Biomedical Sciences

The Biomedical Sciences (BMS) Graduate Program with its Emphasis Areas in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Cancer Biology, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Translational Therapeutics, and Virology and Immunology provides students curricular training with a unique focus on human health and disease and the opportunity to concentrate in one or more disciplinary approaches including: biochemistry, biophysics, cell biology, genetics, immunology, pharmacology, physiology, structural biology, and virology. Students receive rigorous training that provides the skills necessary to be leaders in biomedical research, as well as in other endeavors that benefit from advanced scientific training, including industry, education, intellectual property development, technology licensing, journalism, entrepreneurship, and public policy.

The BMS Graduate Program is an interdepartmental program that engages faculty from numerous basic science and clinical departments. This broad-reaching program provides students a wide-ranging understanding of multiple disciplines with specific expertise in a chosen area, and encourages interdisciplinary research that is the hallmark of biomedical sciences in the 21^st century.

Admission Requirements

Applicants apply for admission to the program via the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School application for admission. Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-300 Admissions Policies.

1. Submission of online Penn State Fox Graduate School application and payment of nonrefundable application fee
2. Three letters of recommendation
3. Statement of goals including
   1. reasons for applying to the BMS Graduate Program,
   2. previous research experiences,
   3. particular areas of research interests if known, and
   4. long-term career goals
4. Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended; Note that post-secondary course work should include biochemistry and molecular biology or genetics.

Degree Requirements

Master of Science (M.S.)

Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-600 Research Degree Policies.

To receive the M.S. degree in BMS, at least 30 credits from courses at the 400, 500, 600, and 800 level are required, with at least 18 credits at the 500 and 600 level, combined.

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No more than 6 credits of BMS 600 may be counted toward the 30 credit minimum.

Each candidate for the M.S. degree must fulfill written and spoken English communication requirements that are satisfied by preparing written and oral reports describing the laboratory rotations during the first year.

Students must complete original laboratory research that culminates in a thesis. The thesis must be accepted by the master’s committee, the chair of the graduate program, and the Fox Graduate School.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-600 Research Degree Policies.

To receive the Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Sciences, at least 27 credits from courses at the 400, 500, 600, and 800 level are required.

The first-year Fall curriculum provides the student an understanding of basic cellular processes through a core curriculum that includes two integrated courses: Advanced Molecular Genetics (BMS 503) and Cell and Systems Biology (BMS 502). These courses develop concepts related to genome structure and function, regulation of gene expression, cellular and subcellular structures, cell-to-cell signaling, and the organization and function of cells in multicellular systems. The Fall curriculum also includes the one-credit Art of Scientific Communication I (BMS 504) course that reinforces concepts developed in the integrated courses and aids students in the transition from textbooks to primary literature as a source of information.

The first-year Spring curriculum offers an opportunity to explore Emphasis Areas within the BMS Graduate Program. The Spring curriculum also includes two one-credit courses that discuss advanced concepts in protein biochemistry (Form and Function of Macromolecular Machines BMS 507) and cellular metabolism (Metabolism in Health and Disease BMS 508), as well as the one-credit Art of Scientific Communication II (BMS 505) course, which further develops the student's knowledge acquisition from the primary literature and assists improvement of presentation and writing skills necessary for subsequent journal clubs, literature-based courses, and scientific learning and discourse throughout their career.

In addition, students complete at least three research rotations during the first year that expose them to the wide range of research interests of the Penn State Graduate Faculty from both basic and clinical science departments at the College of Medicine in Hershey. These rotations serve to inform the students with regard to choosing a dissertation adviser and Ph.D. committee.

The BMS Graduate Program Executive Committee, which includes representation from each Emphasis Area of the Program, advises students about academic and related matters until the student has a dissertation adviser. Students must have a dissertation adviser by the end of the summer of the first year. The student and dissertation adviser then plan additional course work and develop a research plan in consultation with the student's Ph.D. committee. The Ph.D. committee is generally selected by the student in consultation with their advisor at the beginning of the second year. The committee must meet Graduate Council guidelines for the composition of Ph.D. committees described in GCAC 602.

Curriculum in the second year is determined by the individualized curricular path designed by the student in consultation with the dissertation adviser and committee.

