Advances in the life sciences that address local and global challenges require new approaches to graduate education and research. The Tuskegee University Integrative Biosciences (IBS) Ph.D. program is designed to develop professionals who have not only technical proficiency but who also possess the flexibility and adaptability to address the complexities of current challenges. Read about our mission, vision and collaborators of this program.
IBS Ph.D. Program Office
70-116 Kenney Hall
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee, AL 36088
Phone: 334-724-4550 or 334-552-0690
Fax: 334-724-4867
Email: dalexander@tuskegee.edu
Email: ibsphd@tuskegee.edu
Admission to the IBS Ph.D. Program is determined by the six IBS Faculty on the Student Selection Committee and by the IBS Deans Council. Admission is then communicated to the candidates by the IBS Program Office and the Office of Graduate Studies and Research.. Candidates must have completed the B.S./B.A. and/or Master’s degree in areas related to Integrative Biosciences, e.g., the Biological, Chemical, Physical, Health, Food, Nutritional, Agricultural, Environmental, or Natural Resource Sciences. If deemed necessary, the student may be required to take additional prerequisite courses.
Competitive candidates for admission should have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00 or higher in all previous studies, a GPA of 3.4 in upper division courses and completed the GRE general and subject tests.
International students who are granted admission to the IBS Ph.D. Program must consult with the Office of International Programs, Tuskegee University, concerning legal documents to enter or stay in the United States for the duration of the program. Grades received from international programs of study must be translated into the U.S. scale by World Education Services, Inc. [www.wes.org (212)-966-6311]. International students must also submit proof of financial support and TOEFL scores.
Three excellent letters of recommendation from faculty or others who have known the student in an academic or research capacity, official transcripts from each institution attended, GRE scores, a resume or curriculum vitae documenting previous research or teaching experience, and a statement of interest, which details the applicant’s goals and potential research focus areas are required as part of the application.
Applications to the IBS Ph.D. Program are received by the Office of Graduate Studies and Research, which ensures that the applications are complete and forwards copies to the IBS Ph.D. Program Office. The IBS Program Office convenes a Student Selection Committee which will review the applications according to merit, then make recommendations for acceptance to the IBS Dean’s Council. The IBS Dean’s Council makes the final decisions regarding selections. Annual reviews of the IBS Ph.D. Program are provided by an Internal Advisory Committee and an External Advisory Committee.
Program Specifics and Academic Requirements
Students admitted to the IBS Ph.D. program will be required to take a number of core courses including bioethics and the graduate seminar, and to complete at least one teaching assistantship. All students will need to demonstrate, through course credits or other means, competencies in Bioethics, Biochemistry, Biotechnology/Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, and Biostatistics/Computational Methods in Life Sciences. Additional course requirements vary depending on the educational level of the individual student and their intended area of focus. The majority of courses required for completion of the degree will be chosen by the student's co-advisors and advisory committee. In addition, all students are required to spend the equivalent of at least one semester in a non-academic setting-e.g., industry, research institute, government agency, or non-government organization-for "real world" professional experience and to demonstrate competency in leadership and communication skills.
Application, Fees and deadlines
Application forms for the IBS Ph.D Program may be requested from the Tuskegee University Office of Admissions (1-800-622-6531) or downloaded directly from the Internet (www.tuskegee.edu/admissions). The application fee for the IBS Ph.D. Program is $35.00 and is non-refundable. Additional fees are required for international students using the WES service, as indicated on the application form. The deadline for application to the IBS Ph.D Program is December 15.
