Molecular Toxicology

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JEFFREY M. PETERS, Co-Chair
Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Molecular Toxicology
312 Life Sciences Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-1387

JONG YUN, Co-Chair
Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Molecular Toxicology
College of Medicine, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
500 University Drive
Hershey, PA 17033

Degrees Conferred:

Ph. D., M.S.

The Graduate Faculty

Shantu Amin, Ph.D. (Stevens Institute of Technology) Professor of Pharmacology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Anne Andrews, Ph.D. (American University) Assistant Professor of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
Keith Cheng, M.D.; Ph.D. (NYU; U Washington) Associate Professor of Pathology; Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Gary Clawson, Ph.D.; M.D., (Michigan State; Miami) Professor of Pathology, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Dhimant Desai, Ph.D. (Bombay Univ) Associate Professor of Pharmacology
Kristin Eckert, Ph.D. (Wisconsin, Madison) Associate Professor of Pathology, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Karam El-Bayoumy, Ph.D. (New York University) Professor of Pharmacology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Adam Glick, Ph.D. (Yale) Associate Professor of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
Christopher Herzog, Ph.D. (Medical College of Ohio) Assistant Professor of Pharmacology
Harriet Isom, Ph.D. (Illinois) Assistant Dean and Director of the M.D./Ph.D. Program; Distinguished Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and Professor of Pathology
Mark Kester, Ph.D. (SUNY, Buffalo) Professor of Pharmacology
Philip Lazarus, Ph.D. (McGill) Associate Director Penn State Cancer Institute
Robert Levenson, Ph.D. (SUNY, Stony Brook) Professor of Pharmacology
Keith Martin, Ph.D. (North Carolina, Greensboro) Assistant Professor of Nutrition
Andrea M. Mastro, Ph.D. (Penn State) Professor of Microbiology and Cell Biology
Kathleen Mulder, Ph.D. (SUNY, Buffalo) Professor of Pharmacology
Chris Mullin, Ph.D. (Cornell) Professor of Insect Toxicology
Curtis J. Omiecinski, Ph.D. (Univ of Washington) Professor of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
Andrew Patterson, Ph.D. (NCI and George Washington) Assistant Professor of Molecular Toxicology
Gary Perdew, Ph.D. (Oregon State) Distinguished Professor of Molecular Toxicology
Jeffrey M. Peters, Ph.D. (California, Davis) Associate Professor of Molecular Toxicology
C. Channa Reddy, Ph.D. (Indian Inst of Science) Distinguished Professor and Head of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
John Richie, Ph.D. (Louisville) Professor of Health Evaluation Sciences
Gavin Robertson, Ph.D. (California, Riverside) Assistant Professor of Pharmacology
Thomas Spratt, Ph.D. (Chicago) Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Chen-Pei David Tu, Ph.D. (Cornell) Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
John Vanden Heuvel, Ph.D. (Wisconsin) Associate Professor of Molecular Toxicology
Kent Vrana, Ph.D. (Louisiana State) Professor and Chair of Pharmacology
Jong Yun, Ph.D. (Case Western Reserve) Assistant Professor of Pharmacology
Jiyue Zhu, Ph.D. (Dartmouth Medical School) Assistant Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology

The Intercollege Graduate Program in Molecular Toxicology (IGDP in MT) prepares graduates for diverse opportunities in academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, private research foundations, governmental research, and regulatory programs. The program includes faculty from eight departments in the College of Agricultural Sciences, Health and Human Development and Eberly College of Science at the University Park campus and the College of Medicine at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The IGDP in MT is also supported by the Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, which provides modern telecommunications facilities and sophisticated equipment for state-of-the-art research applications. Doctoral students not only explore new conceptual connections, but also engage in active group-learning experiences and explore a variety of potential career opportunities before graduation. Two unique aspects are (1) optional dual mentors will expose students to complementary viewpoints and encourage students to pursue problems at the interface between traditional disciplines, and (2) an optional internship will provide a mechanism for students to obtain "real world" experience in future professional settings.

