both the doctoral graduate program and the College of Medicine. Students in the dual degree program must meet the specific requirements for both the medical and graduate degrees. On average, students take eight years to complete both degrees. Further information on this program is available by contacting the Medical Scholars Program, 125 Medical Sciences Building, (217) 333-8146 or at www.med.illinois.edu/msp.
Graduate Teaching Experience
Experience in teaching is considered a vital part of the graduate program and is required as part of the academic work of all Ph.D. candidates in this program.
Facilities and Resources
Facilities include modern, well-equipped laboratories for cellular, developmental, genetic, molecular, and structural studies. The University offers exceptional and broadly based research support services. These include the Center for Electron Microscopy, with state-of-the-art instrumentation; the Center for Biotechnology, which includes facilities for molecular cloning, DNA and protein synthesis and sequencing, and transgenic animals; the Cell Science Center, which houses and staffs a hybridoma facility and flow cytometry unit; School of Molecular and Cellular Biology-subsidized shops; and a superb university library system, the third largest in the nation. The University offers outstanding computer services and is home to the National Center for Supercomputing Applications. The Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology combines research in the physical and biological sciences. Opportunities for interaction in the cellular and molecular sciences are also available in many other units within the Schools of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Integrative Biology, and Chemical Sciences and the Colleges of Medicine, Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, and Engineering.
Financial Aid
Financial aid is available to qualified applicants in the form of university fellowships (awarded on a competitive basis), teaching assistantships (awarded by the department), research assistantships, and tuition and fee waivers. Outstanding applicants are nominated for support from the Cell and Molecular Biology, Molecular Biophysics.