Core Academic Requirements:
Students Entering with a B.S. Degree |
Students Entering with a M.S. Degree |
| Bioethics IBSC 601 3hrs | Bioethics IBSC 601 3hrs |
| IBS Biochemistry IBSC 603/604 8hrs | IBS Biochemistry 603/604 8hrs |
| Biostatistics 500 3hrs | Biostatistics 500 3hrs |
| Bioinfomatics 565 3 hrs | Bioinfomatics 565 3 hrs |
| IBS Molecular Biology 8hrs |
IBS Molecular Biology 8hrs |
| Internship >8 weeks | Internship >8weeks |
|
Graduate Seminar 610/611 2hrs |
Graduate Seminar 600/700 2hrs |
| Supervised Teaching 1 semester | Supervised Teaching 1 semester |
| Adv. Integrative Biosciences IBSC 640A/640B 4 hrs | Adv. Integrative Biosciences IBSC 640A/640B 4 hrs |
| Additional hours 500/600 level 17-21hrs | Advanced courses 500/600 level 1-13hrs* |
|
Doctoral Dissertation 800 8-12hrs |
Doctoral Dissertation 800 8-12hrs |
Total credits required: 60hrs |
Total credits required: 60hrs |
*Students having earned advanced course credits elsewhere may request their transfer. The determination of the IBS Faculty concerning the number of credits to be transferred will be final. A mechanism for students to "test out" of core courses if a similar course has been successfully completed elsewhere is NOT available. Completion of the IBS Core Curriculum is MANDATORY.
Residency Requirement:
All IBS Fellows must satisfy a two-year residency requirement. IBS Fellows must be present on a daily basis on Tuskegee's campus for at least two years in order to qualify for the PhD degree.
IBS PROGRAM FACULTY
PROGRAM LEADERSHIP
IBS Deans Council:
A. Deloris Alexander, Ph.D.
Director, IBS Ph.D. Program
110 Campbell Hall
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee, AL 36088
Office: 334-552-0690
Email: dalexander@tuskegee.edu
Mentoring And Advisory Committees
Students admitted to the IBS Ph.D. program will be assigned provisional advisors who will be responsible for initial guidance. By the end of the first academic year, students are required to have identified two co-advisors and formed a Student Advisory Committee, which will be responsible for facilitating the development of the academic coursework plan and the research design. The co-advisors must be from two different disciplines, both of which must be integral to the proposed dissertation research. The Student Advisory Committee will consist of a minimum of four faculty members, at least two of whom must be knowledgeable in the student's area of research; one must be from outside the student's research area and at least three must be members of the IBS Ph.D. program faculty. A key feature of the IBS Ph.D. program is the co-advisor concept. These co-advisors will expose students to different perspectives and encourage and facilitate design and completion of a research dissertation that addresses a problem from at least two different but complementary perspectives.
Upon completion of the coursework and research for the program, the student-through his/her advisory committee-may request that the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research arrange a final oral examination to meet the degree requirements.
The Dean of Graduate Studies and Research will appoint a dissertation committee consisting of all Advisory Committee members and one member from outside the university.
The student must submit a completed copy of the dissertation to each member of the examination committee at least two weeks prior to the date of the exam.
The focus of the oral examination will be the student's research.
Approval of at least four members of the dissertation committee is necessary for the student to pass the oral examination.
Changes And Review Of Progress
Only the IBS Dean's Council may approve changes in a student's area of specialization, co-advisors, or Student Advisory Committee members, and such change(s) must be requested through the IBS Ph.D. Program Office. In the event the approval cannot be secured, the student may directly petition the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.
The Student Advisory Committee will review the student's progress at least once each semester and forward a formal report to the IBS Ph.D. Program Office and the IBS Dean's Council. The Student Advisory Committee will recommend to the IBS Dean's Council whether to continue, place on probation, suspend or dismiss the student from the graduate program. A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 is allowed one semester to raise the GPA to 3.0. Failure to do so will result in expulsion from the program. Students who fail the qualifying examination after two attempts may apply for a terminal Master's degree in any of the established programs at Tuskegee University. In such cases, the student will have to meet the oral examination requirements of the Graduate School.
Submission of the Dissertation
Students must submit seven corrected copies of their dissertation signed by all members of the Student Advisory Committee and respective College Dean(s) to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.
