This section covers the following program requirements:

• Curricular Requirements

• Requirements to Graduate

• Standards for Maintaining Satisfactory Progress

All students will need to meet the following degree requirements in order to successfully earn the MSBS degree:

• Complete a minimum of 45 graduate credits

• Complete the Core Curriculum with an average grade of B (3.0) or higher

• Must achieve an average GPA of at least a 3.0.

• Complete a written thesis

• Successfully defend the thesis orally to the thesis committee

• Successfully have your thesis deposited and accepted

• Degree Completion Status & Commencement Form

• Student Checkout Form - Submitted during your last term before graduation

Program Description

The MS in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS) program aims to train students in a broad spectrum of the biomedical sciences to provide them with the background essential for the pursuit of a variety of careers in the health professions, whether in doctoral programs in research and/or clinical medicine or for employment in the pharma/biotech sector.

The MSBS is a full-time course of study requiring 45 credits. The first year will ensure mastery of fundamental core concepts in contemporary cellular and molecular biomedical sciences, application of statistical principles to experimental design and data analysis, responsible conduct of research, and critical analysis and presentation of primary research literature in the biomedical sciences. Academic tracks have been defined that allow students to optimize their coursework for their career plans. In addition, a significant amount of time will be spent doing research in a laboratory, which will have been carefully chosen in consultation with the Program Director. Course work in the third term will be devoted to advanced elective study in the student's chosen area of interest as well as continued work on a research project, which will form the basis for a Master's thesis.

Program Website: https://icahn.mssm.edu/education/masters/biomedical-sciences Program Email: msbs@mssm.edu

This chapter covers the MS in Biomedical Sciences Program. Students can find the following information in this section.

• Program Information

• Program Requirements

  • Curricular Requirements

  • Graduation Requirements

  • Standards for Maintaining Satisfactory Progress

• Curriculum

• Advising, Thesis Committee, and Research Mentor

• MSBS Thesis

• Master's to PhD

MSBS students maintain satisfactory progress by:

• Matriculating on a full-time basis

• Maintaining a minimum semester GPA of 3.0.

• Graduating with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and achieving a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for all of the Core Curricula

• Demonstrating the ability to grow in research skills and movement towards project goals following the selection of a thesis advisor

• Developing a research project, under the supervision of one or more faculty members that results in a thesis that demonstrates mastery of the study area, and is presented, defended and deposited

• Meet all milestone deadlines as defined above

• Mentoring Changes due to the Relocation of the Research Mentor

• Mentoring Changes due to an Unproductive Partnership

• Procedures for Dispute Resolution

There are several formal advising processes for MSBS students. These are:

Career/Academic Advisors

Upon matriculation, each student is assigned a career/academic advisor. Based upon their future goals, the advisor will be either the Director or Associate Director of the MSBS program. The role of this advisor is to help students navigate the process of selecting a laboratory and advice on academic and career goals. This career/academic advisor will meet at least once a term to evaluate progress towards career goals.

Research Mentor/Thesis Advisor

Students will select a lab and advisor for their master’s research thesis by October 31 of the first semester. Master’s students do not do laboratory rotations. Once a lab is selected, the research mentor will become the thesis advisor. The student should discuss with their thesis advisor the expectations and goals for the research project. The Masters in Biomedical Sciences Research Agreement online form should be filled out, signed by both the faculty member and the student. If the student realizes that the selected laboratory is not a good match between the student and the thesis advisor, a switch to another laboratory should be discussed with the Program Director. See next section for more information and process.

Thesis Committee

The Thesis Committee will be an important part of a student’s advisory team. The student is required to have at least two meetings with their advisory committee prior to defending the thesis. It is to the student’s advantage to populate this committee with members who can help guide the research project technically and/or intellectually. More information in the section, The Master’s Thesis Review Committee.

A. Responsibilities of a departing research mentor and newly assigned research mentor at Mount Sinai When a research mentor relocates to another institution, the mentee will need to realign their mentoring team. In all cases, the student must have a primary mentor who is a mentoring faculty of the GSBS. All formal mentors will be voting members of advisory committees. If a student’s new mentor was formerly a member of the student’s thesis advisory committee, that advisory role will need to be assumed by appointment of a new member who is a mentoring faculty of the GSBS.

