Guidelines and Requirements for GSBS Master's Students

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M.S. Program Guidelines

Introduction

This document consolidates the academic and programmatic guidelines for three graduate programs offered by the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences: Biotechnology (M.S.), Graduate Medical Education Sciences (M.S.), and Pharmaceutical Sciences (M.S. and Ph.D.). These programs provide rigorous, specialized training to prepare students for diverse careers in biomedical research, industry, medical education, and pharmaceutical development. The Biotechnology M.S. equips students with practical skills for the biotech industry, the Graduate Medical Education Sciences M.S. blends biomedical science with educational expertise, and the Pharmaceutical Sciences M.S. and Ph.D. programs focus on advancing drug discovery and pharmacology. This consolidated reference outlines shared policies and program-specific requirements to ensure clarity and accessibility for students, faculty, and administrators in navigating graduate-level academic expectations.

Guidelines Quicklinks

• Biotechnology
• Graduate Medical Education Sciences
• Pharmaceutical Sciences (M.S. and Ph.D.)

Shared Policies and Guidelines

The following policies apply to the Biotechnology (M.S.), Graduate Medical Education Sciences (M.S.), and Pharmaceutical Sciences (M.S. and Ph.D.) programs, ensuring consistency in academic standards, student responsibilities, and administrative processes across the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Biotechnology (M.S.) Guidelines

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The Master of Science (M.S.) in Biotechnology program, located on the Abilene and Lubbock campuses, offers several options for students interested in careers in biotechnology companies; technical research positions in academia, industry, or government agencies; and/or preparing for entry into a doctoral program. The program offers two tracks: (1) a one-year, non-thesis option which provides a strong foundation of knowledge about core concepts with a limited, but concentrated, hands-on research experience; and (2) a 21-month, research track requiring two semesters of primarily didactic coursework and 12 months of full-time laboratory research. The research track is typically a non-thesis degree with an optional thesis at the end of the second year by arrangement with the advisor. The program only admits new students in the fall term.

Curriculum (Research Track)

A minimum of 50 or 51 hours are required for the PhD Current Curriculum.

Curriculum (Abbreviated Track)

The program total for the abbreviated track is 30 hours.

Additional Guidelines

• Prerequisites for Admission: Applicants should have a strong record in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, and genetics. The GRE General Test is optional, and scores will be reviewed if submitted. Two letters of recommendation from former faculty or administrators familiar with the applicant's scholastic abilities are required. A personal interview may be requested. See the GSBS website for a complete list of admission requirements: https://www.ttuhsc.edu/biomedical-sciences/biotechnology/program.aspx.
• Program Mandates: All students are required to take the GSBS Core I-IV curriculum courses in the fall, the Biotechnology core curriculum in the spring, and fulfill all Interprofessional Education (IPE) requirements. Research track students require 6 hours of research and at least 12 months of industry internship or academic research, excluding students enrolled in the one-year option.
• Laboratory Rotations: Two lab rotations are required in the spring semester of the first year (GBTC 5337 - Techniques in Biotechnology Research). Students will interview with biotechnology graduate faculty interested in having a student in their lab prior to beginning laboratory rotations. Interviews must be documented and completed by the end of the fall term. Each faculty member provides a written evaluation for each rotation, reviewed with the student.
• Qualifying Exam: Students in the Biotechnology Program do NOT take a qualifying exam.
• Completion of Degree Program:
  • Non-Thesis Option: Requires submission of a final written report which contains details about the student's research. All didactic course work should be completed by the start of the second year for students in the research track.
  • Thesis Option: Requires conducting, publishing, and presenting original research. A draft of the thesis and an abstract must be submitted to the Advisory Committee at least two weeks prior to the final oral examination. Students defend their thesis in a final public seminar followed by a private oral examination.
• Research Assistantships and Internships: Students admitted into the Biotechnology program will receive scholarships in the fall semester. Beginning in the summer term, if a student chooses to stay in a Biotechnology faculty lab, research assistantships will be available (½ paid by GSBS, ½ paid by investigator) through the completion of the program (given that students are in good academic and professional standing). The RA salary is $25,000 annually and requires 20 hours in the lab per week in addition to those for which are taken for credit. Students choosing to pursue an off-campus internship will be responsible for securing the internship. Those students who take this route will have their scholarship renewed for the second year (given the student is in good academic and professional standing). Internships should start in the summer semester, and students are not eligible for fee waivers.
• Student Absence Policy: Students that are hired as RAs will receive 10 days of flex time during the student's second year beginning in June through May. Please see the Flex Time Policy in the Catalog for more details on using this time.