English Competence: Each candidate for the Ph.D. degree must fulfill written and spoken English communication requirements as described in GCAC 605.These are satisfied by preparing written and oral presentations in courses during the first year, and as part of the qualifying exam, which includes an original writing component followed by an oral exam.

Qualifying Exam: At the end of the first year, continuation in the Ph.D. program is determined by performance in course work, laboratory rotations, and the BMS Graduate Program Qualifying Examination as described in GCAC 604. The purpose of the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination is to test a student’s knowledge of biomedical science and their ability to address biomedical questions with rigor and critical thinking. The exam consists of both written and oral components.

Comprehensive Exam: Ph.D. students prepare a written comprehensive examination in the format of a grant application prior to the end of the fifth semester of enrollment. As part of this examination, the candidate also gives an oral presentation of this proposal to their Ph.D. committee. The Comprehensive Examination is administered and evaluated by the entire Ph.D. committee when the student has completed all required course work as described in GCAC 606.

Dissertation: To earn the Ph.D. degree, doctoral students must write a dissertation as described in GCAC 607. The dissertation must be accepted by the Ph.D. committee, the chair of the graduate program, and the Fox Graduate School. Students are required to have at least one first-author publication based on their dissertation research accepted or published prior to the final oral examination. A student may petition the Chair of the BMS Graduate Program to waive this requirement due to extenuating circumstances (e.g., adviser relocation, abnormal issues with publication process). All waivers must be approved by the Vice Dean for Research and Graduate Studies of the College of Medicine.

Dual-Titles

Dual-Title Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences and Clinical and Translational Sciences

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-208 Dual-Title Graduate Degree Programs.

Admission Requirements

Potential dual-title students can express an interest in the dual-title program as early as during the recruitment process for the BMS Graduate Program. Students must apply and be admitted to the graduate program in BMS and the Fox Graduate School before they can apply for admission to the dual-title Ph.D. in Clinical and Translational Sciences (CTS). Refer to the Admission Requirements section of the Clinical and Translational Sciences Bulletin page. Students must apply and be admitted to the dual-title program in CTS prior to taking the qualifying exam.

Degree Requirements

To qualify for the dual-title degree in Biomedical Sciences and Clinical and Translational Sciences, students must satisfy the BMS Ph.D. degree requirements listed on the Degree Requirements tab. In addition, students pursuing the dual-title Ph.D. in BMS and CTS must complete the degree requirements for the dual-title CTS Ph.D., listed on the CTS Bulletin page. Up to 5 credits for the Ph.D. degree in BMS that overlap with the CTS elective requirements can be counted toward the CTS dual-title.

The choice of CTS electives is subject to approval by the student’s academic adviser(s) from the BMS and CTS programs. The electives should complement the student's work in BMS. A list of approved electives is maintained by the CTS program office.

The qualifying examination contains elements of both BMS and CTS. In accordance with Graduate Council policy, the qualifying examination committee must include at least one member of the CTS Graduate Faculty. Faculty with graduate appointments in both programs may serve in a combined role. Dual-title graduate degree students may require an additional semester to fulfill requirements for both areas of study and, therefore, the qualifying examination may be delayed one semester beyond the normal period allowable.

In addition to the general Graduate Council requirements for Ph.D. committees, the Ph.D. committee must include at least one member of the CTS Graduate Faculty. Faculty members who hold appointments in the Graduate Faculty of both programs may serve in a combined role. If the chair of the Ph.D. committee is not a member of the Graduate Faculty in CTS, the member of the committee representing CTS must be appointed as co-chair. The fields of BMS and CTS will be integrated in the student’s comprehensive exam, and the Ph.D. committee member representing CTS is responsible for insuring coverage of information relevant to the CTS field of study.

The candidate must complete a dissertation on a topic that reflects their original research and education in both BMS and CTS. To earn the dual-title Ph.D. degree, the dissertation must be accepted by the Ph.D. committee, the chair of the graduate program, and the Fox Graduate School, and the student must pass a final oral examination (the dissertation defense).

DUAL-TITLE PH.D. IN Biomedical Sciences AND Microbiome Sciences

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-208 Dual-Title Graduate Degree Programs.