The relocation of a research mentor presents two options for a new mentoring arrangement:

i) An MSBS student may opt to change their laboratory and begin their MSBS research thesis with a new research mentor and project. This will require the same mentor selection procedures that would be applicable to a new student. If the research mentor departs during the student’s first year, and the new mentor is willing to take the student as a mentee immediately, then this can occur with the new mentor assuming the training responsibilities for the student. The student and new Mentor must submit a new research agreement form electronically to the Manager of MSBS to document any changes in the mentoring team.

ii) If the student is at least halfway through their training (1 year or longer in the program), and wishes to continue their research project in another laboratory with a new research mentor at ISMMS, the previous research mentor and student must identify the new mentor and agree to a collaboration to continue the work that was initiated in the original laboratory without further laboratory rotation. This may also require realignment of the thesis advisory committee. The new mentor assumes the role of primary mentor, and the departing mentor may (or may not) agree to remain as a secondary mentor so long as they hold an adjunct faculty position at ISMMS. This plan must be documented in writing as a transition plan submitted electronically to the Manager of MSBS, and agreed to by the Senior Associate Dean for Masters Programs in Biomedical Sciences. Academic requirements and student support services following this mentoring change will not be altered. The student must submit a new research agreement form electronically to the Manager of MSBS programs to document any changes in the mentoring team.

B. Responsibilities of the mentee Any changes to the mentoring team due to relocation of the original research mentor do not change the responsibilities of the mentee. Academic requirements and thesis advisory committee meeting requirements do not change. Policies regarding publication and use of data, protocols, or code generated during the MSBS remain those of ISMMS, and the mentee’s affiliation as a student of the GSBS on publications and communications do not change. Finally, changes to the mentoring team do not change the maximum time for completion of a degree.

C. Responsibilities of the thesis advisory committee regarding the research mentor(s) and mentee (including the thesis defense exam) If mentoring changes do not affect the thesis advisory committee, these entities continue to guide and assess the academic progress of the student. The absence of such changes will be documented on the transition plan.

If changes are made to the thesis advisory committee, these must also be documented and approved by the Director of MSBS.

The post-transition thesis advisory committee will oversee the thesis defense exam of the mentee. This exam will be conducted under the same criteria, and to the same standards, as if no changes had occurred. In situations where changes to the mentoring arrangements significantly impact the academic progress of a student, any alterations to the student’s original, approved project and/or mentor/mentee partnership may affect the student’s graduation timeline. The student should work closely with program leadership to revise the time-to-degree expectations, ensuring they do not exceed the maximum completion time for an MSBS degree, which is three years.

Core Curriculum: All students must complete a core curriculum. Core curricula are typically 4-6 credits each semester. Students can select one of the following core curricula. Please note that these are the core courses as of the writing of this document, but they are subject to change on occasion.

• Biomedical Sciences (BMS) Core

  • Fall Semester: BSR1012 Biomedical Sciences Core 1 (6 credits)

  • Spring Semester: BSR1013 Biomedical Sciences Core 2 (6 credits)

• Neuroscience Core

  • Fall Semester

    • BSR1706 Neuro Core 1: Systems Neuroscience (3 credits)

    • BSR1705 Neuro Core 2: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience (3 credits)

  • Spring Semester

    • BSR1707 Neuro Core 3: Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience (3 credits)

Other Required Coursework

• Fall Semester

  • MPH0300 Biostatistics for the Biomedical Research (3 credits)

  • BSR1021 Responsible Conduct of Research (0.5 credits)

• Spring Semester

  • BSR1022Rigor and Reproducibility (0.5 credits)

BSR8002 - BSR8005 Independent Research: MS Biomedical Science: Students should register for Independent Biomedical Sciences Master’s Research. Students receive 8 credits for the research performed during their first year of study (4 credits for each semester). Credits appear on the spring semester transcript. These credits are graded on a scale of A through F. The grade is derived from a combination of an assessment from the thesis advisor (50%) and a year-end research progress report (50%). The year-end research progress report is in the form of a brief (20 minute) PowerPoint talk to be presented at an end of the year Laboratory Presentations mini-symposium. Prior to the presentation, students should fill out the Masters in Biomedical Sciences Laboratory Research Evaluation form with their thesis advisor and complete it by 2 weeks after the presentations. This form determines the grade for research credits in the first year.

Electives: Students complete their credit requirements with electives. Typically, during the first year, student do not take electives in the first semester and are limited to a small number of elective credits in the spring semester, depending on their individual schedules. The bulk of the elective credits are taken during the second year. Elective credits may be satisfied with:

• Courses from any of the PhD multi-disciplinary training areas, including seminars and journal clubs

• Selected courses from MD program, subject to space availability and by permission of the MSBS Program Director. All medical school courses are graded P/F.