Graduate Medical Education Sciences (M.S.) Guidelines

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The Graduate Medical Education Sciences (GMES) program offers a Master of Science (MS) degree designed to prepare students to be self-directed, life-long learners for medical or dental school or for teaching positions that emphasize anatomy, histology, biochemistry, cell biology, immunology and pathophysiology. Students complete the first three blocks of the School of Medicine curriculum during the first year and then function as teaching assistants in these blocks during the second year. An education project and participation in at least one Interprofessional Activity must be completed by the end of the second year in order to graduate. New students are admitted prior to each fall term.

Curriculum

The GSBS requires a minimum of 36 hours of graduate-level course work for a Master's degree. The program total is 43-46 hours.

Additional Guidelines

• Prerequisites for Admission: Applicants must have a bachelor's degree or the equivalent from an accredited college or university. Adequate preparation for the proposed field of graduate study is required, with a strong science background encouraged, including completion of an undergraduate biochemistry course. Applicants must have completed or will complete the prerequisites for Texas Medical and Dental School Application Service (TMDSAS) medical school admission prior to matriculating into the program. Results from either the Graduate Record Examination (General Test and, optional but recommended, the Subject Test in either Biology or Chemistry) or the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) are required, with scores forwarded directly for evaluation. Two recent letters of recommendation (within 1 year) must be from former faculty members, healthcare providers or administrators familiar with the scholastic abilities of the applicant. An interview with the GMES Program committee is required. Other admissions application requirements and deadline information are available on the GSBS website: https://www.ttuhsc.edu/biomedical-sciences/academics/admissions.aspx.
• Project: Students will design and carry out a medical education project under the direction of an appropriate faculty advisor. The project will be designed according to the needs of the program and matched to the interest of the student. The student must choose a project prior to the beginning of the second year. The project must be approved by the Program Director. Second year students will present their project during Student Research Week and in a public seminar during the final Spring semester. The project must be successfully completed to graduate.
• Assessment of Graduate Student Progress: The graduate student checklist (Appendix 1) is the major tool for assessing graduate student progress. It is the student's responsibility to ensure all appropriate forms are signed and filed with the graduate coordinator according to deadlines. The checklist and student's file are reviewed every summer or as needed. Students are expected to maintain above-average ratings in all required assessment tools and exhibit a high level of professionalism. Failure to maintain standards may result in academic probation or dismissal.
• Professional behavior: In addition to exhibiting courtesy, compassion and decorum, professional behavior includes participation in all mandatory events described in the Block Descriptions for Each SOM block. Failure to complete these activities may negatively influence students' final grades. Lack of professional behavior from GMES2 students may affect their standing with medical schools' Admissions Committees.
• Satisfactory Academic Standing: Students must attain a "B" or higher in all courses (Appendix 4). If a student withdraws or attains a "C" in one of these courses, they will be required to retake the course the following year and attain at least a "B" grade. If the student makes less than a "C" in a course ("D" or "F") or less than a "B" in two or more courses, they will be dismissed from the program. To remain in good academic standing, students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 in each semester. If the student drops below a 3.0 for any semester, he or she will be placed on academic probation. If the student attains less than 3.0 in any subsequent semester, they will be dismissed from the program. Failure to meet appropriate deadlines or unprofessional conduct could result in program probation.
• Course Waiver Procedure: Students requesting a waiver for a program-required course should make a written request to the program advisor outlining the course(s) to be waived, the reasons why the waiver is requested, and which previous graduate level courses addressed the same material, providing the relevant course syllabus. The program advisor will forward the request to the program committee for consideration and a vote. The student will be notified of the voting results by email.
• Grievances and Appeals: This policy applies to specific grievances arising from matters affecting students' academic standing and performance such as disputes concerning projects and project presentations. Appeals may be made only when alleged prejudicial, arbitrary or capricious action is involved, or new evidence relevant to an adverse decision is discovered. A student wishing to appeal should first discuss with the faculty members involved, then the Program Director. If not satisfied, a formal appeal can be made to the Dean of the GSBS.
• Leave of Absence: A leave of absence may be requested by submitting a written request to the program advisor at the beginning of the semester, specifying the reason. The GSBS Leave of Absence policy states that failure to register for three consecutive semesters (12 months) without an official leave subjects a student to readmission review. Leaves are typically for serious medical conditions or other exceptional reasons and will not exceed one year. Students granted a leave must submit written confirmation of intent to return one month prior to their intended return.
• Course remediation and class standing: Any student who is required to re-take (for any reason) one or more of the required courses will not advance with their entering cohort or graduate with their incoming class, but will instead repeat the year.
• Registration: A student must be registered for a minimum of 1 hour in the semester that he/she intends to graduate. Students will register for a minimum 9 hours for each long semester (fall and spring) and may register for up to 6 hours for the summer session.
• IPE Event: All students are required to complete (and show evidence for completion) at least one registered IPE (Interprofessional Education) event.
• Support of Student Travel: The GMES program is committed to supporting student travel to regional, national, or international meetings if the results from projects warrant abstract submission. Requirements include faculty advisors informing the Program Committee of travel plans, students applying for any travel awards offered by the host society, and the student being a presenting author on the abstract/submission. No GMES student may receive travel support from GMES for more than one conference.