Doctoral students with research and educational experiences in BMS may apply to the BMS-Microbiome Sciences Dual- Title Doctoral Degree Program. The goal of the dual-title Ph.D. degree in BMS and Microbiome Sciences is to enable BMS graduate students to acquire the knowledge and skills of their major area of specialization in BMS, while at the same time gaining expertise and skills in Microbiome Sciences. Graduate study in this program seeks to provide students with the intellectual foundation for integrated and mechanistic understanding of interactions between hosts, microbes, and their environment. Interdisciplinary training that includes Microbiome Sciences will prepare students for positions in academia, government, non-profit organizations, and the private sector.

Admission Requirements

For admission to the dual-title doctoral degree in Microbiome Sciences, a student must first apply and be admitted to the BMS PhD graduate program and The Fox Graduate School, preferably but not necessarily discussing the dual-title interest beforehand with a major adviser who has been appointed to the Microbiome Sciences program. After admission to their primary program, students must apply for admission to and meet the admissions requirements of the Microbiome Sciences dual-title program. Refer to the Admission Requirements section of the Microbiome Sciences Bulletin page. Doctoral students should enroll in a dual-title graduate degree program early in their training, and no later than the end of the fourth semester (not counting summer semesters) of entry into the graduate major program.

Degree Requirements

To qualify for the dual-title degree, students must satisfy the BMS Ph.D. degree requirements. In addition, students pursuing the dual-title Ph.D. in BMS and Microbiome Sciences must complete the degree requirements for the dual-title Microbiome Sciences Ph.D., listed on the Microbiome Sciences Bulletin page. To fulfill the course requirements for the dual-title in Microbiome Sciences, students must complete a total of 15 credits including 2 credits of MBIOM 550 and at least 13 credits chosen in consultation with the adviser from an approved list of courses, with at least 3 credits in each of the following areas: microbial sciences, ecology and evolution, and bioinformatics and research tools. Students are required to have two advisers from separate disciplines: one individual serving as a primary adviser in their major degree program and a secondary adviser in an area within a field covered by the dual-title program who is a member of the Microbiome Sciences Graduate Faculty. The major program adviser will normally also be a member of the Microbiome Sciences Graduate Faculty. The two faculty advisers can represent different academic programs, but this is not required, as faculty from a scientifically diverse department could represent very different areas of expertise.

The qualifying examination for BMS will satisfy the qualifying examination requirement for the dual-title degree program in Microbiome Sciences.

In addition to the general Graduate Council requirements for Ph.D. committees, the Ph.D. committee of a BMS and Microbiome Sciences dual-title doctoral degree student must include at least one member of the Microbiome Sciences Graduate Faculty. Faculty members who hold appointments in both programs’ Graduate Faculty may serve in a combined role. If the chair of the Ph.D. committee is not also a member of the Graduate Faculty in Microbiome Sciences, the member of the committee representing Microbiome Sciences must be appointed as co-chair. The Microbiome Sciences representative on the student’s Ph.D. committee will develop questions for and participate in the evaluation of the comprehensive examination.

Students enrolled in the dual-title program are required to write and orally defend a dissertation on a topic that reflect their original research and education in BMS and Microbiome Sciences. Upon completion of the doctoral dissertation, the candidate must pass a final oral examination (the dissertation defense) to earn the Ph.D. degree. The dissertation must be accepted by the Ph.D. committee, the head of the graduate program, and the Fox Graduate School.

Joint Degrees

Joint M.D./Ph.D. with the College of Medicine

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-211 Joint Degree Programs.

Admission Requirements

Prospective students interested in simultaneously pursuing a M.D. and Ph.D. degree must apply to the College of Medicine M.D. program using the national American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) application system and indicate their intent to pursue the joint-degree program. Applicants must also meet the admission requirements of the Fox Graduate School and the Ph.D. admission requirements listed on the Admission Requirements tab, however, GRE scores are not required. The M.D./Ph.D. Admissions Committee reviews applications and evaluates candidates for acceptance into both the M.D. and Ph.D. programs. After the review committee has accepted an applicant to the joint degree program, they must apply to the Fox Graduate School for admission to the graduate program. Students must be admitted to the joint degree program prior to taking the first course they intend to count towards the graduate degree. Applicants not accepted into the joint-degree program may be referred to either the M.D. or Ph.D. program, depending on their qualifications.