General Admission Requirements

M.S. or Ph.D. degrees

Application deadline is January 10 for priority consideration.

Completed official Penn State Graduate School application
Paid nonrefundable application fee
Two official transcripts from each institution attended
Application for a U.S. visa (International applicants only)
Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) general test
Three letters of recommendation
Statement of goals that pertains to the life sciences
International applicants whose first language is not English or who have not received baccalaureate or master's degrees from an institution in which the language of instruction is English, must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Second Language) and submit the results of that test with the application for admission. A TOEFL score of 550 on the paper test, a score of 213 on the computer-based test, or 80 points on the internet-based test with a minimum of 23 points on the speaking portion is required for admission.
Students must have completed a bachelor's degree at an accredited college or university and have a minimum of a 3.0/4.0 junior/senior undergraduate grade-point average.

Additional English Requirement for International Students (both M.S. and Ph.D.)

International applicants whose first language is not English or who have not received baccalaureate or master's degrees from an institution in which the language of instruction is English, whether or not they hold a teaching assistantship, will be required to take the AEOCPT (American English Oral Communicative Proficiency Test) prior to entering the classroom. The AEOCPT is given at the beginning of fall and spring semesters. All international students are required to preregister for this test. This test is administered at the University Park campus, thus students from the Hershey campus are required to take the test at the University Park campus. Below is the course of action for the score ranges:

Greater than 250 approved for teaching and the ESL (English as a Second Language) requirement will be satisfied.
230-249 required to schedule and pass ESL 118G.
200-229 required to pass ESL 117G*. These students will not be permitted to teach in a classroom situation, and may instead be assigned to grading and/or proctoring duties.
Less than 200 required to schedule and pass with the grade of A ESL 115G, before ESL 117G*. These students will not be permitted to teach in a classroom situation, and may instead be assigned to grading and/or proctoring duties.

* At the end of this course, students are re-tested. Based upon these test results, students are either approved for teaching, placed in a subsequent ESL course, or asked to retake the course. Students who are required to enroll in ESL courses must complete the ESL requirement by the end of the second semester of residency. As noted above, the ESL courses are taught at the University Park campus, thus students from the Hershey campus must attend these courses at the University Park campus, or receive suitable course work at Hershey, if available. Students who fail to satisfy this requirement may be terminated from the IGDP in MT program, at the discretion of the co-chairs.

Program Requirements

M.S. or Ph.D. degrees

Foundation of basic knowledge in molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, and molecular toxicology. The IGDP in MT requires at least 9 credits in one or more of these disciplines, taken either as an undergraduate or as a part of the graduate curriculum. The following courses are requirements for respective campuses.

University Park students

BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (B M B)
400. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE GENE (3 credits)

VETERINARY AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES (VB SC)
433. MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR TOXICOLOGY (3 credits)

VETERINARY SCIENCE (V SC)
V SC/IBIOS 530. REGULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION (3 credits)

Hershey Medical Center Students

CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CMBIO)
502. CORE BIOCHEMISTRY (3 credits)
503. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (3 credits)

PHARMACOLOGY (PHARM)
520. PRINCIPLES OF DRUG ACTION (2 credits)

In addition to these required courses, electives must also be taken to fulfill the required number of academic credits for either an M.S. or Ph.D. degrees.

