MARC-U*STAR Required Courses and Activities

MARC-U*STAR Students are expected to complete coursework and participate in activities that are designed to enhance their educational experience and improve their potential for gaining admission into premiere doctoral programs.  MARC trainees are from a number of fields but all are required to gain an understanding of basic biological concepts and how their field intersects with the biological sciences.  The following activities are those which will prove most time-consuming....

Required Activities:

Coursework: 

All MARC Trainees must take: 

·      Biology I:  An introduction to the science of biology, emphasizing basic cellular principles. Topics include biochemistry, cell biology, metabolism, molecular biology, and genetics.  

·       Biology I Laboratory:  Introduction to the tools, techniques, and topics of modern experimental biology.

·   Independent Study, Special Project Course, or Honors Research for credit for performing research in their major. (3 credits minimum)

·       BIO 4972:  MBRS-RISE/MARC U*STAR Colloquium (2 semesters of a 2 credit Professional development course)

·       BIO 4953:  “Research Careers, Ethics and Personal Strengths”  (1 semester of a 3 credit course)

·       GRE Preparation:  Program-funded Kaplan GRE Prep course.  (1 Fall semesters, 1 evening/week)

In addition, the following courses will be required for trainees enrolled in the following majors:

·      Biology:  CHE 2303 Organic Chemistry II (required), STA 1053 Statistics (required), Upper division courses pertinent to the focus of their laboratory. 

·      Chemistry: STA 1053 Statistics (required), Upper division courses pertinent to the focus of their laboratory.

·      Mathematics:  BIO 2313 Genetics

·      Physics:  PHY 4553 Health Physics; PHY 4563 Biophotonics.

·      Computer Science:  BIO 2313 Genetics; CS 4793 Introduction to Artificial Neural Networks

·      Statistics:  BIO 2313 Genetics; STAT 1993 Statistical Methods for the Life and Social Sciences; STAT 3013 Multivariate Analysis for the Life and Social Sciences

·       Engineering:  ME 4963 Topics in Bioengineering or EE 4453 Principles of Bioengineering and Bioinstrumentation

We believe that these additional courses will enhance MARC U*STAR student preparation for doctoral programs in the biological, chemical, or biologically-oriented computational sciences, without creating an overwhelming burden on students who are already carrying a heavy course load.  Most, if not all, of these courses, will be counted towards the individual student’s degree program. 

Thesis: 

All MARC students entering in Summer 2006 or later are required to complete a MARC-U*STAR thesis.  Briefly, this will involve the creation of a manuscript that describes the student's research project.  The format will be identical to that of an Honors Thesis.  Talk to Dr. Taylor for additional information.

Seminar: 

All MARC students will attend the MBRS/MARC Seminar and Lunch with the speaker.  For the first two semesters, this seminar will be part of BIO 4972 and the student will receive credit for it.  The seminar meets from 11 - 12 Friday, and is followed by a one-hour lunch.

Research: 

All students are expected to work at least 16 hours during the school year, and full time (40 hours) in the summer. Summer classes are not allowed. At least once, prior to graduation, the students should attend an off-campus Summer Research Program, preferably one that is at a graduate school that the student may wish to attend. See http://www.utsa.edu/mbrs/internships.htm

Other: 

There are a number of other activities in which MARC students participate, including but not limited to graduate school application, Conference attendance (generally in November), and various evaluation activities.

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