Graduate studies in microbiology and molecular genetics leading to the Ph.D. degree in the biomedical sciences are offered to prepare students for a variety of careers, including research, teaching, biotechnology, and clinical microbiology. The program provides an opportunity to specialize in a wide range of important areas, including the molecular basis of pathogenesis; microbial genetics; molecular microbiology; gene regulation and transcription; signal transduction, including sensory processes in microorganisms; microbial physiology; gene control of cellular metabolic activities; and mycology. Studies include the use of prokaryotes and lower eukaryotes as model systems, with an emphasis on the molecular basis of microbial diversity and cell signaling. To be admitted to the program, students should have a background in biology and chemistry and a basic course, or the equivalent, in genetics in addition to the general admission prerequisites. Additional requirements are determined by the student and an advisory committee. Although students usually work toward the Ph.D. degree, an M.S. may also be pursued in exceptional cases.

The program’s interinstitutional faculty is drawn from the University of Texas Health Science Center, from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, and from Texas A&M University’s Institute of Biosciences and Technology.

Faculty members of the program have extensive, well-equipped facilities for research in the various institutions of the University of Texas Health Science Center and the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Facilities at the Medical Center also include Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas Mental Science Institute, the Texas Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, and several other institutes and universities. In addition, the Houston Academy of Medicine–Texas Medical Center Library houses more than 330,000 books and bound journals, receives more than 3,200 current biomedical periodicals and serial publications, and has 4,000 audiovisual items. Specialized facilities include those for automated DNA sequence and synthesis, NMR protein analysis and synthesis, PCR, computerized motion analysis, automated gel reading, and analysis. There is also a computer graphic and computational center as well as many other facilities.

All Ph.D. students are supported throughout their studies by research assistantships and traineeships that include stipends ($20,800 in 2004–05), required fees, medical insurance, and tuition. More than $100,000 of supplemental scholarships and fellowships are available each year, as well as teaching assistantships and internships for those who want the experience. Travel awards are available for students to attend scientific meetings. Some stipends are available for students studying for the M.S.

Tuition for full-time students is $738 per semester for Texas residents and approximately $2862 for nonresidents in 2004–05. Research assistants and trainees are considered state residents for the purpose of tuition assessment. Tuition and fees are provided for all full-time Ph.D. students.

Safe, convenient, and affordable housing, beginning at $500 per month for a single apartment, is available within a mile of the campus, and University housing is available. Houston has the second-lowest cost of living among major American cities and the lowest cost of housing of the ten largest metropolitan areas in the country.

Currently, 489 students are enrolled, of whom 55 percent are women. The multiethnic student population consists of 190 Texas residents, 149 from other states, and 150 from two dozen other countries.

The campus is the Texas Medical Center, which is among the world’s largest and most modern facilities for biomedical education and research. It is 2 miles from downtown Houston, immediately adjacent to Rice University and a large, student-friendly area for shopping and dining. Houston, the cultural center of the Southwest, is ethnically diverse and within 1 hour of the Gulf of Mexico.

The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) was established in 1963 and has awarded more than 1,500 M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in the biomedical sciences since its inception. Alumni currently hold faculty positions in major universities and undergraduate colleges; pharmaceutical, biotech, and other industries; and government or private institutes. They are involved in research, teaching, scientific administration, and other activities such as patent law and scientific journalism. GSBS provides numerous career development activities as well as scientific training.

The preferred application date for U.S. citizens seeking fall admission is January 15. Applications for the fall, spring, or summer terms must be completed two months prior to the anticipated enrollment date. All credentials from U.S. applicants should be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar. Applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents must submit the International Student Application by December 15.

Microbiology and Molecular Genetics I & II
A two-semester course that provides a comprehensive examination of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbiology. Topics covered in the first semester include cell physiology and structure, DNA replication and repair, gene expression, translation and posttranslational modifications, and prokaryotic and eukaryotic genetics. The second semester explores global regulatory networks, transport mechanisms, signal transduction, cell-cell interactions and differentiation, and mechanisms of pathogenesis and antimicrobial action.

Microbial Sensing and Signal Transduction
An advanced course on sensory reception and signal transduction in response to environmental stimuli in prokaryotes and lower eukaryotes. Based on a combination of lectures and student presentations of the current literature.

Molecular Basis of Microbial Pathogenesis
An advanced course covering current areas of interest in microbial pathogenesis, with emphasis on a comprehensive overview of the molecular basis of pathogenesis through lectures and student evaluations of recent scientific papers and reviews.

Topics in Bioterrorism
The broad impact of bioterrorism on scientific research and the role of scientists in preparedness and response are addressed in a series of seminars on diverse topics ranging from public health response, select agent biology, disease diagnosis and management, and public policy.

All students in our graduate program are required to take Ethical Dimensions of the Biomedical Sciences. In addition we require our students to attend the MMG departmental seminar series, the MMG Journal Club, and the Graduate Student Summer Seminar Series.

Students frequently take courses offered by other Programs for advanced studies in specific areas:

• Intermediate Biochemistry
• Advanced Topics in Biochemistry
• Current Methods in Molecular Research

• Virology
• Cell Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Eukaryotic Gene Expression
• Quantitative Analysis of Biological Processes
• Mechanisms of Hormone Action and Signal Transduction
• Immunology
• Immunogenetics

• Biomedical Statistics
• Computers in Research and Medicine
• Introduction to Genomics and Bioinformatics
• Introduction to Analysis of Genetic Sequence Data

Top of Page

Degree & Certificate Programs