IBIOS 570 MOLECULAR TOXICOLOGY SEMINAR (2 credits, 1 per semester during any of the first four semesters in residence), a monthly colloquium that will present molecular toxicology topics of general interest to all faculty and graduate students in the IGDP in MT.
IBIOS 590 COLLOQUIUM (2 credits) All students are required to enroll for 4 credits of Colloquium. Students typically take this course in the fall and spring semesters of their first year. In Colloquium, students are introduced to a wide variety of topics of contemporary and future importance in the life sciences. A particular focus is placed on topics where science is likely to impact on society (and society on science). Topics are drawn from the area introduced by the speaker and can span the entire spectrum from basic research to the social, legal, moral and ethical implications of the science. A significant challenge in Colloquium is to organize and coordinate a presentation using contemporary presentation software, such as PowerPoint, in an environment in which part of the audience is present at a remote site. Students are required to attend the lectures and the dinners following the lectures. Students also participate in the group presentations during discussion sessions and submit written reports. Reports may be submitted to the co-chairs of the IGDP who may add them to the student's permanent record. Students receive A-F quality grades.
IBIOS 591. ETHICS IN THE LIFE SCIENCES (1 credit) Usually taken the fall semester of their second year, students exam integrity and misconduct in life sciences research, including issues of data collection, publication, authorship, and peer review. Students receive A-F quality grades.
IBIOS 595. INTERNSHIP (1 credit, optional) For students interested in exploring academic, government, medical, law, or business corporate approaches to research. This is an external work assignment relevant to individual research or career goals. Students receive an R (satisfactory/passing) or U (unsatisfactory/failing). Only R credits are counted for credit totals. Students typically participate in an internship the summer of their first or second year. Contacts, positions, applications, course registration, course requirements, and grading are processed through the Eberly College of Science Cooperative Education Program (814-865-5000). Additional credits of IBIOS 595 are at the expense of the student. Interested graduate students are to discuss the opportunity with the IGDP in MT chair and/or their faculty adviser.
IBIOS 596. INDEPENDENT STUDIES: LABORATORY ROTATIONS (1-3 credits per semester) For students exploring potential Ph.D. projects and faculty advisers. Students receive a R (satisfactory/passing) or F (unsatisfactory/failing). Only R credits are counted for credit totals.
IBIOS 597(optional, variable credits) SPECIAL TOPICS
IBIOS 600. THESIS RESEARCH (1-9 per semester) For students who have been matched with a faculty adviser AND have not taken/passed their comprehensive exams. Students may receive A-F grades or R/F grades at any time. By the time a student passes his/her comprehensive exam, up to 12 credits worth of IBIOS 600 may have the A-F quality grade.
IBIOS 601. THESIS PREPARATION (0 per semester) For those students who passed their comprehensive exams. This course appears on the transcript but does not have any grade or credit associated with it.
VB SC 602/IBIOS 602. SUPERVISED EXPERIENCE IN COLLEGE TEACHING (1 credit, optional) All students are strongly encouraged to enroll for 1 credit (or the equivalent) of Supervised Experience in College Teaching before the beginning of their third year. Students typically take this course during the fall semester of their second year. To encourage teaching experience in toxicological sciences, students will be encouraged to enroll in VSC 602 for supervised experience in college teaching for a toxicology-related courses (VSC 433, VSC 430, ERM 431). As an alternative, after consulting with their respective adviser, students may elect to enroll in IBIOS 602. Teaching at Hershey is arranged by the co-chairs of the IGDP and co-director of graduate education for the IBIOS program. Students receive A-F grades on their transcripts but these grades are not computed in with the overall GPA. International fellows must pass an English proficiency exam before any teaching duties are assigned.
The Graduate School requires all graduate students to maintain a 3.0 grade-point average.

M.S. Degree Requirements

Masters students must have a minimum of 30 credits and a 3.0 overall grade-point average. For a master's thesis option, up to 6 IBIOS 600 credits may be A-F graded. Eighteen (18) credits must be at the 500 to 600 level, and a minimum of 12 credits need to be in the major at the 400 to 600 level (excluding IBIOS 600). The student selects a thesis committee (upon consultation with faculty adviser), writes a thesis, and defends his/her work. If pursuing a master's nonthesis option, the student must have a first-authored manuscript (based on his/her research) that has been either accepted and/or published in a peer reviewed journal. Additionally, for a master's nonthesis option, 18 credits need to be in the major at the 500 level. The manuscript is given to at least the faculty adviser and the IGDP Chair for evaluation. IBIOS 595 (Internship) and 596 (Rotations) credits count toward the 30 credits. However, the 602 (Teaching) optional credits do not count toward the 30 credits. All IGDP in Molecular Toxicology graduate students must successfully take the following list of required courses and/or electives during the first two years of their graduate education. If all course credits and requirements are met, students do not have to be registered for classes while writing and/or defending his/her work.

