M.S. & Ph.D. Degrees

Go To: Core Curriculum | Master of Science Degree | Doctor of Philosophy Degree | Dual Degree Programs

The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences offers both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in biomedical sciences. Students are encouraged to acquire a broad base of knowledge in those disciplines that flourish in the environment of a health science center and required to pursue specialized research and study in a particular area of biomedical and health science. The training students obtain equips them for professional careers in health science centers, universities, health care industry, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Students obtain a degree in biomedical sciences, although they choose to specialize in cell biology and genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology, integrative physiology, microbiology and immunology, primary care clinical research, clinical research and education in osteopathic manipulative medicine, pharmacology and neuroscience, and integrative biomedical science. Specialized master's degrees are available in science education, biotechnology, clinical research managment, forensic genetics, and medical sciences.

Core Curriculum Requirements

All graduate students, regardless of discipline, are expected to complete the core requirements described below. The integrative biomedical sciences curriculum is designed to provide a broad background in biochemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, cell biology, immunology, pharmacology, and physiology.

General M.S. Program
BMSC 5600	Integrative Biomedical Sciences I: Principles of Biochemistry	4 SCH
BMSC 5610	Integrative Biomedical Sciences II: Molecular Cell Biology	4 SCH
BMSC 5700	Integrative Biomedical Sciences III: Physiology & Pharmacology	5 SCH
BMSC 5710	Integrative Biomedical Sciences IV: Immunology and Microbiology	3 SCH
BMSC 5935	Seminar: Introduction to Faculty Research Programs	2 SCH
BMSC 5960	Biomedical Ethics	1 SCH
BMSC 5950	Thesis*	3 to 6 SCH
	Seminar in Current Topics	1 to 3 SCH
AND Advanced Courses and Electives
*For certain Master's programs, Internship Practicum (BMSC 5920) is substituted

General Ph.D. Core Program
BMSC 5200	Biostatistics for Biomedical Sciences	4 SCH
BMSC 5600	Integrative Biomedical Sciences I: Principles of Biochemistry	4 SCH
BMSC 5610	Integrative Biomedical Sciences II: Molecular Cell Biology	4 SCH
BMSC 5700	Integrative Biomedical Sciences III: Physiology & Pharmacology	5 SCH
BMSC 5710	Integrative Biomedical Sciences IV: Immunology and Microbiology	3 SCH
BMSC 5935	Seminar: Introduction to Faculty Research	2 SCH
BMSC 5960	Biomedical Ethics	1 SCH
BMSC 6010	Grant Writing	3SCH
BMSC 6940	Individual Research	3-40SCH
BMSC 6950	Doctoral Dissertation	3 to 12 SCH
	Seminar in Current Topics	3 SCH
AND Advanced Courses and Electives

In addition, Ph.D. students must pass a qualifying examination prior to registering for BMSC 6010.

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Master of Science Degree

General Requirements
The candidate for a master of science degree must earn 30 or more semester credit hours (SCH), depending upon the specific degree requirements. These degree requirements are determined by the graduate catalog currently in force at the time the student's degree plan is approved by the graduate dean. For the traditional Master's degree, 17-20 SCH of the total 30 consist of core requirements and thesis. The use of special problems course numbers (5900, 5910) is limited to a maximum of six SCH.

The specialized Master of Science degrees in the disciplines of biotechnology, medical science, science education, and clinical research management are administered by the Department of Biomedical Sciences. The Master of Science degree in the discipline of forensic genetics is administered by the Division of Cell Biology and Genetics.

Consult subsequent sections of this publication for the specific course requirements for the traditional master of science degree and for the specialized master of science degrees.

Time Limitations
All requirements for the Master of Science degree must be completed within six years.

As individual courses exceed this time limit they lose all value for degree purposes. Credits that are more than six years old at the time of first registration for graduate work are not transferable from other institutions.

Time limits are strictly enforced. Students exceeding the time limit may be required to successfully complete a comprehensive exam, replace out-of-date credits with up-to-date work, and/or show other evidence of being up-to-date in their major fields. Students anticipating that they will exceed the time limit should apply for an extension before the normal time period to complete the degree expires. Holding a full-time job is not considered in itself sufficient grounds for granting an extension.

