GUIDE FOR THE MASTER'S OF HEALTH SCIENCE (MHS) DEGREE IN REPRODUCTIVE AND CANCER BIOLOGY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

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1 GUIDE FOR THE MASTER'S OF HEALTH SCIENCE (MHS) DEGREE IN REPRODUCTIVE AND CANCER BIOLOGY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

2 Page 2 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER'S OF HEALTH SCIENCE DEGREE IN REPRODUCTIVE AND CANCER BIOLOGY I. Credit numbers and academic performance requirements Must have a minimum of 16 units per term, and 64 total units to graduate. Of the 16 units per term, up to four units can be Special Studies ( or, in 3 rd term, ). This means that a minimum of 12 units must be non-special Studies courses. A BMB MHS student must have a minimum cumulative G.P.A. of 2.50 to graduate (i.e., 2.50 is the lowest allowable GPA to earn the degree; 2.49 is below this minimum and thus is insufficient to earn the MHS degree). If you do not have this GPA in your MHS coursework, you will not receive the MHS degree; there is no way to rectify this deficiency. Failure to maintain a G.P.A. of 2.25 throughout the duration of the program is grounds for dismissal. A D or F in any class is grounds for dismissal. Be advised that that no credits are received for a course in which a student receives an F, and therefore a course in which a student receives an F will not count toward the 64 units one needs to graduate. II. Course requirements A. School-wide course requirements Public Health Perspectives on Research, (an online pass/fail online course in 2 nd term) Research Ethics, (an online pass/fail online course can be completed in multiple terms) Academic Ethics (a computer-based training module) ( Students need to complete this module within two terms of matriculation (i.e., by the end of 2 nd term). B. Departmental course requirements Departmental didactic courses are broken into two groups: Core Curriculum courses, and Supplemental courses (see below). (There are also thesis-related courses; see below.) MHS students in BMB are required to take each of the Core Curriculum courses, and two Supplemental Courses. If you have previously taken any of the above BMB Core Curriculum courses (as a Hopkins student, either in satisfaction of your undergraduate degree or as a special student) and you received a B or better, you do not have to re-take the course (nor are you allowed to take the course over again to count as credit toward you Master's degree). If you have previously taken one of these courses and received a C or lower, you will have to re-take the course. (Exceptions to this are granted under only special circumstances.) If you have previously taken any of BMB Core Curriculum courses and received a B or better (and thus are placing out of the course), then you satisfy your requirement for BMBbased courses by taking options from the list of Supplemental Courses (see below). You

3 Page 3 will take one supplemental course for each of the core curriculum courses that you placed out of. BMB Core Curriculum courses Special Studies - Current Topics in BMB, (1 st term; pass/fail) Fundamentals of Reproductive Biology, (1 st term) Introduction to Molecular Biology, (1 st term) Molecular Biology of Pandemic Influenza, (2 nd term) Molecular Endocrinology, (3 rd term) Genomic Integrity and Cancer, (4 th term) Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Reproduction, (4 th term) o BMB Supplemental Courses choose at least two of the following (more if you will use one of these courses for BMB credit for a course that you placed out of) Biochemistry An Introductory Course, I, (1 st term) Biochemistry II An Introductory Course, II, (2 nd term) o Biochemistry I and II are outstanding fundamental biochemistry courses taught in a small classroom setting (maximum of 40 students per class) o Strong choice for students who will be taking/re-taking the MCAT Stem Cells and the Biology of Aging and Disease, (2 nd term) o Literature-based course that is an excellent course for students interested in this cutting-edge area of biomedical science relevant to regenerative medicine, as well as to reproductive and cancer biology. Principles of Cell Biology, (3 rd term) o Topics-based cell biology course o Strong choice for students who will be taking/re-taking the MCAT Nucleic Acids Chemistry, (3 rd term) o Excellent choice for students with a strong chemistry background who are interested in learning about the syntheses and chemical modifications of nucleotides, oligonucleotides, and nucleic acids, and the application of oligonucleotides to solving problems in biology and molecular biology. Genomics for Public Health, (4 th term) o Excellent choice for students interested in modern genetic technologies, with emphasis on how these techniques are applied to understanding public health problems. Course is a mixed format of lectures, discussions, and computer exercises in laboratory sessions. o BMB MHS Thesis-Related Courses (required) see also below Special Studies - MHS Thesis Preparation, (3 rd term; pass/fail) MHS Thesis in Reproductive and Cancer Biology, (4 th term) III. Thesis requirements The independent study M.H.S. thesis must be completed. There are two components: You must complete and receive a P (Pass) in Course # , Special Studies - MHS Thesis Preparation, in 3 rd term.