• Course from the MPH or MS in Clinical Research programs. Requires permission of the relevant course directors.

First Year

• Core Curriculum – Students must select one of the 2 year long core courses below:

  • BSR1012 & BSR1013 Biomedical Sciences – 6 credits

  • BSR1705, BSR1706 & BSR1707 Neuroscience Core 1, 2 & 3 – 9 credits

• MPH0300 Biostatistics for the Biomedical Research 3 credits

• BSR1021 Responsible Conduct of Research 0.5 credit

• BSR1022 Rigor and Reproducibility 0.5 credit

• BSR8002 & BSR8003 Independent Research MS Biomedical Science – Students receive 8 credits for the research performed during their first year of study (4 credits for each semester).

• Electives – Students complete their credit requirements with electives. See curriculum section for more details.

Second Year

• Electives – See above.

• BSR8900 Thesis MS Biomedical Science credit – Three credits will be given for the MS Thesis in Biomedical Sciences in the final semester of the program. Thesis credits are assigned automatically when a student deposits his/her/their thesis.

• BSR8004 & BSR8005 Independent Research MS Biomedical Science – Each student will receive 8 credits for research conducted during the second year.

• Three/Four Semesters – While the MSBS Program is designed to be completed in 3 semesters, many students choose to spread their research and/or courses over 4 semesters. There are many advantages to utilizing the full 4 semesters to complete the degree and, as an added bonus, there are no additional tuition costs or student fees for this extra time. During the fourth semester, students will register for the course(s) they need and for research credits.

A. Responsibilities of former and new research mentors A mentorship change may be necessary based on irreconcilable differences or incompatibility between the research mentor(s) and mentee – whether based on scientific, academic, or personal issues – such that the mentoring partnership is no longer productive. In such cases, there are two possible outcomes that affect the role(s) of former and new mentors:

i) The mentee ceases to work on the former project. If no data, protocols, or code from the former research mentor’s laboratory is to be published, included in a thesis, or publicly reported in any way, the former mentor no longer has responsibility for the mentee’s publication or reporting activities. If data, protocols, or code generated by the mentee in former mentor’s laboratory is to be published, the former mentor must document in writing (as part of the transition plan) that the former mentee will gain (co)authorship in accordance with ISMMS’s policy on authorship. If data, protocols, or code generated by the mentee in the former mentor’s laboratory is to be included in their MSBS thesis, the former mentor and mentee must document in writing such inclusion as part of the transition plan, and such an agreement must be approved by the Senior Associate Dean for Masters Programs in Biomedical Sciences, and recorded electronically in the student’s file. If the former mentor does not agree that the former mentee’s work is worthy of publication, including in the former mentee’s thesis, the dispute must be referred to, and handled by, the departmental Chair, similar to other authorship disputes.

ii) The mentee continues their research project in the laboratory of a new mentor. The former research mentor must approve in writing (and record electronically in the student’s file) the mentee’s continuation of a project originated in their laboratory. The new mentor assumes all the training responsibilities of any MSBS mentor in research, academic progress, career development, etc. Continuation of the mentee’s research project must be accompanied by details of financial costs for experiments and publications, as well as plans for authorship, data sharing, and data usage, as would be part of any formal research collaboration. Such details must be included in the transition plan, approved by the Senior Associate Dean for Masters Programs in Biomedical Sciences, and recorded electronically in the student’s file. In addition, if any data, protocols, or code derived by the mentee in the former mentor’s laboratory is to be included in the MSBS thesis, written permission for such inclusion must be provided from the former mentor prior to submission of the thesis. Such permission should be sought by the chair of the thesis advisory committee, and forwarded to the Senior Associate Dean for Masters Programs in Biomedical Sciences. If the former mentor does not agree that the mentee’s work is worthy of publication or inclusion in the former mentee’s thesis, the dispute must be referred to, and handled by, the departmental Chair, similar to other authorship disputes.

iii) The student opts to change their laboratory and start a new MSBS research project with a new research mentor. This scenario will require the same research mentor selection procedures that would be applicable to a new student. The student must submit a new research agreement form electronically to the Manager of MSBS programs to document any changes in the mentoring team.