Time spent in active service in the U.S. Armed Forces will not be used in computing the time limit. However, career members of the armed forces should consult the graduate dean concerning the credit given to work completed before or during active military service.

Use of Transfer Credit
Depending on the student's previous preparation and degree plan, up to 6 SCH of graduate work completed elsewhere may be transferred toward a master of science degree. Only those courses with a grade of B or higher will be transferred. Courses to be transfered must be taken within 5 years of transfer.

Extension and correspondence credit earned at other institutions will not be counted toward a graduate degree at UNT Health Science Center. The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences does not award credit for portfolio-based experiential learning.

It is the student's responsibility to insure that official transcripts of courses completed elsewhere are furnished to the office of the graduate dean, and that graduate credit has been assigned by the other institution or institutions to whatever courses are to be counted toward the health science center degree. The student must provide the catalog description and/or syllabus from the semester the course was taken before transfer credit will be approved. Such courses, although listed on the health science center degree plan, will not be counted toward the degree until official transcripts showing graduate credit have been received and the credit has been approved by the graduate dean. All transfer courses are subject to the time limitation described above.

In accordance with the rules of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, at least one-third of the semester credit hours required for any graduate degree must be completed in course work registered through UNT Health Science Center.

Advisory Committee
Each student must select an advisory committee. Typically, the major professor and/or the graduate advisor assist the student in selecting members to serve on the advisory committee. The committee guides the student in selecting course work appropriate for the degree program and defining research goals and approves the research proposal. In some disciplines, the advisory committee also serves as the examination committee for advancement to candidacy. The advisory committee administers the final examination for the degree.

The major professor serves as chair of the advisory committee. Advisory committees for master of science students must include at least two additional graduate faculty members.  Furthermore, all students will be assigned a university member (see details below) who ensures that the policies and procedures of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and UNT Health Science Center are upheld.

Each student is required to meet with his/her advisory committee at least once per academic year.

Degree Plan
A degree plan listing all courses must be completed by the student, approved by the student's advisory committee and department, and submitted to the graduate dean before the completion of 24 SCH.

The major professor and advisory committee members are chosen on the advice of the department chair or graduate advisor in the major area. All subsequent requests for degree plan changes must be approved by the student's advisory committee and submitted in writing by the major professor to the graduate dean.

Master of Science degree requirements listed in the graduate catalog currently in force at the time the student's degree plan is approved are those that should be completed by the student.

University Member
When the advisory committee is formed, the graduate dean will appoint the university member.

The university member must take part in any formal hearing. The university member must be a voting member of the final examination committee and will sign the thesis fly pages.

The purpose of the university member on master's committees is to ensure that the policies and procedures of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and UNT Health Science Center have been upheld. The presence of the university member is essential for the process of approval of thesis proposals and thesis examinations. The university member's signature on appropriate forms indicates that the integrity of the review process has been preserved. It is the responsibility of the university member to report to the graduate dean any inappropriate due process.

Students in M.S. programs that require Internship Practicum (BMSC 5920) rather than Thesis (BMSC 5950) are not required to have a University Member.

Research Proposal
All Master of Science students are required to submit an approved formal research proposal describing the thesis/practicum project. Clinical Research Management students are required to submit the research proposal by the end of the second month of the internship practicum. Science Education and Biotechnology students are required to submit the research proposal before the end of the fall semester during the second year of study. Forensic Genetics students are required to submit the research proposal before the end of the spring semester of the second year of study.

All other Master of Science students are required to submit the research proposal before registering for thesis credits.

Program Requirements
Each student is responsible for the completion of the Master of Science program according to the procedures that follow. Each item must be completed in the sequence and time period indicated. Forms are subject to revision at any time and should be obtained from the GSBS Forms and Guidelines website. 