4 Page 4 You must receive a grade of B or better on the thesis to be eligible for the MHS degree. The grade you receive on the thesis will show in your transcript for Course # in 4 th term, and will figure in to your cumulative GPA. THE M.H.S. THESIS The M.H.S. thesis is the culminating experience of the degree, and should "provide new knowledge and/or a critical synthesis and integration of existing knowledge" (as described by the Policy and Procedure manual of the Bloomberg School of Public Health). This is a librarybased thesis meaning the thesis does not involve independent research in a laboratory, but instead requires a synthesis of the scientific literature, in the style of a review article. You get a grade for the M.H.S. thesis. Your thesis grade will show on your transcript and will figure in to your cumulative GPA. You register for this five-credit thesis course, , in 4th term. Although the grade is assigned in 4 th term, you will be working on your thesis for more than one term. Procedure and rules for the MHS thesis: 1. A list of thesis topics will be distributed. You will select your top three topics from this list, and submit a ranked list (first choice through third choice). The deadline for this will be in 2 nd term, and you will receive notifications about this. (Note: There is no advantage to handing a list in sooner than this date, i.e,. there is no "first come, first served.") 2. You will be assigned one of your topic choices, and a thesis supervisor to advise on this topic; you will know your topic and thesis supervisor by midway through 2 nd term. 3. You then should consult with their thesis supervisor regarding topic, format for thesis, etc. The MHS thesis is intended to be an independent study project in which you work one-onone with your faculty supervisor to assist your research as needed. There are two important deadlines for the completion of the MHS thesis: End of third term Your thesis supervisor will require you to submit an outline or a partial draft of your thesis (the specifics at the discretion of the thesis supervisor, and may also depend on your research progress, and your organization and/or writing skills). This work is required for you to get credit and a 'Pass' grade for the course , Special Studies - MHS Thesis Preparation. Four weeks from the end of 4 th term The final thesis is due. (4) You are responsible for arranging for a secondary reader for the MHS thesis (the primary reader will be your thesis supervisor). The secondary reader can be anyone with a faculty appointment at Johns Hopkins (e.g., the secondary reader can be from outside the SPH, and the secondary reader can be a non-tenure track faculty member.) The role of the secondary reader is to provide help to the thesis supervisor (the primary reader) in assessing the thesis. The thesis supervisor might ask for the secondary reader for a general impression, and/or ask the secondary reader for a copy of the thesis back with written comments, and/or ask to get together with the secondary reader to talk about the content and quality.

