Department Chair: James M. Pipas
Main Office: A234 Langley Hall
(412) 624-4350 (phone) (412) 624-4759 (fax)
http://www.pitt.edu/~biohome/main.html
Primary Faculty: Professors CHAY, CHUNG, DeFRANCO, FRANZEN, HATFULL (Eberly Family Professor of Biotechnology), HENDRIX, JEN-JACOBSON, PEEBLES, PIPAS (Chair), ROSENBERG; Associate Professors CAMPBELL, CARTHEW, COFFMAN, GRABOWSKI (Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator; Director of Graduate Studies), JACOBSON, KALISZ, SHOSTAK, TONSOR (Director, Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology), WALSH; Assistant Professors ARNDT, ASHMAN, BRODSKY, CARSON, CHAILLET, GILBERT, LAWRENCE, SAUNDERS; Lecturers BLEDSOE, GODFREY, HUNTER (Director of Undergraduate Programs), RABINOWITZ, ROBERTS, SHERWIN, SHUSTER; Research Associate Professor HEMPEL; Research Assistant Professors BROWN, FATH, RAAB, SAENZ-ROBLES
Affiliated Faculty (Adjunct faculty and those with primary appointments in other areas): Professor WANG (Adjunct); Assistant Professors LUO (Adjunct), MERRITT (Adjunct), WIENS (Adjunct)
Emeritus Faculty: Professors ABRAMS, BENDET, BENTLEY, CARELL, EDMONDS, HARTMAN, LAUFFER (Andrew Mellon Professor), McCOY, PARTANEN, RAIKOW, ROSENBERG (Dean Emeritus; Research Integrity Officer), M. SUSSMAN; Associate Professors CORWIN, GOTTLIEB, STEVENS, R. SUSSMAN; Research Professor McCONNELL
The purpose of a graduate education in the biological sciences is to provide students with the training, guidance, experience, and opportunity to participate in research that will allow them to make the transition from being "interested consumers" of biological knowledge to being fully participating members of the biological profession. As such, they will be able to recognize the limits of our current biological knowledge and use that insight to design research that expands those limits. They will carry out that research with the skill and integrity necessary to advance our level of knowledge. They will be able to integrate the new insights from their research with existing knowledge and with advances from other biologists to generate new levels of understanding. And they will have the ability to effectively share their new insights with their colleagues, students, and others through lectures, writing, and interactive experimentation.
All students should comply with the general regulations for admission as noted earlier in this bulletin. The minimum requirements for admission to graduate study in the Department of Biological Sciences for all three graduate programs (Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology [MCDB]; Structural Biophysics [SB]; and Ecology and Evolution [E&E]) are described here. Additional requirements may apply for any specific program; for example, identification of a research advisor is generally necessary for admission into the E&E program. These requirements are the following:
- A baccalaureate degree in chemistry, mathematics, physics or any of the
biological sciences, for example, biology, botany, zoology, biochemistry,
biophysics, microbiology, cell and developmental biology.
- An overall and science undergraduate performance of B or better (quality
point average of at least 3.00). Exceptions to these criteria require special
justification at both department and graduate school levels.
- At least two courses completed in each of the following study areas: biology,
general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, mathematics through calculus,
plus appropriate advanced courses completed in the area of interest.
- Placement at or above the 60th percentile in both the aptitude and advanced
sections of the Graduate Record Examination. The advanced test may be taken
in biochemistry and molecular biology, biology, chemistry, or physics.
- For applicants whose native language is not English, proficiency in English
must be demonstrated either by personal interview or by a score of 550 or
better on the TOEFL examination.
- Submission of three or more letters of reference from undergraduate faculty
or laboratory supervisors who are in a position to accurately assess the applicant's
qualifications for graduate training.
- Submission of a statement from the applicant describing any special training, career goals, and personal motivation for attending our graduate program.
