The combined master’s degree is only open to undergraduate students who will graduate from Johns Hopkins with a degree in biology or molecular and cellular biology.
Program Components
Coursework
- Four advanced or specialized courses beyond the requirements of the bachelor’s degree. At least two of these courses must be at the 600 level or above. The eligible courses are listed in the requirements.
- Advanced Seminar in Molecular and Cellular Biology (020.401 and 020.402; 3 credits each). All master’s students will participate in this weekly seminar during their year in the program. The seminar involves student presentations of research and discussion of topics of current interest in the field.
Research
Mentored Research (020.551, 020.552, and 020.553)
Mentored Research provides master’s students with intensive research experience for a full academic year. Students in the program work under the direction of a research mentor on an original research project approved by the program committee, produce a written report in the form of a thesis, and make a presentation of the work to the biology department. Monitoring the progress of the students during the research year is the responsibility of the research mentors. Students register for 020.551 in the fall, 020.552 in the intersession, and 020.553 in the spring. Students receive 9 credit hours per semester for research during the fall and spring semesters of the research year and 3 credit hours for the intersession. This aspect of the program will require a waiver of the usual limit of 6 research credits per year. This assignment of credits is quite conservative for the expected full-time research work. The usual formula for assigning credits for independent research is 3 hours of work per week per credit hour. According to this formula, 9 credit hours would correspond to 27 hours per week of research, somewhat less than will be expected of the MS students during the research year. The evaluation of the mentor takes into account the progress of the student on the research project.
Thesis
- Written Thesis: During the spring semester each student will prepare and submit a written thesis (at least 20 pages in length) describing their research.
- Oral Presentation: Each student will give an oral presentation on their thesis research at the end of the spring semester. The final oral presentation will be 20 minutes in length, with 10 minutes set aside afterward for questions from the audience.
The written thesis and oral presentation are evaluated by the Thesis Committee. Passing performance, as judged by the committee, is required for the MS degree.
A student who does not receive a passing evaluation for the final report and presentation will not be awarded the MS degree.
Teaching
Teaching is an integral component of the master’s degree. Students fulfill the teaching requirement by serving as a teaching assistant for the General Biology and General Biology Laboratory or other Department of Biology courses during the fall and spring semesters.
Applying
Admission
Admission to the Molecular and Cellular Biology Master’s Program is both selective and competitive.
Admission decisions are made by the Program Committee, on the basis of:
- The undergraduate status of the students.
- The student’s academic record.
- A written proposal for a research project to be completed under the supervision of the research mentor/supervisor.
- Research experience gained in the laboratory prior to entering MS program.
- Three letters of support and recommendation.
Characteristics of Qualified Applicants
- A Hopkins Biology or Molecular and Cellular Biology major. The major can be one of the student’s double majors.
- A junior or senior who plans to complete the program immediately following graduation or concurrently with their final undergraduate year.
- A minimum overall GPA of 3.2 and a minimum natural science GPA of 3.0.
- Students with a GPA below the minimum requirement will be considered under special circumstances if a strong commitment to research is demonstrated.
- At least two semesters of previous research experience prior to entering the MS program.
The research mentor and research project:
Research mentors must be Johns Hopkins faculty (regular or adjunct), but may be located at the Homewood campus, the School of Medicine (including both the East Baltimore and Bayview campuses), Bloomberg School of Public Health, or the School of Nursing. The research project must be approved by the research mentor.
The Committee reserves the right to require individual student interviews to clarify issues raised by their written application materials.
Admission
Students wishing to apply to this program must select a Spring matriculation date.
All participants will be admitted in the Spring term of their application, and they will transition to either an MS student or a BS/MS student in the Fall prior to their graduation.
All application materials must be submitted via the application portal by the application deadline. Please do not submit application materials to faculty or staff. Only completed applications submitted by the deadline will be considered for admission to the program.
The application deadline is October 15.
There is no fee to apply. Make sure to select the appropriate option when completing the application form so the fee is waived.
Required Application Materials
- Three recommendation letters
One letter of support and recommendation must be from the research mentor/supervisor. In the letter, the mentor/supervisor should agree to take on the applicant as a master’s student, outline plans for supervising the student’s research, and state the approval of the applicant’s research proposal. Two additional letters of recommendation can be from faculties of any institution.
- Undergraduate Transcript (Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.)
- Additional Materials: the following items should be submitted as a single PDF uploaded in the personal statement section of the application form.
- Research Proposal
- The research proposal (2 pages in length) should be developed by the applicant in cooperation with the research mentor/supervisor and be approved by the research mentor/supervisor. The proposal should detail the rationale, methods (including familiarity of the applicant with the proposed techniques, or expected time required to gain familiarity with the proposed techniques), key references (5 or less), and a detailed timetable for the proposed project.
- The quality and feasibility of the proposed research, the adequacy of the plans for supervision of the work, and the timeline will be evaluated by the program committee.
- Natural Science Grade Point Average Worksheet
- Student/Research Advisor Agreement Form
- Supplemental Application Questions
How to Apply
Tuition & Financial Aid
Students may complete the master’s degree concurrent with the undergraduate degree in the senior year OR in the academic year following the spring semester in which they receive their undergraduate degree. Prospective students are encouraged to consider the benefits of each option before applying to the program.
Students who complete the master’s program during the senior year of undergraduate study will graduate with a bachelor’s and a master’s degree (upon fulfilling all requirements). Because they remain undergraduates, student who choose this option are eligible for financial aid. Students considering this option should consult with their academic advisor. For further financial aid information visit the Financial Aid Office (http://www.jhu.edu/finaid/return_stud_concurrent.html)
Students who finish their bachelor’s degree before starting the master’s program will move to graduate student status for the academic year that they are completing the master’s program. Financial aid is not available to students who complete the masters as graduate students, however these students will receive 50% tuition remission. Therefore, tuition will be 50% of the typical tuition amount.