Residency Requirement
IBS Ph.D. students are required to be located at Tuskegee University for at least two years during the course of doctoral study.
Time Limit for Graduation
All graduate credit submitted in fulfillment of requirements for the Ph.D. degree must have been earned within the six years immediately preceding conferral of the degree.
The Tuskegee University Integrative Biosciences Research Experiences for Undergraduates (IBS-REU) site provides a research program for undergraduates. The program was initiated in Summer 2009 as a result of funding by the National Science Foundation. Since its inception, over 40 undergraduate students from across the country have participated in this ten-week research program in the area of integrative biosciences.
Tuskegee University IBS-REU site offers undergraduates (rising juniors and seniors in the STEM majors, but particularly in Biology, Chemistry, Animal Sciences, Plant and Soil Sciences, Agricultural Economics, and other bioscience majors) a novel approach to conduct research by integrating multiple areas in the biosciences. We define “integrative biosciences” research as any research where the continued integration of two or more science disciplines is requisite, for example, determining the consequences of genetically-modified sweetpotato (Plant Genomics, Plant Sciences) on soil microbial biodiversity (Soil Science, Soil Microbiology, Genetics).
Tuskegee University is located in Tuskegee, Alabama, which is 40 miles east of the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama, and 20 miles west of the city of Auburn, Alabama. It is also within easy driving distance to the cities of Birmingham, Alabama and Atlanta, Georgia. Tuskegee is an Historical Black College and University and an 1890 land-grant institution that enrolls more than 3,000 students and employs approximately 900 faculty and support personnel.
1st Semester 2nd Semester Completed?
Course Title CR CR
*IBSC 601 Bioethics 3 __________
*IBSC 603 Biochemistry 4 __________
*IBSC 605 Mol. Bio. DNA 4 __________
*IBSC 610 IBS Seminar 0 __________
*IBSC 604 Mol. Bio. Protens 4 __________
*IBSC 606 Mol. Bio. RNA 4 __________
*IBSC 611 Scientific Comm. 2 __________
*IBSC 640A Adv. Biosciences I 3 __________
*IBSC 640B Adv. Biosciences II 3 __________
**IBSC 700 IBS Special Prob. 1-4 1-4 __________
**IBSC 710 IBS Lit. Review 2-3 2-3 __________
**IBSC 752 IBS Cont. Reg. 0 0 __________
**IBSC 754 IBS Candidate 0 0 __________
**IBSC 800 Res. & Diss.
8-12 8-12 __________
*****Additional Courses 33 hours __________
*Denotes a core class. All core classes are mandatory.
**Optional Suggested Courses
***IBSC 800 Research and Dissertation can be taken for 8-12 credit hours towards to the IBS PhD degree. Other 500-level research credits can also substitute.
*****Additional courses that are 500-level and above can be taken towards the 60 credit hour requirement for the IBS PhD degree. These courses should be discussed with the students IBS co-mentors prior to registration to ensure no course credits deficits. Up to 30 of these credits can be transferred from previous graduate courses taken at TU or another accredited college or university.
Other IBS PhD Program requirements include the following:
Teaching requirement: All IBS Fellows must teach one course that is approved by their co-mentors
Internship requirement: All IBS Fellows must complete one semester-long internship requirement as approved by their co-mentors.
All IBS fellows must complete qualifying exams. The first qualifying exam is a comprehensive written exam that is given in December of the student’s third year to all members of a student’s entering class that have been enrolled full-time in the IBS program and that includes topics covered in the IBS Core Curriculum. The exam is graded pass/fail by the IBS core instructors. A student has 2 chances to pass qualifiers. If the student does not pass qualifiers after the 2nd try the student must be terminated form the IBS Program. The second Qualifying exam is given by the student’s dissertation committee during the spring of the students’ 3rd year. This exam is also graded pass/fail and each fellow has up to 2 chances to pass. Failure to pass on the second try will result in termination from the program.