Qualified applicants who are interested in the biological sciences even though former study has not been in this field will be encouraged to obtain the necessary background while enrolled on a provisional basis. If there are specific deficiencies in the undergraduate background, these will be defined at the time of admission and must be overcome before full graduate status can be awarded.
Graduate students in the department are eligible for financial assistance, either as Teaching Assistants or as Graduate Student Researchers. Qualified students are encouraged to apply for an Andrew Mellon Predoctoral Fellowship (see Financial Assistance in the first section of this bulletin) and for national fellowships awarded by various agencies and foundations.
Admission for study toward a Master of Science in Biological Sciences is offered in the Ecology and Evolution program. This course of study, which requires approximately two years, provides students with an educational opportunity beyond the bachelor's degree that stresses methods of research, independent thought, and written communication of scientific results. It is an endeavor with different objectives from those of the doctoral program, and master's students are regarded as a group with legitimate aspirations and particular needs. The requirements include 12 credits of course work-10 of which must be taken for a letter grade from among the approved offerings of the department-and 18 credits of research. All candidates take a comprehensive examination within their first year and prepare and defend a thesis. Similar standards are expected of master's and PhD dissertations, with differences primarily involving the duration of time involved in the project and the scope of coverage.
A PhD in Biological Sciences is offered in all three programs and normally involves four or more years of study. The three programs of graduate training have similar structures for the first-year curriculum and somewhat different structures for subsequent years. Each of the three programs offers a modular core course as a requirement for all first-year students (Current Topics in Structural Biophysics; Current Topics in Ecology and Evolution; and Current Topics in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology). Students in all three programs also take graduate seminar courses. Students in the SB and MCDB programs perform research rotations in the first year. Generally, students choose a thesis advisor by the end of the second term. Students in the E&E program usually identify a research advisor prior to entry. There is no requirement in the E&E program for research rotations, although students may elect to carry out rotations.
Advancement to the second year of study requires successful completion of all courses (with an overall average of B or better) and an appropriate intellectual attitude. Students are expected to establish their dissertation research topic during the second year. Admission to candidacy for the PhD degree is based upon a demonstration of desire and competence in research during the second year and satisfactory completion of a comprehensive examination given at the end of the second year. Before admission to candidacy, there must be a meeting of the student with the proposed doctoral committee. With the advice of their research supervisors, students select courses appropriate to their research endeavors during the second and subsequent years. The PhD is awarded following successful defense of the thesis with a public seminar and satisfaction of all other University, department and program requirements (see General Degree Regulations in the first section of this bulletin).
There are three programs of graduate study in the Department of Biological Sciences: Structural Biophysics (SB), Ecology and Evolution (E&E), and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB). Although these programs represent different areas of study in the biological sciences, they operate with common mechanisms for admission, advice and guidance, first-year courses, teaching requirements, and dissertation research. These common aspects are described briefly below. For more detailed information, students are encouraged to read our publications, Graduate Program in the Biological Sciences and Handbook for Graduate Study, which can be obtained by writing to the Director of Graduate Admissions; Department of Biological Sciences; University of Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh, PA 15260.
Interdepartmental Programs
The Department of Biological Sciences is involved in several interdisciplinary programs with other schools of the University and with other institutions. Students interested in these programs should request complete information from the department.
Structural Biophysics: Graduate study in structural biophysics and computational biology is offered jointly with the Departments of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy, and Computer Science. There are extensive research collaborations among members of these departments.
MD/PhD Program: Through the MD/PhD Program of the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, exceptional students wishing to specialize in medical research may combine the curriculum at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine with the graduate curriculum at the Department of Biological Sciences. Prospective students must apply to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and to the MD/PhD Program.