1. A major professor should be selected by the student at the earliest possible time, but no later than the completion of 24 SCH after beginning the program.
2. Before the completion of 24 SCH, the student must select an advisory committee and file a Designation of Advisory Committee form in the graduate school. Enrollment will be restricted to prevent the accumulation of more than 24 SCH without a designated advisory committee.
3. The student must file a degree plan approved by the advisory committee with the graduate school before the completion of 24 SCH. Course work deficiencies will be stipulated at this time. Enrollment will be restricted to prevent the accumulation of more than 24 SCH without an approved degree plan.
4. The student must write a research proposal which is to be approved by the advisory committee and submitted to the graduate dean.
5. Once a student has enrolled in thesis, he/she must maintain continuous enrollment in a minimum of 3 SCH of thesis during each long semester and the summer until the thesis has been accepted by the graduate school. Failure to maintain continuous enrollment will either invalidate any previous thesis credit or will result in the student's dismissal from the degree program unless granted an official leave of absence by the graduate dean for medical or other exceptional reasons.
6. The completed thesis/practicum report should be submitted to the advisory committee at least two weeks prior to the defense.
7. A formal public seminar pertaining to the thesis/practicum report will be presented in the student's last semester.
8. A final oral defense of the thesis/practicum report and related work will be given by the committee immediately following the seminar.
9. Three copies of the thesis/practicum report must be bound for institutional use. These are distributed to the major professor, major department and the reference section of the Gibson D. Lewis Health Sciences Library. An additional copy is also required. This fourth copy will remain unbound in the library archives.
10. The thesis must be prepared for digital submission according to the instructions in the Guidelines for Filing Theses, Internship Practicum Reports and Dissertations, available on the GSBS Forms and Guidelines website. Students completing an internship practicum report are not required to prepare the manuscript for digital submission.

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Doctor of Philosophy Degree

General Requirements
The candidate for a doctor of philosophy degree must earn 60 SCH beyond the master's degree or 90 SCH beyond the bachelor's degree. The degree requirements are determined by the graduate catalog currently in force at the time the student s degree plan is approved by the graduate dean.

The quantitative SCH requirements must be regarded as a minimum. The quantity of course work to be completed by each candidate is arranged individually by the advisory committee, subject to the approval of the graduate dean, and may be modified both as to quantity and as to type during the progress of the student's course work.

Consult subsequent sections of this site for the specific course requirements for the doctor of philosophy degree.

Residency Requirement
Every candidate for the doctoral degree must complete the appropriate residency requirement at the health science center. The minimum residency requirement consists of two consecutive long semesters in the graduate school (fall and the following spring, or spring and the following fall), or a fall or spring semester and one adjoining summer.

Time Limitations
All work to be credited toward the doctoral degree beyond the master's degree must be completed within a period of 10 years from the date doctoral credit is first earned. No course credit beyond the master of science degree that is more than 10 years old at the time the doctoral program is completed will be counted toward the doctorate.

Time limits are strictly enforced. Students exceeding the time limit may be required to repeat the comprehensive exam, replace out-of-date credits with up-to-date work, and/or show other evidence of being up-to-date in their major fields. Students anticipating that they will exceed the time limit should apply for an extension before their ninth year of study. Holding a full-time job is not considered in itself sufficient grounds for granting an extension.

Time spent in active service in the U.S. Armed Forces will not be used in computing the time limit. However, career members of the armed forces should consult the graduate dean concerning the credit given to work completed before or during active military service.

Use of Transfer Credit
Generally, up to 24 SCH of graduate work completed elsewhere may be transferred toward a Doctor of Philosophy degree, depending on the student's previous preparation and degree plan. Doctoral students may request approval of additional transfer credit in writing to the dean. Only those courses with a grade of B or higher will be transferred.

Extension or correspondence credit earned at other institutions may not be counted toward a graduate degree at UNT Health Science Center. The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences does not award credit for portfolio-based experiential learning.

It is the student's responsibility to insure that official transcripts of courses completed elsewhere are furnished to the office of the graduate dean and that graduate credit has been assigned by the other institution or institutions to whatever courses are to be counted toward the health science center degree. The student must provide the catalog description and/or the syllabus from the semester the course was taken before transfer credit will be approved. Such courses, although listed on the health science center degree plan, will not be counted toward the degree until official transcripts showing graduate credit have been received and the credit has been approved by the graduate dean. All transfer courses are subject to the time limitation described above.

In accordance with the rules of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, at least one-third of the semester credit hours required for any graduate degree must be completed in course work on the campus of UNT Health Science Center.