Submission of their dissertation proposal to the IBS Deans Council by the end of the summer of their 3rd year.
Application to candidacy by the end of the summer of their 3rd year.
Professional courtesy, excellent academic progress (“B” or better in all courses), and availability of funding are also requisite for successful progression through the IBS PhD Program.
Approval of the completion of their dissertation research and dissertation document by the IBS Deans’ Council.
Successful defense of the dissertation research.
The IBS PhD Program requires all fellows to have at least 2 co-mentors to guide them through the completion of their dissertation research and all program components must be ultimately approved by the IBS Deans Council.
“The IBS PhD Program’s benefits to Tuskegee are beyond economical assessment and calculations. It cannot be assessed in terms of dollars spent or gained, position vacancies and infrastructure upgrades. The IBS program, in itself, is a valuable asset, a part of STEM infrastructure, a corner stone for graduate studies, and a long-term investment in future leaders and pioneers in all STEM fields. Higher education institutions take pride in their PhD programs and in the number of doctorates they graduate. Ranking of higher education institutions depends on research excellence and/or influence, student choices and eventual success, which depends on the quality and the number of doctorates PhD Programs graduate.
All IBS fellows are working on top-notch research projects throughout the campus and beyond, generating tomorrow’s science discoveries and achievements. IBS fellows are tutors, advisors, near-peer mentors, and models to graduate and undergraduate students. Within the next 20 years, IBS program graduates will be key leaders in government, universities and decision-making institutions nationwide and around the world. This is a unique program in any and each aspect.
IBS graduates are Tuskegee’s future generation of educators, researchers, faculty members and administrators that believe in, embrace and value Tuskegee’s history, mission and legacy. Investing in your kids is never a wasted investment and mother Tuskegee’s investment in the IBS program is no different.”-Amged Dafalla, (Entering Class of 2010), Summer 2014
IBS CORE CURRICULUM COURSE OFFERINGS
IBSC 540. INTRODUCTION TO BIOINFORMATICS. 1st Semester Lec/Lab 3 hours 40 minutes, 4 credit hours. This is a graduate-level course that is designed to introduce students to concepts in bioinformatics to include fundamentals of Biology, Database and Information handling, Fundamentals of Programming and Biocomplexity. Prerequisite: BIOL 250 or equivalent. This course is graded A-E.
IBSC 600. IBS LAB ROTATION I. 1st Semester Lec. 2 hours. 1 credits. This course is open only to graduate students. Students will work in lab 20-40 hours per week for 4-8 weeks, depending on whether or not the student is taking part-time or full-time classes. Students are expected to participate significantly in supervised/mentored research and conscientiously contribute to work of the research group. Independent student research will be required. There are no prerequisites. This course is graded A-E.
IBSC 601. RESEARCH ETHICS IN BIOSCIENCE. 1st Semester Lec. 2 hours. 3 credits.This course is open only to graduate students. A special focus will be on ethical problems in bioscience related to race/ethnicity and work of minority bioscientists. Instructors will primarily serve as learning guides. Extensive student preparation prior to class is essential. Students are expected to participate significantly in class discussion and conscientiously contribute to group work. Independent student research will be required. There are no prerequisites. This course is graded A-E.
IBSC 602. RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH 1st Semester Lec. 3 hours. 3 credits.
This course is open only to graduate students. A special focus will be on ethical problems in bio-science related to FABRICATION, FALSIFICATION, AND PLAGIRISM. Extensive student preparation prior to class is essential. Students are expected to participate significantly in class discussion and conscientiously contribute to group work. Independent student research will be required. Students may be asked to prepare and submit a research manuscript and/or a research proposal. There are no prerequisites. This course is graded A-E.