5 Page 5 Once you have contacted and arranged for someone to be a secondary reader, please Sharon Warner (swarner@jhsph.edu) with the name and address of this person. (5) FINAL draft of the MHS thesis is due by 5:00 PM on the fourth Friday of 4 th term, four weeks before the end of 4 th term. Hard copies need to be handed in to three different people: (1) your thesis supervisor; (2) your secondary reader (see above); and (3) our academic coordinator, Sharon Warner, in W8503 (this copy will go in your file). If your thesis supervisor or secondary reader want an elelctronic copy, you will provide that as well. (6) Thesis grade: You must receive an A or B on the MHS thesis to be eligible for the MHS degree. As noted above, your grade on your thesis will show on your transcript and figure in to your cumulative GPA, for the five-credit course # The grade you get on the thesis that you hand in on four weeks before the end of 4 th term is the FINAL grade that goes and stays on your transcript, and figures in to your cumulative GPA. If you receive a C or D on the thesis, you are not eligible for the MHS degree for May 2013 graduation. However, you have the option to re-write the thesis if you still wish to be eligible for the MHS degree. Re-written theses must be submitted to your thesis supervisor, your secondary reader, and Sharon Warner; the absolute last date that the re-written thesis can be submitted is a defined date in mid-august (the specific date varies from year to year). This re-written thesis must be of A or B grade quality to make you eligible for the MHS degree. Although the grade of C or D will stay on your transcript, the department will submit a letter to Records and Registration to note that you have satisfactorily completed the thesis requirement. If you receive an F on the MHS thesis, you will be permanently ineligible for the MHS degree; there is no rectifying this deficiency (theses that receive an F are not eligible for a re-write). The draft that you hand in mid-way into 4 th term must get a D or better for you to have any hope of receiving the MHS degree. (7) Theses handed in after the due date: You will receive a D for Course # This grade will stay on your transcript and will figure in to your cumulative GPA. If you wish to be eligible for the MHS degree, you will have to re-write the thesis; this must be handed in to your thesis supervisor, your secondary reader, and Sharon Warner by the a defined date in mid-august (the specific date varies from year to year). This re-written thesis must be an A or B grade quality to make you eligible for the MHS degree. Although the grade of D will stay on your transcript, the department will submit a letter to Records and Registration to note that you have satisfactorily completed the thesis requirement.

6 Page 6 THE MASTER'S OF SCIENCE PROGRAM We offer two different master's degrees: The Master of Health Science (MHS) and the Master of Science (ScM). For the ScM degree, you complete the M.H.S coursework year, and then continue in a second academic year doing laboratory research in one of the BMB labs. The ScM degree work culminates in the writing of an ScM thesis (literature review and research report). Most students complete their research and thesis in the spring or summer. Tuition for the second year is dramatically reduced (~75% of year 1 tuition). The procedure for application for transfer from the M.H.S. program to the Sc.M. program is as follows: 1 st term: You will have the opportunity to hear about research in the labs of the BMB department in Current Topics in BMB (Course # ), as well as through the monthly departmental colloquia (Friday mornings). Interested students also can start by looking over synopses of the research interests of BMB faculty members at Feel free to talk with any of the faculty about their research interests and potential ScM projects. 3 rd term: The application and transfer to the ScM program is a two-part process. 1. Academic application: There is a formal one-page application to be considered for transfer from the MHS to the ScM program, due FEBRUARY 1. Decisions of the admissions committee will be communicated to applicants by March 1. Review criteria include: The MHS program application undergraduate transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation Academic performance through 2 nd term in the MHS program Recommendation form from SPH faculty (at least one required) 2. Arranging for a lab: Lab assignment is not arranged for prospective ScM students; it is up to the student to find a lab. Decisions about lab choice are made jointly by the student and the faculty member. Accepted ScM applicants need to finalize their lab arrangements by 1-2 weeks prior to the registration deadline for 4 th term, although prospective ScM students should be speaking with faculty before this time.

7 Page 7 OTHER DEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITIES Your participation in this degree program constitutes more than simply taking courses. You are a graduate student in and a member of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and we encourage your participation in as many of our departmental activities as your class schedule allows. Part of the purpose of Special Studies ( ) credits for which you register each term is to give you credit for the time you spend in these special activities, even though these activities are not formal specific courses for which you get grades. More importantly, they are intended to enrich your knowledge of biology, and biomedical and public health research. M.H.S. Group Meetings periodically, every few weeks (will vary to accommodate guest speakers' schedules), time/place TBA Departmental seminars: Regular seminars are weekly on Mondays at 12:00, Room W1020 (Becton-Dickinson Auditorium). There also are special named lectures on various dates/times. There are also seminar series for many different departments and research groups throughout the School; virtually all are open to anyone who wants to attend. Departmental colloquia: These are informal talks by members of the research labs, generally the last Friday of the month, 8:30-10:30 AM. Breakfast is provided.