B. Responsibilities of the mentee If changes to the mentoring team are a result of unresolved disputes, the mentee will be responsible to continue their studies as outlined in the agreed mentoring plan. The overall academic responsibilities will remain those imposed by the GSBS. Depending on the post-dispute agreement, in cases where the student is continuing the same research project in a different laboratory, the mentee, through the new mentor, may be required to communicate research results to the former research mentor. In all situations, mentees must abide by publication and data use rules under which their research was performed; this may affect plans for publication, thesis writing, and data reporting into public databases and at scientific meetings. If the former mentor agrees to publication or presentation of data, protocols, or code derived by the mentee while they were in the former mentor’s laboratory, permission from the former mentor must be obtained in writing and forwarded to the Senior Associate Dean for Masters Programs in Biomedical Sciences and the Manager of MSBS Programs, who will record such permission electronically in the student’s file.

C. Responsibilities of the thesis advisory committee interactions with research mentor(s) and mentee (including the thesis defense exam) If changes to the mentoring team are a result of unresolved disputes, the new thesis advisory committees continues to assume the same roles as otherwise set forth in this Handbook in ensuring the completion of the academic requirements of the MSBS as outlined above for changes induced by mentor relocation.

Guidelines for Preparation of the Master's Thesis in Biomedical Sciences

The Master’s Thesis should be based on the student's own work and should provide a critical review of the relevant literature and describe the student’s research project in detail. The description of the research should be organized in sections similar to those in a journal article. The thesis should be in the best traditions of scholarship, e.g., identify sources and balance presentation by including conflicting data and counterarguments.

The Written Document

The following structure and guidelines are suggested.

Title

Acknowledgements

Abstract: Should be 150 words or less

Introduction: Provide a critical review of the literature that is most pertinent to the work performed. It is important in this section to develop the rationale for the work performed. It should make obvious the basis of the questions addressed by the work. It should describe the basis for the approach taken to answer these questions. It should also provide insight into the relation of the thesis to the current state of knowledge in the field. Critical evaluation of the literature is a necessity. Finally, the introduction should clearly state a hypothesis that will be tested by the studies.

Methods: Describe the primary techniques you have used. Do not repeat details of published methods. This is not intended to be a recipe book of the methods used. Instead it is a general overview of the procedures used and details of elements that are specific to the work. Detailed methods should not be presented for work not actually conducted by the student, including work done by the Core Facilities or other colleagues; such presentations convey the impression that the student actually carried out the procedures.

Results: Describe what you have accomplished, accompanied by appropriate figures and tables.

Discussion: Examine the results, explain their significance and answer the question posed in the Introduction. Place the findings in the context of what is currently known in the field, demonstrating how the understanding of the field is extended by the work.

Conclusion/Summary: Summarize and state the significance of the results.

References: In the text, cite all references in the name-and-year system (e.g. Strong and Jones, 1991). The reference list should be arranged alphabetically by the last name of the first author in a standard format with titles. The student should consult standard reference publications for appropriate citation styles.

Students who wish to use published manuscripts as the backbone of their thesis text may do so under the following circumstances:

• A general introduction, literature review, and summary are written for the thesis.

• Permission to use the published paper as part of the thesis is obtained from the relevant publisher; a note should be made in the thesis indicating that copyright approval was granted.

• The publication represents both the scientific work and writing of the student.

• The student must be the first author on papers used.

• Multi-author publications must be accompanied by a precise list of all work not actually performed by the student. Even better, those experiments not conducted by the student should be edited out of the thesis and just cited as sources.

• The student must have had a major role in writing the manuscripts (this should be certified by the thesis advisor). If the student did not do the earlier writing, the work should be rewritten by the student for the thesis.

• A paper that has been submitted, but not yet accepted, can be used. But a note should be made on the paper that it was used in a Master’s thesis as partial requirement for the fulfillment of the MS degree.

The Master’s Thesis Review Committee is composed of at least 3 members. The student’s thesis advisor will chair the committee. Other members of the Committee should include faculty knowledgeable in the field of the thesis research. One member should have an appointment outside the thesis advisor’s Department and the other member may be from the thesis advisor’s Department. These three members, as well as any additional members the student and his/her/their thesis advisor may want to add, will be appointed by the Program Director. At its discretion alone, the Graduate School may choose to have a representative present for the defense. This representative would be in addition to the three appointed committee members, but would not vote on the outcome of the defense.

• The Master’s Thesis should be submitted to each member of the Committee at least ten days before the scheduled oral presentation.