IBSC 603. INTEGRATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY I. 1st Semester Lec/Lab 4 hours, 4 credit hours. This course is a graduate-level sequence in Biochemistry. The course covers the fundamentals of cell chemistry, cell structure and function, protein and nucleic acids. Prerequisites BIOL 360/CHEM 360 or equivalent. This course is graded A-E.
IBSC 604. INTEGRATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY II. 2nd Semester Lec/Lab 4 hours, 4 credit hours. This graduate-level sequence in biochemistry is a continuation of IBSC 603. The course covers topics in carbon flow throughout a living system, energy generation, cell cycle, Mendelian inheritance, and the molecular basis of genetics. Prerequisite: IBSC 603. This course is graded A-E.
IBSC 605. INTEGRATIVE CELLULAR, MOLECULAR, ORGANISMIC, SYSTEM, POPULATIONAL, AND ECOLOGICAL BIOSCIENCE I. 1st Semester, Lec/Lab 4 hours, 4 credit hours. This is an experientially-framed, project-based, ordered and integrative examination of molecular, cellular, organismic, developmental, populational and ecological phenomena-whose conceptual origins rest with the unitary linkage between the chemical, biological and geological cycles that support life on Earth. This course is only open to graduate students. Prerequisite: BIOL 250/BIOL 360/CHEM 360 or equivalent or admission to the IBS Ph.D. Program. This course is graded A-E.
IBSC 606. INTEGRATIVE MOLECULAR, CELLULAR, ORGANISMIC, SYSTEM, POPULATIONAL, AND ECOLOGICAL BIOSCIENCE II. 2nd Semester, Lec/Lab 4 hours, 4 credit hours. This graduate-level course is a continuation of IBSC 605, which is a molecular biology course that examines the links between the chemical, biological and geological cycles that support life on Earth. Prerequisite: IBSC 605. This course is graded A-E.
IBSC 607. TRANSITIONS I. FROM CORE TO DISSERTATION. 1 st Semester Lec. 2 hours. 2 credits. This course is open only to graduate students. This course will focus on providing graduate students with tools to use to get from completing the core curriculum to working on and completing their dissertation research. Students are expected to participate significantly in class discussion and conscientiously contribute to group work. Independent student research will be required. There are no prerequisites. This course is graded A-E.
IBSC 608. TRANSITIONS II. FROM DISSERTATION TO POST DOCS & BEYOND. 1st Semester Lec. 2 hours. 2 credits. This course is open only to graduate students. The course will focus on helping students prepare for interviews, apply for jobs and post-doctoral fellowships and make the best career decisions they can, given their level of preparedness and career goals. Extensive student preparation prior to class is essential. Students are expected to participate significantly in class discussion and conscientiously contribute to group work. Independent student research will be required. There are no prerequisites. This course is graded A-E.
IBSC 609. IBS LAB ROTATION II. 1st Semester Lec. 2 hours. 1 credits. This course is open only to graduate students. Students will work in lab 20-40 hours per week for 4-8 weeks, depending on whether or not the student is taking part-time or full-time classes. Students are expected to participate significantly in supervised/mentored research and conscientiously contribute to work of the research group. Independent student research will be required. There are no prerequisites. This course is graded A-E.
IBSC 610. INTEGRATIVE BIOSCIENCES GRADUATE SEMINAR I. 1st Semester, Lec 1 hour, 0 credit hours. This graduate-level course is only open to Integrative Biosciences (IBS) Ph.D. Students. This course is designed to familiarize IBS students with research being conducted by IBS faculty, to facilitate the selection of co-mentors for dissertation projects. Prerequisite: Admission to the IBS Ph.D. Program. This course is not currently graded but is being revised to offer 1 credit and will be graded A-E.
IBSC 611. INTEGRATIVE BIOSCIENCES SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS. 2nd Semester, Lec 2 hours, 2 credit hours. IBSC 611 is a graduate level course opened to masters and doctoral degree students. This course covers topics, in grant writing, powerpoint development, mock grant reviews, public speaking and other issue related to communicating science. Prerequisite: None.
