M.S. in Biochemistry

If interested in any degree offering in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, please review the department webpage: http://www.chemistry.montana.edu/graduate/.

The Master of Science (M.S.) Degree in Biochemistry requires a minimum of 30 credits and can include only those courses listed on an approved Program of Study.  A student’s Program of Study requires approval from the student's research advisor, committee members and department head.  The M.S. degree can include creative scholarship and an accompanying thesis (Plan A) or be based solely on coursework (Plan B).   A thesis M.S. requires that a student take at least 10 credits of BCH 590 (Master’s Thesis).  A coursework M.S. degree culminates with a professional paper or project and requires enrollment in BCH 575 (Professional Paper).  In Plan B, at least 15 course credits on the student’s MS program of study will need to come from BCH courses offered in the department.  Graduate Classes outside of the department are permissible with approval from the student’s advisor.  Nine credits at the 400-level are allowed.  Additional information about both types of M.S. programs – coursework and thesis – is published on the Graduate School’s Degree Requirements site: https://www.montana.edu/gradschool/policy/degreq_masters.html.

Acceptable courses on a program of study for Plans A and B - Student must consult with advisor.  The department recognizes that certain courses outside of the department are avaible and acceptable alternatives to course listed below.  

BCH 524Mass Spectrometry3
BCH 526Adv Protein NMR Spectroscopy3
BCH 543Proteins3
BCH 544Molecular Biology3
BCH 575Professional Paper1-6
BCH 591Special Topics3
BCH 592Independent Study1-3
BCH 594Seminar1
CHMY 501Advanced Inorganic Chemistry3
CHMY 513Computational Chemistry3
CHMY 515Structure and Bonding in Inorganic Chemistry3
CHMY 517Synthetic Chemistry3
CHMY 524Mass Spectrometry3
CHMY 526Solution NMR Spectroscopy:Practical Applications to the Structural Determination of Small Molecules 3
CHMY 533Physical Organic Chemistry3

Program Learning Outcomes

  • For thesis masters’ students: (Plan A)
    1. Demonstrate mastery of subject content knowledge.
  • 2. Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
  • 3. Produce independent research and describe analysis in their discipline
  • 4. Identify ethical issues and responsibilities especially in matters related to professionalism, data collection, the laboratory setting and in writing and publishing theses, dissertations and scientific papers.
  • Non-Thesis master's students (Plan B)
    1. Demonstrate mastery of subject content knowledge.
  • 2. Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
  • 3. Identify ethical issues and responsibilities especially in matters related to professionalism and (if applicable) in matters related the laboratory setting and in writing and publishing scientific papers.