The department is located in three internally-connected modern structures: Clapp, Crawford, and Langley Halls. Within the complex there are fully-equipped research laboratories, teaching laboratories, a 30,000-volume library devoted to the biological sciences, faculty and graduate student offices, and research support services (greenhouses, a machine shop, photographic suites, media preparation kitchens, controlled environment units, animal and bird housing, etc.). Provisions have been made for the large-scale culture of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and animal cells under appropriate containment conditions. Special services available within the department include an in-house DNA synthesis facility, complete X-ray crystallography facilities, a microscopy suite with scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopes, confocal microscope and associated sample preparation facilities, and a transgenic mouse facility. Nuclear magnetic resonance, peptide synthesis, hybridoma facilities, and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History are available in the immediate vicinity. Elsewhere on campus there is an excellent general library, Hillman Library, as well as other specialized libraries, and a comprehensive computer center. The University of Pittsburgh is a partner in the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center.
The Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology is a field station dedicated to environmental education and ecological research. In PLE courses, direct observation and hands-on experience with living organisms under field conditions are combined with modern laboratory and computer techniques in the discovery of structure and function in ecological systems.
Pymatuning Laboratory is located on the shores of the Pymatuning Reservoir in northwestern Pennsylvania. The laboratory site overlooks the Sanctuary Lake portion of the reservoir, part of an 11,000 acre tract of water, wetlands, and forest managed as a wildlife refuge and propagation area by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The remainder of the 14,000 acre reservoir lies within Pymatuning State Park.
Research in the department covers a broad range, from systematics and plant ecology to X-ray crystallography and gene expression. Within that range, interests and expertise are concentrated in a number of areas of strength that provide corresponding communities of common interests within the department. These include cell and developmental biology, biochemistry, structural biology, computational biology, molecular biology, genetics, evolution, microbiology, and neurobiology. The complete list of activities is too extensive to reproduce here; those interested in graduate study in the department should request the publication, Graduate Study in the Biological Sciences, in which are summarized the research programs of the faculty members. The department's research activities are strongly supported (about $5.5 million annually) by various national funding agencies, particularly NIH and NSF, and a variety of private agencies such as the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the March of Dimes Foundation, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association.
Graduate students from other departments requiring a general survey of biochemistry are advised to register for BIOSC 1000 or 1810 and 1820.
| Selected Upper-division Undergraduate Courses | |||
| 1000 | INTRODUCTORY BIOCHEMISTRY Prerequisite: CHEM 0320 or 0360 |