Year 1-Fall Semester
University Park		Hershey
Course	Credits	Course	Credits
B M B 400 Molecular Biology of the Gene	2-3	CMBIO 502 Core Biochemistry	3
IBIOS 570 Molecular Toxicology Seminar	2	PHARM 590 Pharmacology Colloquium	1
IBIOS 590 Colloquium	2	IBIOS 590 Colloquium	2
IBIOS 596 Independent Studies, Laboratory Rotations	1-2	IBIOS 596 Independent Studies, Laboratory Rotations	1-2
VB SC 430 Principles of Toxicology	3	PHARM 520 Principles of Drug Action	2
Graduate Elective	2-4	Graduate Elective	2-4

Year 1-Spring Semester
*University Park*		*Hershey*
Course	Credits	Course	Credits
V SC/IBIOS 530 Regulation of Gene Expression	3	CMBIO 503 Molecular Biology	3
IBIOS 570 Molecular Toxicology Seminar	2	PHARM 590 Pharmacology Colloquium	1
IBIOS 590 Colloquium	2	IBIOS 590 Colloquium	2
IBIOS 600 Thesis Research	1-2	IBIOS 600 Thesis Research	1-2
VB SC 433 Molecular and Cellular Toxicology	3	Graduate Elective	3-6
Graduate Elective	3-6

Year 2-Fall Semester
*University Park*		*Hershey*
Course	Credits	Course	Credits
IBIOS 570 Molecular Toxicology Seminar	2	PHARM 590 Pharmacology Colloquium	1
IBIOS 591 Ethics in Life Sciences	1	IBIOS 591 Ethics in Life Sciences	1
IBIOS 600 Thesis Research	3-6	IBIOS 600 Thesis Research	3-6
IBIOS/VB SC 602* Supervised Teaching	1	IBIOS 602* Supervised Teaching	1
Graduate Electives	3-6	Graduate Electives	3-6

Year 2-Spring Semester
University Park		*Hershey*
Course	Credits	Course	Credits
IBIOS 570 Molecular Toxicology Seminar	2	PHARM 590 Pharmacology Colloquium	1
IBIOS 600 Thesis Research	3-6	IBIOS 600 Thesis Research	3-6
Graduate Electives	3-6	Graduate Electives	3-6

*Optional

Students must present their thesis in accordance with the Penn State guidelines as described in the THESIS GUIDE Requirements for the Preparation of Master's and Doctoral Theses. Current copies may be obtained from the Thesis Information Web site. For more informatin, contact the Thesis Office, 115 Kern Building, University Park, PA 16802; 814-865-5448.

Ph.D. Degree Requirements

Ph.D. students must have a minimum of 30 credits and a 3.0 overall grade-point average. For a master's thesis option, up to 6 IBIOS 600 credits may be A-F graded and 12 credits need to be in the major at the 400 to 600 level (excluding IBIOS 600). The course requirements are essentially the same as that required for the M.S. degree listed above, with some discretion left to the student and adviser.

Grade-Point Average/Unsatisfactory Scholarship

Students are required to maintain an overall 3.0 GPA throughout the program, and, in particular, must have a 3.0 to take the doctoral candidacy, the comprehensive examination, and the final oral examination. One or more failing grades or a cumulative grade-point average below 3.0 may be considered evidence of unsatisfactory scholarship and may be grounds for dismissal from the IGDP in MT.