IBSC 650. INTEGRATIVE LAB TECHNIQUES. Fall, Spring Semesters Only. Lecture 2 credit hours Lab 4 hours. Course 6 credit hours. IBSC 650 is a course restricted to students in the Integrative Biosciences Ph.D. Program who need to acquire “wet lab” experience in preparation for their dissertation research and who need to be exposed to current research practices in a practical, hands-on manner in an effort to increase their overall scholarship. Students will conduct research on a variety of topics and learn research methods applicable to broad areas of the biosciences. The class will be taught by an integrated team of professors. Prerequisite: Admission to the IBS Ph.D. Program. This course is graded A-E.
IBSC 700. SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN INTEGRATIVE BIOSCIENCES. 1st, 2nd Semester, Lec/Lab 1-3 hours, 1-4 credit hours. IBSC 700 is a course restricted to students in the
Integrative Biosciences Ph.D. Program . Problems at the advanced level may be selected from the following: biochemistry, physiology, soil sciences, pathobiology, clinical sciences, biomedical sciences, plant and soil sciences, risk assessment and analysis, epidemiology, computational sciences, social sciences, agricultural economics and natural resources, forest resources, environmental sciences, food and nutritional sciences, chemistry, veterinary sciences, animal and poultry sciences, biology. Prerequisite: Admission to the IBS Ph.D. Program. This course is graded A-E
IBSC 710. INTEGRATIVE BIOSCIENCE LITERATURE REVIEW. 1st, 2nd, Semester, Directed-Study, 2-3 credit hours. IBSC 710 is a course restricted to students in the Integrative Biosciences Ph.D. Program. Research methods and critical review of current bioscience literature will be addressed in this course Prerequisite: Admission to the IBS Ph.D. Program. This course is graded A-E.
IBSC 752. INTEGRATIVE BIOSCIENCE CONTINUOUS REGISTRATION. 1st, 2nd , Summer Semester, Directed Study/Lab 0 hours, 0 credit hours. IBSC 752 is a continuous registration course restricted to students in the Integrative Biosciences Ph.D. Program. This course offers IBS Ph.D. Students the opportunity to participate in integrative research towards the completion of their dissertation degree. PREREQUISITES: ADMISSION TO THE IBS PH.D. PROGRAM AND COMPLETION OF ALL COURSE REQUIREMENTS EXCEPT THE DEFENSE OF THE DISSERTATION. IBS STUDENTS CAN REGISTER FOR THIS COURSE EIGHT (8) TIMES. This option carries no course credits. This course is graded “NG” (no grade).
IBSC 754. INTEGRATIVE BIOSCIENCES CANDIDATE FOR THE DEGREE ONLY. 1st, 2nd Summer Semester 0 hours, 0 credit hours. IBSC 754 is a course restricted to students in the Integrative Biosciences Ph.D. Program who have completed the requirements for graduate degree including final oral or comprehensive examination, submission of dissertation and approval of dissertation by the office of graduate programs. This course offers IBS Ph.D. students the opportunity to be enrolled at Tuskegee University while waiting for the degree to be conferred and/or commencement exercises). PREREQUISITES: ADMISSION TO THE IBS PH.D. PROGRAM AND COMPLETION OF ALL DEGREE REQUIREMENTS INCLUDING DEFENSE OF THE DISSERTATION. This option should be used by students who have completed all graduation requirements INCLUDING the defense of the dissertation and who only need to participate in commencement. This option carries no course credit and is graded “NG”.
IBSC 800. RESEARCH AND DISSERTATION. 1st, 2nd , Semester Lab 1-12 hours, 1-12 credit hours. IBSC 800 is a course restricted to students in the Integrative Biosciences Ph.D. Program who need to complete their dissertation projects. Students will conduct research on dissertation project under the direction of their major professors. Prerequisite: Admission to the IBS Ph.D. Program. This course is graded A-E.