Advisory Committee
Each student must select an advisory committee. Typically, the major professor and/or the graduate advisor assist the student in selecting members to serve on the advisory committee. The committee guides the student in selecting course work appropriate for the degree program and defining research goals and approves the research proposal. In some disciplines, the advisory committee also serves as the examination committee for advancement to candidacy. The advisory committee administers the final examination for the degree.

The major professor serves as chair of the advisory committee. Doctoral student advisory committees must include at least three additional graduate faculty members. Furthermore, all students will be assigned a university member (see details below) who ensures that the policies and procedures of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and UNT Health Science Center are upheld.

Each student is required to meet with his/her advisory committee at least once per academic year.

Degree Plan
Before the completion of 24 SCH, a degree plan listing all courses should be prepared by the student, approved by the student's advisory committee, graduate advisor, department chair and graduate dean. Entering students holding an appropriate master's degree must file a degree plan within the first year of study at UNT Health Science Center.

The major professor and advisory committee members are chosen on the advice of the department chair or graduate advisor in the major area. All subsequent requests for degree plan changes must be approved by the advisory committee and submitted in writing by the major professor to the graduate dean.

Doctoral degree requirements listed in the graduate catalog currently in force at the time the student's degree plan is approved by the graduate dean are those that must be completed by the student.

University Member
When the advisory committee is formed, the graduate dean will appoint the university member.

The university member must be incorporated into the review and approval process of the doctoral dissertation, from the formal or substantive inception of the topic through the comprehensive examination and final approval of the dissertation.

The university member must take part in any formal hearing (BMSC 6010 defense and qualifying examination). The university member must be a voting member of the final examination committee and will sign the dissertation fly pages.

The purpose of the university member on doctoral committees is to ensure that the policies and procedures of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and UNT Health Science Center have been upheld. The presence of the university member is essential for the process of approval of dissertation proposals and defense examinations. The university member's signature on appropriate forms indicates that the integrity of the review process has been preserved. It is the responsibility of the university member to report to the graduate dean any inappropriate due process.

Advancement to Candidacy
Doctoral students must complete the following two-part process to be advanced to candidacy. First, a discipline-based oral qualifying examination, designed and administered by the discipline's graduate faculty, must be successfully completed within 72 SCH of coursework inclusive of any advanced standing granted for the completion of a master's degree. Second, the student must complete Grant Writing (BMSC 6010). The student is advanced to candidacy and must enroll in Doctoral Dissertation (BMSC 6950) in the first long semester immediately following successful completion of Grant Writing (BMSC 6010). Disciplines may establish more stringent guidelines or establish earlier deadlines for completing the advancement to candidacy process.

Research Proposal
All doctoral students must submit a dissertation research proposal. The research proposal is an outline of the dissertation project. It must include a summary of the proposed project, the hypothesis to be investigated, significance of the project, research design and methodology to be used, and a review of the salient literature that supports or opposes the hypothesis and potential limitations. To take advantage of the student's advisory committee's expertise and advice, and to clearly define the project and the committee's expectations, it is imperative that the student meet with his/her advisory committee before preparing the research proposal. The research proposal must be approved by the student's advisory committee and the graduate dean prior to registration in Doctoral Dissertation (BMSC 6950). Research proposal guidelines and the research proposal approval form are available on the GSBS Forms and Guidelines website.

Dissertation Requirement
A dissertation is required of all candidates for the doctorate. In general, 12 SCH are allowed for the dissertation. The student is required to enroll for dissertation credit and must maintain continuous enrollment in BMSC 6950 until the dissertation has been completed and submitted to the graduate dean. Enrollment in BMSC 6950 is limited to nine hours in each long term. Grades of Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U) will be recorded at the end of each semester until the dissertation is filed with the graduate school and approved by the graduate dean. Appropriate grades and credit hours will then be shown on the student's record. A minimum of three semester credit hours of dissertation enrollment is required during each long semester and one summer session to maintain continuous enrollment.

Doctoral Program Requirements
Each student is responsible for the completion of the doctoral program according to the procedures below. Each item must be completed in the sequence and time period indicated. See the graduate office regarding paperwork when completing each step.