3 CR. | |
| 1130 | EVOLUTION 3 CR. Prerequisite: BIOSC 0350 |
3 CR. | |
| 1200 | VERTEBRATE MORPHOLOGY Prerequisite: BIOSC 0160 |
3 CR. | |
| 1210 | VERTEBRATE MORPHOLOGY LABORATORY Prerequisites: BIOSC 0160 & 0060; Corequisite: BIOSC 1200 |
2 CR. | |
| 1280 | MICROBIAL GENETIC ENGINEERING Prerequisite: BIOSC 1850 |
3 CR. | |
| 1290 | EXPERIMENTAL GENETIC ENGINEERING Prerequisite: BIOSC 1860; Corequisite: BIOSC 1280 |
1 CR. | |
| 1320 | POPULATION BIOLOGY Prerequisite: BIOSC 0370 |
3 CR. | |
| 1350 | PLANT BIOLOGY Prerequisite: BIOSC 0160 |
3 CR. | |
| 1380 | GLOBAL ECOLOGY | 3 CR. | |
| 1470 | BIOPHYSICAL CHEMISTRY Prerequisites: BIOSC 0160 & MATH 0230 |
3 CR. | |
| 1500 | CELL BIOLOGY Prerequisite: BIOSC 1000 or 1810 |
3 CR. | |
| 1510 | CELL BIOLOGY LABORATORY Prerequisite: BIOSC 0060; Corequisite: BIOSC 1500 |
1 CR. | |
| 1520 | DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY Prerequisite: BIOSC 0350 |
3 CR. | |
| 1530 | DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY LABORATORY Prerequisite: BIOSC 0060; Corequisite: BIOSC 1520 |
1 CR. | |
| 1730 | VIROLOGY Prerequisite: BIOSC 1850 (or instructor's permission) |
3 CR. | |
| 1740 | VIROLOGY LABORATORY Prerequisite: BIOSC 1860; Corequisite: BIOSC 1730 |
1 CR. | |
| 1750 | IMMUNOLOGY LABORATORY Prerequisites: BIOSC 1760 & 0060 |
2 CR. | |
| 1760 | IMMUNOLOGY Prerequisite: BIOSC 0350 (BIOSC 1000 recommended) |
3 CR. | |
| 1810 | MACROMOLECULAR STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION Prerequisite: CHEM 0320 or 0360 |
3 CR. | |
| 1820 | METABOLIC PATHWAYS Prerequisite: BIOSC 1810 |
3 CR. | |
| 1830 | BIOCHEMISTRY LABORATORY Prerequisites: BIOSC 1810 & 0060 |
3 CR. | |
| 1850 | MICROBIOLOGY Prerequisites: BIOSC 0150 & 0160 |
3 CR. | |
| 1860 | MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY Prerequisite: BIOSC 0060; Corequisite: BIOSC 1850 |
2 CR. | |
| 1870 | ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY Prerequisite: BIOSC 0160 |
3 CR. | |
| 1880 | ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY LABORATORY Prerequisites: BIOSC 1210 & 1870 |
1 CR. | |
| 1890 | ADVANCED TOPICS IN MICROBIOLOGY. Prerequisite: BIOSC 1850 (or instructor's permission) |
3 CR | |
| 1940 | MOLECULAR BIOLOGY Prerequisite: BIOSC 1810 |
3 CR. | |
| 1950 | MOLECULAR GENETICS LABORATORY Prerequisite: BIOSC 0060; Corequisite: BIOSC 1940 |
2 CR. | |
Graduate Courses |
|||
| 2000 | RESEARCH AND THESIS FOR THE MASTER'S DEGREE | 1-9 CR. | |
| 2010 | CURRENT TOPICS IN MOLECULAR, CELL AND EVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY A | 1-6 CR. | |
| 2011 | CURRENT TOPICS IN MOLECULAR, CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 1 | 1 OR 2 CR. | |
| 2012 | CURRENT TOPICS IN MOLECULAR, CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2 | 1 OR 2 CR. | |
| 2013 | CURRENT TOPICS IN MOLECULAR, CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 3 | 1 OR 2 CR. | |
| 2020 | CURRENT TOPICS IN MOLECULAR, CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY B | 1-6 CR. | |
| 2021 | CURRENT TOPICS IN MOLECULAR, CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 4 | 1 OR 2 CR. | |
| 2022 | CURRENT TOPICS IN MOLECULAR, CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 5 | 1 OR 2 CR. | |
| 2023 | CURRENT TOPICS IN MOLECULAR, CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 6 | 1 OR 2 CR. | |
| 2030 | RETROVIROLOGY | 2 CR. | |
| 2040 | SEMINAR IN MOLECULAR, CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY | 2 CR. | |
| 2050 | STUDENT RESEARCH SEMINAR | 1 CR. | |
| 2070 | IMMUNOLOGY | 3 CR. | |