English competence

A candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy for the IGDP in MT is required to demonstrate a high-level competence in the use of the English language, including reading, writing, and speaking, as part of the language and communication requirements for the Ph.D. Programs are expected to establish mechanisms for assessing and improving competence of both domestic and international students. Toward this goal, all students must participate in the IBIOS 590 colloquium, which includes assessment of reading, original writing and speaking skills. International students must also demonstrate proficiency of the English language as part of the Additional English Requirement for teaching described above. During the course work prior to the candidacy examination, candidates will be assessed for communicative competence in reading, writing, and speaking English. Should a higher level of competence be required, the candidate will be directed to the appropriate resources. International students are advised that the passage of the minimum TOEFL requirements does not demonstrate the level of competence required for completion of the Ph.D. program. English competence must be demonstrated before the doctoral comprehensive examination is scheduled. Besides course work, research, and teaching, IGDP Molecular Toxicology doctoral students participate in the following:

Candidacy Exam

The Candidacy Exam is uniquely designed for each student. The exam should be taken by the end or during the student's third semester in the Integrative Biosciences graduate program. The student will be assigned a scientific paper from the biochemical literature to read and analyze; the paper will be selected based upon the student's background and course work. The analysis should involve exploring the relevant literature as well as the fundamental issues in toxicology, biochemistry, and biology. The student will be given ten days to write a three-page single-spaced review. At the same time the paper is assigned a meeting of the committee should be arranged for a sixty- to ninety-minute oral exam by the committee to review the written assignment and discuss other issues. The committee meeting shall be within twenty-one days of the original assignment of the paper. The student is not require to make a formal oral presentation, but should have overheads of the data for discussion purposes. The student should be able to integrate knowledge about chemical and biological aspects of the paper and understand and evaluate the experimental design, rationale, results, and the authors' interpretation of their work. In the event that the student does not pass this exam, the student's committee will make a recommendation as to whether to offer another opportunity or to terminate the student's enrollment in the program.

Comprehensive Examination

Evaluation via the Doctoral Committee to determine the feasibility of proposed research and the preparedness of the student. Students must be registered for classes (typically IBIOS 600) the semester they take this exam.

Doctoral Committee

Upon successful completion of the Candidacy Examination, the student in consultation with the advisor will, as soon as possible, select a doctoral committee. The committee will consist of the advisor, two members of the IGDP in MT and up to two faculty members who are not a member of the IGDP in MT. If the student has selected the option of having dual advisors, then both of the advisors will be on the doctoral committee, along with two members of the IGDP in MT and one faculty member who is not a member of the IGDP in MT. If the faculty members from the IGDP in MT on the committee are also members of the same department, the one faculty member who is not a member of the IGDP in MT must be from a different department. This committee is responsible for supervising the academic program and monitoring the progress of the student towards his/her degree. Doctoral thesis committee composition is based on the Graduate Degree Programs Bulletin prepared by the Graduate School regarding Doctoral Committees and requires:

Four-person minimum of approved Penn State Graduate Faculty.
Two members must be inside the major and one member must be outside the major. Note: The outside member must be member of the approved Penn State Graduate Faculty. The outside member for intercollege graduate programs may be inside the major but committee membership must have representation from more than one department.
A person not affiliated with Penn State may be added as a special member (beyond the four members of the approved Penn State Graduate Faculty) upon recommendation of the head of the program and approval of the graduate dean.
Have committee chair or one of the co-chairs be a member of the approved Penn State Graduate Faculty. Typically it's the faculty adviser.
The doctoral candidate and three committee members must be physically present for the comprehensive exam and defense. No more than one person may be present via telephone. Telephone or video conference arrangements must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.
Need approval of two-thirds of the committee members for passing comprehensive exam and defense dissertation.

Ph.D. Defense

Evaluation via the Doctoral Committee of the thesis research. Students must present their thesis in accordance with the Penn State guidelines as described in the THESIS GUIDE Requirements for the Preparation of Master's and Doctoral Theses. Current copies may be obtained from the Thesis Information Web site. For more informatin, contact the Thesis Office, 115 Kern Building, University Park, PA 16802; 814-865-5448.

Courses

Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 599. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.

BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (B M B) course list

CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CMBIO) course list

INTEGRATED BIOSCIENCES (IBIOS) course list

PHARMACOLOGY (PHARM) course list

VETERINARY AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES (VB SC) course list

VETERINARY SCIENCE (V SC) course list

Last Revised by the Department: Spring Semester 2007

Blue Sheet Item #: 35-02-124, 125

Review Date: 10/10/06

Updated by Publications: 12/22/11

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