1. A major professor should be selected by the student at the earliest possible time, but no later than the completion of 24 SCH after beginning the doctoral program.
2. The student should meet with the intended major professor for guidance in forming an advisory committee and degree plan.
3. The major professor and the doctoral student should select at least three advisory committee members from the graduate faculty. The student has the responsibility for obtaining the agreement of the professors (using the Designation of Doctoral Advisory Committee form) and will file this in the graduate school before the completion of 24 SCH after beginning the doctoral program. At the time the committee is designated, the student should submit the names of at least three graduate faculty members from which the graduate dean will appoint the university member. Enrollment will be restricted to prevent the accumulation of more than 24 SCH after beginning the doctoral program without designation of an advisory committee.
4. The advisory committee should meet and evaluate all credentials of the student pertinent to the development of the degree program. An approved degree plan will then be submitted to the graduate dean. The committee should meet with the student as needed to discuss progress, but must meet at least once per academic year. The advisory committee has sole responsibility for quality control of the student's program and dissertation. Enrollment will be restricted to prevent the accumulation of more than 24 SCH without an approved degree plan.
5. An oral qualifying examination intended to establish the student's candidacy for the Ph.D. degree will be administered by the designated departmental committee upon fulfillment of the course requirements. The qualifying exam must be undertaken prior to the completion of 72 SCH. Results of the qualifying examinations will be sent to the graduate school in writing. Disciplines may have additional qualifying exam requirements, which are indicated in their graduate program descriptions. Notations are added to the student's transcript to denote 'Qualifying Exam Passed,' 'Qualifying Exam Passed with Distinction' or 'Qualifying Exam Failed.' A student that fails the qualifying exam twice will be transferred to the Master of Science Program.
6. By the end of the first long semester immediately following successful completion of the qualifying examination, the student complete Grant Writing (BMSC 6010). As a component of this course, the student must attend a grant writing workshop held by the graduate school. The student will write, present and defend an NIH-style grant application in fulfillment of the course requirements. Incomplete grades are not assigned for Grant Writing (BMSC 6010). Valid grades are Pass (P) or Fail (F). A student that is assigned a failing grade at the end of the semester must repeat the course during the next semester. If a passing grade is earned, the student will be advanced to candidacy and the original F excluded from the grade point average on the transcript. A second failure will result in the student's transfer to the Master of Science program.
7. Prior to registering in Doctoral Dissertation (BMSC 6950), the student must submit to the graduate school a research proposal approved by the advisory committee. Enrollment will be blocked to prevent the student from registering for dissertation before an approved research proposal has been filed with the graduate school.
8. A student who has passed the qualifying examination and successfully completed Grant Writing (BMSC 6010) must maintain continuous enrollment in a minimum of 6 SCH during each semester until graduation. Failure to maintain continuous enrollment will either invalidate any previous dissertation credits or will result in the student being dropped from the degree program unless granted an official leave of absence by the graduate dean for medical or other exceptional reasons.
9. Upon completion of the research and after consultation with the major professor, the student should submit a Declaration of Intent to Graduate form during the semester when he/she plans to complete the requirements for graduation. Consult the Academic Calendar for deadlines. An Intent to Defend form must be filed with the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences 30 days prior to the dissertation defense.
10. Upon completion of the research and after consultation with the major professor, the student should submit a rough draft of the dissertation to the advisory committee members at least one month before the receipt of the final draft. The final draft should be distributed to committee members at least two weeks prior to the defense. Committee members should return corrected drafts to the student as soon as possible. Working through committee members at all times, the student and major professor will resolve comments arising from the rough draft and incorporate them into a final draft.
11. During the semester of graduation, the student will present a formal seminar on the research. This seminar should be scheduled immediately prior to the final defense.
12. The advisory committee will administer the final defense and sign final copies of the dissertation. The university member must be present and sign final copies of the dissertation. The committee will notify the dean of the graduate school of results of the final examination.
13. Three copies of the dissertation must be bound for institutional use. These are distributed to the major professor, major discipline and the reference section of the Gibson D. Lewis Health Sciences Library. An additional copy is also required. This fourth copy will remain unbound in the library archives.
14. The dissertation must be prepared for digital submission according to the instructions in the Guidelines for Filing Theses, Internship Practicum Reports and Dissertations available on the GSBS Forms and Guidelines website.

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Updated 7/21/6

This page last updated Feb 26, 2008

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