| 2100 | ADVANCED TOPICS IN CELL BIOLOGY | 1 CR. | |
| 2110 | ADVANCED TOPICS IN DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY | 1 CR. | |
| 2120 | ADVANCED TOPICS IN BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY | 1 CR. | |
| 2130 | ADVANCED TOPICS IN GENETICS | 1 CR. | |
| 2200 | ADVANCED TOPICS IN STRUCTURAL BIOPHYSICS | 1-3 CR. | |
| 2210 | BIOPHYSICS SEMINAR | 2 CR. | |
| 2240 | TOPICS IN PHYSICAL BIOCHEMISTRY | 3 CR. | |
| 2260 | MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND REGULATION | 1-6 CR. | |
| 2280 | MOLECULAR BIOLOGY WORKSHOP | 1-3 CR. | |
| 2281 | CRYSTALLOGRAPHY AND X-RAY DIFFRACTION | 3 CR. | |
| 2282 | CRYSTALLOGRAPHY AND DIFFRACTION PHYSICS | 3 CR. | |
| 2283 | CRYSTAL STRUCTURE DETERMINATION | 3 CR. | |
| 2284 | PROTEIN CRYSTALLOGRAPHY | 3 CR. | |
| 2320 | POPULATION BIOLOGY | 3 CR. | |
| 2330 | ETHOLOGY | 3 CR. | |
| 2350 | EVOLUTION | 3 CR. | |
| 2360 | MICROBIAL ECOLOGY | 3 CR. | |
| 2400 | DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY SEMINAR | 2 CR. | |
| 2450 | BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES SEMINAR | 2 CR. | |
| 2500 | CURRENT TOPICS IN ECOLOGY | 1-3 CR. | |
| 2510 | CURRENT TOPICS IN EVOLUTION | 1-3 CR. | |
| 2520 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN ECOLOGY | 3 CR. | |
| 2530 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN EVOLUTION | 3 CR. | |
| 2540 | SEMINAR IN ECOLOGY | 2 CR. | |
| 2560 | SEMINAR IN SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION | 2 CR. | |
| 2580 | COMPUTER PROFICIENCY FOR BIOLOGISTS | 3 CR. | |
| 2770 | DEVELOPMENTAL MECHANISM SEMINAR | 2 CR. | |
| 2780 | GENETICS SEMINAR | 1-3 CR. | |
| 2960 | DEPARTMENTAL SEMINAR | 1 CR. | |
| 2970 | TEACHING OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES | 1 CR. | |
| 2990 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | 1-9 CR. | |
| 3000 | RESEARCH AND DISSERTATION FOR THE PHD DEGREE | 1-9 CR. | |
| 3400 | ADVANCED TOPICS IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 1 | 2 CR. | |
| 3410 | ADVANCED TOPICS IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2 | 2 CR. | |
| 3420 | ADVANCED TOPICS IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 3 | 2 CR. | |
| 3902 | DIRECTED STUDY | 1-9 CR. | |
Pymatuning |
|||
| Graduate work in ecology is offered at the Pymatuning Laboratory
of Ecology. A special brochure describing programs offered at this station
is available upon request from the department. |
|||
| 1040 | ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT | 3 CR. | |
| 1140 | BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY | 3 CR. | |
| 1160 | FOREST ECOLOGY | 3 CR. | |
| 1170 | LIMNOLOGY | 3 CR. | |
| 1180 | ECOLOGY OF AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES | 3 CR. | |
| 1190 | AQUATIC ENTOMOLOGY | 3 CR. | |
| 1220 | ECOLOGICAL FIELD STUDIES | 3 CR. | |
| 1230 | ORNITHOLOGY | 3 CR. | |
| 1260 | AQUATIC BOTANY | 3 CR. | |
| 1270 | ECOLOGY OF FISH | 3 CR. | |
| 1300 | VERTEBRATE COMMUNITY ECOLOGY | 3 CR. | |
| 1330 | FIELD BOTANY | 3 CR. | |
| 1360 | MICROBIAL ECOLOGY: FUNGI | 3 CR. | |
| 1390 | ECOLOGY OF INVERTEBRATES | 3 CR. | |
| 1410 | VERTEBRATE ECOLOGY | 3 CR. | |
| 1600 | STREAM ECOLOGY | 3 CR. | |
| 2380 | ECOLOGICAL GENETICS | 3 CR. | |
| 2390 | FIELD ENTOMOLOGY | 3 CR. | |
| 2550 | EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS IN ECOLOGY | 3 CR. | |
| 2570 | ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TEACHER'S WORKSHOP | 1-3 CR. | |
| 2590 | GRADUATE TOPICS IN STREAM ECOLOGY | 3 CR. | |