Programs by Campus
Indianapolis
Medical and Molecular Genetics
School of Medicine
Departmental E-mail: medgen [at] iupui [dot] edu
Departmental URL: http://genetics.medicine.iu.edu
(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, The University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in The University Graduate School Bulletin.)
Curriculum
Degrees Offered
Master of Science in Medical and Molecular Genetics and Doctor of Philosophy
Special Program Requirements
(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)
Admission Requirements
Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, including two years of chemistry, mathematics through calculus, two years of biology, and one course in principles of genetics. Promising students deficient in one or more areas may be accepted if it appears to the admissions committee that deficiencies can be removed during graduate study. Results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test must be available before applicants can be considered for admission.
Master of Science Degree
Course Requirements
A minimum of 30 credit hours of approved courses, including no more than 7 credit hours of research. At least 20 credit hours must be taken in medical genetics or approved equivalents, including at least four of the following five areas with grades of B or higher: basic human genetics, clinical genetics, cytogenetics, molecular and biochemical genetics, and population genetics. Students in the genetic counseling study track, to meet requirements to take the certification examination of the American Board of Genetic Counseling, are required to have courses in all five areas plus additional required course and clinical work totaling 36-43 credit hours. Genetic counseling students must obtain a B (3.0) or higher in all core courses.
Thesis
Optional. With approval of the department, a refereed publication or an additional 6 credit hours of non-research course work beyond the required 30 credit hours may be substituted for the thesis. Genetic counseling students must choose either a thesis, case report with literature review, or development and implementation of an educational project, in addition to the required 36 credit hours.
Final Examination
The completion and passing of a written exam, oral exam, or combined written and oral exam is at the discretion of the student's advisory committee.
Genetic counseling MS students must pass a comprehensive written examination. Under exceptional circumstances, the student may petition the committee to be permitted to take the final examination one additional time.
Program Termination
Academic or research deficiency will result in termination of the student’s enrollment in the program.
Doctor of Philosophy Degree
Course Requirements
All Ph.D. students are required to take a minimum of 24 hours of coursework, with a grade of B- or better, and the remaining hours will be of research and seminar credits, for a total of 90 credit hours. This coursework includes the first-year common curriculum required for all new Ph.D. students, including six hours of research rotations. Up to 30 credit hours of non-clinical medical courses may apply toward the Ph.D. or the M.D./Ph.D. combined degree.
Minor
Must be taken in a field related to the major, e.g., bioinformatics, cancer biology, cardiovascular sciences, diabetes and obesity, life sciences, health informatics, or translational sciences. Number of credits (usually 12) and grades required are determined by the minor director for each minor. Minor credits must be separate from the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics major course credit requirements.
Qualifying Examination
Comprehensive written and oral examination. Examination over the minor field at the discretion of the minor field department.
Research Proposal
Written research proposal, presented and defended orally, required for admission to candidacy.
Final Examination
Oral defense of dissertation.
Program Termination
Research or academic deficiency, including two failures of the qualifying examination, will result in termination of the student’s enrollment in the program.
Ph.D. Minor in Medical and Molecular Genetics
Students outside the department desiring to obtain a doctoral minor in Medical and Molecular Genetics (MMGE) must complete a minimum of 9 credit hours in MMGE courses other than research (Q800) and seminar (Q660), with a grade of B (3.0) or better. Required courses consist of Q580 Basic Human Genetics (3 cr.) and at least two of the following: Q612 Molecular and Biochemical Genetics (3 cr.), Q620 Human Cytogenetics (3 cr.), and Q630 Population Genetics (3 cr.).