Pharmaceutical Sciences (M.S. and Ph.D.) Guidelines

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The Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences (GPPS) offers a master's and a doctoral degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences. At the time of admission into the GPPS program, all students are subject to the requirements listed in the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Student Handbook (Code of Professional and Academic Conduct), the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Catalog, as well as the guidelines given below.

Curriculum (M.S.)

A minimum 40 hours (27 Didactic, 7 Research and 6 Thesis) of graduate work are required for the MS. Of the 27 Didactic hours necessary to complete a Master's degree, candidates are required to complete the following Core Curriculum courses:

Sample Degree Plan (M.S.)

Curriculum (Ph.D.)

A minimum of 72 hours (48 Didactic, 12 Research, and 12 Dissertation) of graduate work are required for the PhD. All students must complete the Core Curriculum for the Pharmaceutical Sciences Program. Ph.D. students must take an additional 16 hours (minimum) of elective didactic course work to complete the 48 hours of required didactic courses. Students will be allowed to take a maximum of 3 credit hours of Independent Study for didactic credit in place of an elective after their first two years of study have been completed.

Sample Degree Plan (Ph.D.)

Additional Guidelines

• Seminar Course: The Graduate Seminar course (GPSC 7101) is mandatory for all students. It must be taken each Fall and each Spring semester. All Graduate Student seminars included in the seminar schedule are mandatory. Attendance will be monitored by means of sign in sheet.
• Ph.D. Publication Requirement: Per GSBS requirements, all PhD students must have published an original peer-reviewed first author research publication prior to scheduling their defense. The manuscript must be in a peer-reviewed journal that is indexed by PubMed or Web of Science.
• Laboratory Rotations (Ph.D. Elective Credit): Students who are assigned to a lab for their doctoral research will be allowed to take additional rotations outside of their assigned lab for didactic elective credit. But this rotation must be approved by the student's advisor. A rotation within the assigned lab is considered research and would not count toward didactic credit.
• Major Advisor and Advisory Committee: The Advisory Committee shall be composed of at least four graduate faculty members, with at least three members from the Pharmaceutical Sciences program. Student committee meetings are mandatory and will be required once a year, without excuse. The student is required to provide a handout to the mentor and committee at least one week before the meeting that summarizes the goals of the project and details of progress made since the last meeting.
• Assessment Student Progress: The student's mentor and advisory committee are responsible for overseeing the student's progress. The committee membership must include at least three Pharmaceutical Sciences members.
• Qualifying Exam (Ph.D.): Graduate students pursuing a Doctoral Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences will be administered a Qualifying Examination for Admission to Candidacy. The examination is intended to test the student's ability to apply the scientific process to the study of a specific problem, and will evaluate the student's overall knowledge, comprehension, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Failure to successfully complete the qualifying examination will be cause for dismissal from the program. The Qualifying Examination shall consist of two parts, written and oral. The Qualifying Exam will be administered once a year, beginning in the late spring, to students who have completed the Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences (GPPS) core curriculum, usually in the spring of their second year of study. Upon successfully completing the Oral Qualifying Examination, the Graduate Program Coordinator will submit a request for Admission to Candidacy form to the Dean of the GSBS in Lubbock.
• Exceptions to Core Curriculum: Any requests for exceptions to the Core Curriculum for the Pharmaceutical Sciences Department as outlined for the M.S. or PhD degree must be submitted to the Graduate Program Director by the student.
• Grading Policy (Program Specific): In addition to the GSBS grade policy, the program reserves the right to terminate any student that receives a failing grade in any course.
• Program Directors: Laurence Wood, PhD (Abilene) and Abraham Al-Ahmad, PhD (Amarillo).
• Helpful Links:
  • GSBS Student Resource Center
  • GSBS Student Forms Page
  • GPPS Web Page
  • GSBS Faculty Directory
  • TTUHSC Institutional Health & Wellness
  • TTUHSC International Student Help