Molecular Biology, Applied (APMB)

Program Admission Requirements
Facilities and Special Resources
Financial Assistance
Programs and Courses

PHILIP J. FARABAUGH, Chair
MICHELLE STARZ-GAIANO. Graduate Program Director

Degree Offered

Faculty

Professors

BIEBERICH, CHARLES J., Ph.D., The Johns Hopkins University; Developmental biology
FARABAUGH, PHILIP J., Ph.D., Harvard University; Molecular genetics
LEIPS, JEFFERY W. Ph.D., Florida State University; Molecular and organismal ecology, molecular biology/genetics, ecology, environmental biology
LINDAHL, LASSE, Ph.D., University of Copenhagen; Molecular biology, gene expression
OMLAND, KEVIN, Ph.D., State University of New York, Albany; Evolution, molecular systematics, animal behavior, ecology
OSTRAND-ROSENBERG, SUZANNE, Ph.D., California Institute of Technology; Immunology
ROBINSON, PHYLLIS R., Ph.D., University of Wisconsin; Signal transduction in the visual system. Elucidation of the mechanisms of activation and deactivation of vertebrate visual pigments.

Associate Professors

BREWSTER, RACHEL, Ph.D., University of Michigan; Developmental biology, neuroscience
BUSTOS, MAURICIO M., Ph.D., University of California, Irvine; Plant molecular biology
ERILL, IVAN, Ph. D. Autonomous University of Barcelona; Computational modeling of transcriptional regulation and evolution, and machine learning methods for genome analysis.
EISENMANN, DAVID M., Ph.D., Harvard University; Developmental biology, signal transduction
KANN, MARICEL, Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Computational approaches for the detection of protein domains and protein interactions, and bioinformatics methodologies to understand the molecular basis of diseases.
LIN, WEIHONG, Ph.D., Colorado State University; Developmental biology
LU, HUA, Ph.D., Texas A&M University; Molecular genetics and cell biology
MENDELSON, TAMRA, Ph.D., Duke University; Evolution, mechanisms of speciation, sexual selection
MILLER, STEPHEN M., Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Development, plant biology, evolution
SCHREIER, HAROLD J., Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University; Microbiology, gene regulation

Assistant Professors

GARDNER, JEFFREY, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison; Understanding the metabolism and physiology of bacteria, specifically how they sense their environment and obtain energy
GREEN, ERIN, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley; Understanding how post-translational modifications of proteins direct epigenetic and cellular signaling pathways to regulate key biological functions
LOHR, BERNARD, Ph.D., Duke University; Neuroscience and Evolutional biology
STARZ-GAIANO, MICHELLE. Ph.D., New York University; Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cell migration during development, using Drosophila genetics to identify novel genes and components of signaling pathways.

Senior Lecturer

WOLF, JULIE B., M.S., University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Program Description

Biotechnology remains a major growth industry. Professionals trained in recombinant DNA techniques and other approaches of modern molecular biology are in great demand. Much of this demand is for master’s-level graduates who have the theoretical knowledge and laboratory experience to carry out cutting-edge research in the biotechnology industry. To meet the need for this new kind of science professional, a Masters program in Applied Molecular Biology (APMB) was established at UMBC in 1981. In just two semesters, the program provides each student with a goal-oriented research project that utilizes state-of-the-art methods of molecular biology along with a set of courses that enhances the student’s ability to read and critically analyze the current scientific literature. This dual approach facilitates independent thinking and experimental design.

The APMB program complements existing master’s and doctoral programs at UMBC and takes advantage of its vigorous, ongoing research programs in molecular biology and related areas at UMBC. Moreover, the program also provides excellent training for students intending to enter a doctoral program. With the APMB courses fulfilling most of the course requirements of UMBC’s Ph.D. program in Molecular and Cell Biology, each year several APMB graduates join it or other departmental doctoral programs.

Program Admission Requirements

At a minimum, all applicants must have a grade point average of 3.0 and except for UMBC graduates must have taken the Graduate Record Examination. The following courses or their equivalents should be completed prior to enrollment in the program: general chemistry (two semesters), organic chemistry lecture and laboratory (two semesters), genetics (one semester), cell biology (one semester), biology laboratory (two semesters), physics (two semesters) and calculus (one semester). International applicants must have earned a minimum score of 100 on the TOEFL iBT examination.
Enrollment in the program is limited to 12 students per year. Students are encouraged to apply early in the spring semester because admission decisions are made on a rolling basis; if space is available, applications will be accepted until July 1. Ordinarily, students begin the program in the fall semester. However, students accepted into the program may choose to begin the program in the spring semester by taking one or both of the required lecture courses, or they may choose to follow a two-year program in which the lecture courses are taken in the first year, and the laboratory courses are taken in the second year. All original application documents must be sent directly to the Graduate School.

Financial Assistance

Applicants should contact the financial aid office at UMBC if they wish to explore sources of financial aid. Students may be eligible for student loan programs.

Programs

Master of Science

Applied Molecular Biology, M.S.

Courses

Applied Molecular Biology