Applicants to this program generally have very strong grades and MCAT scores, as well as a strong and sustained background in research. Applicants must be able to clearly articulate reasons for pursuing the joint degree. Letters of recommendation from faculty who have advised the applicant in research and who can comment on the applicant’s passion and potential for research are strongly encouraged.

Degree Requirements

Students must fulfill all requirements for each degree in order to be awarded that degree. Degree requirements for the M.D. program are listed on the Penn State College of Medicine website. If students accepted into the joint degree program are unable to complete the M.D. degree, they are still eligible to receive the Ph.D. degree if all the Ph.D. degree requirements have been satisfied.

During the first two years of medical school, the student conducts at least three research rotations. After successful completion of the first two years of medical school the student enters the BMS Graduate Program and may be admitted to one of its options.

During the summer after the second year of medical school M.D./Ph.D. students take Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), which serves as the qualifying examination for the BMS Graduate Program.

In addition to the requirements for the Ph.D. committee for a Ph.D. student in the BMS Graduate Program, at least one member of the Ph.D committee must be on the M.D./Ph.D. Steering Committee. This member may serve other roles on the Ph.D. committee.

M.D./Ph.D. students will select an Emphasis Area that is tailored to their specific needs (Physician-Scientist (PS) Emphasis area) as follows:

The M.D./Ph.D. candidate prepares a written comprehensive examination in the format of a grant application and gives an oral presentation of this proposal to their Ph.D. committee as described above for the Ph.D.

A dissertation must be prepared and defended by each M.D./Ph.D. candidate. The dissertation must be accepted by the Ph.D. committee, the chair of the graduate program, and the Fox Graduate School, and the student must pass a final oral examination (the dissertation defense) as described above for the Ph.D. Students are required to have at least one first-author publication based on their dissertation research accepted or published prior to graduation.

Minor

A graduate minor is available in any approved graduate major or dual-title program. The default requirements for a graduate minor are stated in Graduate Council policy GCAC-218 Minors.

Student Aid

Graduate assistantships available to students in this program and other forms of student aid are described in the Tuition & Funding section of the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School’s website. Students on graduate assistantships must adhere to the course load limits set by the Fox Graduate School.

Courses

Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 699 and 800 to 899. 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.

Biological Chemistry (BCHEM) Course List

Biomedical Sciences (BMS) Course List

Genetics (GENET) Course List

Microbiology (MICRO) Course List

Pharmacology (PHARM) Course List

Physiology (PSIO) Course List

Virology (VIRIM) Course List

Learning Outcomes

Master of Science (M.S.)

1. KNOW - Students will describe and interpret foundational concepts in the biomedical sciences and critically evaluate primary scientific literature relevant to their field of study.
2. APPLY/CREATE - Students will use established methods to contribute to ongoing research projects under the supervision of a senior investigator and produce rigorous, reproducible results while developing technical proficiency.
3. THINK - Students will analyze experimental approaches and research outcomes and identify and resolve technical challenges.
4. COMMUNICATE - Students will clearly explain scientific concepts and research findings in oral and written formats appropriate for discipline specific academic and professional audiences.
5. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE - Students will collaborate ethically and professionally and contribute effectively as members of interdisciplinary research teams.
6. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE - Students will evaluate potential careers to pursue following graduation and choose their specific career interest(s).

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

1. KNOW - Students will critically analyze, synthesize and integrate the primary biomedical literature to achieve broad disciplinary knowledge and deep subject matter expertise, while challenging prevailing assumptions and producing original scholarly insights.
2. APPLY/CREATE - Students will design, execute, and interpret independent and novel laboratory or computational research studies that advance the biomedical sciences by addressing unanswered questions.
3. THINK - Students will critically assess experimental strategies and interpret research findings from their own work and the work of others.
4. COMMUNICATE - Students will develop, defend, and disseminate publication quality research through peer reviewed manuscripts, scientific presentations, and competitive research proposals.
5. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE - Students will collaborate in a collegial and ethical manner with professionals from diverse scientific backgrounds and transition to fully independent researchers who can guide others.
6. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE - Graduates will evaluate potential careers to pursue following graduation and choose their specific career interest(s).

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