• The Committee should evaluate the student’s ability to:

  • evaluate and synthesize relevant literature defend the methods used

  • articulate and elaborate on the experiments described

  • discuss the significance of the work and potential future research directions

  • justify conclusions

Revisions recommended by the Committee must be completed in a timely fashion. The student’s thesis advisor should approve the revised thesis before it is deposited. The student should make note of the deadlines described below for final deposit of the thesis and dates that the MS degree will be awarded. The thesis must be deposited by the end of the semester in which the thesis defense takes place. The student will maintain student status until the thesis is deposited.

The thesis may be deposited at any time during the year, but the following deposit deadlines determine the date of the degree.

The degree is awarded on September 30, January 31, or the date of ISMMS’s annual Commencement in June. Students depositing by the January or June deadline will receive their diploma at Commencement

Notification of Registrar – By March 1, students must notify the Registrar of their intent to deposit their thesis on or before the June deposit deadlines in order to be included in the Commencement exercises of that year. Commencement information will be sent during the spring semester to the student’s last email address recorded with the Graduate School Office.

Special consideration – Those students who have a thesis defense scheduled after June 15th MAY, at the discretion of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, be eligible to participate in the spring Commencement ceremony even though they have not met the June 15th thesis deposit deadline. In cases where a student is allowed to participate, he/she/they will not receive a diploma at graduation. After a successful defense, a diploma will be awarded on the next date that degrees are conferred (September 30th). Only students in good academic standing will be offered this courtesy. In this case, good academic standing means that all coursework has been completed with passing grades and the student’s mentor/committee fully expect the student will successfully defend his/her/their thesis prior to June 15th. If either of these criteria is not met, the student will not be allowed to participate in the spring graduation ceremony. Additionally, any student whose defense was not acceptable to their committee will not be allowed to participate in Commencement until after successfully defending and depositing.

Publications

Publications stemming from an MSBS student's thesis research should include the following acknowledgement:

"This work represents the Master’s thesis of (students name) as partial requirement for the fulfillment of the MS degree in Biomedical Sciences offered by the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Mount Sinai."

Thesis Formatting

Because the thesis will be deposited and copyrighted through UMI Dissertation Publishing, please refer to detailed formatting instructions in “” which is part of the Master’s Thesis Deposit packet, available from the Registrar’s Office Forms Page.

Depositing the Thesis

Instructions for preparing the MS thesis deposit can be found in on the Registrar’s Office Forms website. When the student is ready to deposit the Master’s Thesis, she/he/they should deposit the thesis electronically according to the instructions in the Deposit Instructions document within three calendar years of the date of initial matriculation in the Graduate School. After depositing the thesis, the student can request an interim confirmation testifying to the completion of the degree requirements.

The Oral Presentation/Defense

When the student is ready to defend his/her/their thesis, the must be filled out and returned to the Graduate School Office. The student should bring the MS Thesis Approval form to the oral presentation/defense.

Since the Master’s Thesis Review Committee members will have read the written document before this presentation, the student should use this opportunity to give a summary of the particulars of the research and the proposal. This should be in the form of a well-rounded seminar-style talk, but does not need to be a full 50-minute seminar. Summary lengths are typically no less than 15 minutes. Power point slides are encouraged.

Prior to the presentation, the student should decide with the Chair of the Committee whether or not the questions will be asked throughout the presentation or if they will be held until the end. This decision is fully at the discretion of the student and Committee Chair.

In preparing for the defense, the student should plan to:

• Defend the rationale for the approach(es) used

• Explain how this will answer the questions being asked.

• Describe potential problems associated with the methodology and should also consider alternative approaches that could be used.

• Describe in detail every figure presented.

• Detail the strengths and weaknesses of the data.

• Defend your interpretation(s) of each figure and be able to discuss alternative interpretations.

• Coherently describe the integration of all studies described into an overall set of conclusions. This description should include placing the work into the conceptual framework of the field.

• Rigorously defend the conclusions drawn

• Research Agreement Form – Submitted when a student is matched with a lab

• Research Evaluation Form – First-year students submit before research presentation in Spring Term. Second-year students submit during their last term

• Thesis Defense Registration Form – Submitted when student and committee set the defense date

• Thesis Approval Form – Submitted after successfully defending your thesis

A. Disputes between research mentor(s) and mentee Disputes between the research mentor(s) and mentee range in origin and severity, and can be reported by either or both parties. Open communication between the mentor(s) and mentee is the key to avoiding disputes and, when they occur, resolving them. In cases where resolution cannot be reached in communications between the parties, there are procedures and resources that aim to resolve disputes. In the event that the mentor(s) and mentee cannot resolve their disputes through such procedures and resources, either the mentor(s) or mentee may opt to change the nature of the mentoring team.

i) Scientific disputes. When the research mentor(s) and mentee cannot themselves resolve a scientific dispute, they should promptly present the relevant issues to the MSBS director and, if necessary, the Senior Associate Dean for Masters Programs in Biomedical Sciences. The MSBS Director will facilitate a discussion of this dispute with the student’s thesis advisory committee. After hearing from the research mentor(s) and mentee, the MSBS Director and the thesis advisory committee must decide on the scientific issue, though if consensus cannot be reached, the Senior Associate Dean for Masters Programs in Biomedical Sciences has the ultimate responsibility for resolving the dispute. If the scientific dispute concerns data ownership, the thesis advisory committee should refer to . Please note that in case of suspected research misconduct by either the student or mentor (with the proviso that disagreements of opinions are not research misconduct) the issue should be immediately reported to the Office of Research Integrity at . Anonymous Reporting is also available at the Hotline: 1-800-853 9212.

ii) Non-scientific disputes. It is critical that all research is carried out in a safe and professional environment. Any form of mistreatment, bullying, harassment, is not tolerated, may violate NIH Anti Harassment Policy and Guidance, and should be reported to one or more of the contacts listed below. The mentor is responsible to provide a professional laboratory environment, and should be the student’s first contact if they believe they are experiencing inappropriate or unprofessional behavior in the laboratory. If a mentee believes that they are experiencing such behavior by their mentors, they may initially contact an the MSBS Director, a faculty advisor, or the Senior Associate Dean for Masters Programs in Biomedical Sciences. Depending on the nature of the dispute, the MSBS Director, faculty advisor and/or Senior Associate Dean for Masters Programs in Biomedical Sciences may directly recommend a course of action, refer the matter to a responsible office, and/or refer the mentee for further advice. Mentees may also seek confidential advice from the Ombuds Office (). There are additional resources available for mentees to report inappropriate behavior that are discussed in Responsible Conduct of Research (BSR1021). These resources include:

• Title IX Coordinator Rebecca Anderson (212-540-8669 or )

• Human Resources (212-241-4097)

• Office of Gender Equity in Sci/Med (Carolyn Horowitz, Dean, 212-659-9552)

• (can be anonymous)—legal, ethical, behavioral, practical concerns)

• Compliance Hotline 1-800-853-9212

B. Disputes between the thesis advisory committee and a research mentor(s) or mentee All disputes between the thesis advisory committee and the research mentor(s) and/or mentee should be presented to the MSBS director and, if necessary, the Senior Associate Dean for Masters Programs in Biomedical Sciences. The Senior Associate Dean for Masters Programs in Biomedical Sciences has the ultimate responsibility for resolving any such disputes (whether scientific or non-scientific) and can institute changes to the thesis advisory committee membership to do so.

Master in Biomedical Sciences students may seek entry into the PhD in Biomedical Sciences program or the PhD in Neuroscience program.

Master’s students seeking entry into one of the PhD programs must complete all the requirements for admission, including a new application and personal statement that explains the reason for undertaking pursuit of the PhD degree. Students should refer to the PhD Program website for application the deadline. Official transcripts and test scores previously submitted to the Graduate School may be used in support of the new application, but must be supplemented by official transcripts for any academic course work taken since entering the Graduate School. Two new letters of recommendation must be submitted. Students who wish to continue their research in the same laboratory as their Master’s research, must include a letter of recommendation from their thesis advisor stating that s/he/they is willing to have the student join his/her/their lab for PhD dissertation research. However, students must rotate in at least one other laboratory before starting their dissertation research in their MS thesis advisor’s laboratory. MSBS students transferring to the PhD or MD/PhD program will be required to retake the RCR course.

Most or all of the credits earned in pursuit of the M.S. degree can also be applied towards PhD degree requirements, so students who begin their studies in a Master's program can later complete a PhD program with minimal loss of time.

If the student wishes to complete and receive the Master’s degree before starting the PhD program, this request must be made in writing at the time of the application to enter the PhD degree program. This request will be granted only if the student has substantially completed the requirements for the Master’s degree and plans to deposit his/her/their Master’s thesis by April 15. In practical terms, this means that the student should need only to complete fewer than six additional credits, including the Master’s Thesis, during the spring semester before entry into the PhD program.