Ph.D. in Molecular Bioscience

This program consists of two phases: foundation coursework and dissertation research. In between, students take a comprehensive qualifying exam. You’ll study and work inside McNulty Hall — where a $35 million upgrade helped build state-of-the-art research and teaching laboratories. In addition to classroom and seminar experiences, you’ll conduct research through our faculty’s programs or in collaboration with local biotechnology, pharmaceutical and academic institutions.

• Biostatistics
• Recombinant DNA Technology
• Molecular Biology
• Cell Culture Techniques
• Signal Transduction
• Scientific and Tech Writing
• Biomedical Ethics-Legal Issues

Seton Hall University embraces the principle that effective and meaningful assessment is an integral part of the educational process. This principle is at the heart of our commitment to meet our responsibilities to our students, professions, and the communities that we serve.

Goal 1: Expand Student Knowledge in the Field of Molecular Biosciences and Other Fields Associated with Living Systems

Objective 1: Cellular and Molecular Basis of Life

Students will learn in-depth complex biological content and concepts at the cellular and molecular level by taking required lecture courses in four major areas, taking discussion/presentation-based courses focused on current topics in molecular biosciences, and attending graduate seminars where invited speakers will present their research.

Objective 2: Area of Expertise Associated with Living Systems

Students will learn in-depth biological content and concepts in one or more fields of biological sciences to which molecular bioscience can be applied, i.e. microbiology, neuroscience, immunology, developmental biology, and environmental sciences. This will allow students to apply molecular and cellular biotechnologies to studies on living systems.

Goal 2: Develop Skills Related to Molecular Biosciences and Other Fields Associated with Living Systems

Objective 1: Biostatistics and Numeracy

Students will learn statistical methods as applied to experimental biology including hypotheses testing, probability and chi-square, linear regression and correlation, analyses of variance, and nonparametric statistics. They will develop the ability to reason and apply complex numeracy concepts and equations through laboratory work, analyses of data, and communication of their research using proper presentation of results in tables and graphs.

Objective 2: Laboratory Research Skills

Students will learn laboratory research skills associated with a modern laboratory environment. They will learn how to use various pieces of laboratory equipment and how to conduct various laboratory techniques associated with molecular biology. They will demonstrate excellence in accurate data collection and scientific equipment calibration. These will include equipment and procedures required for their thesis research but also those associated with research projects conducted with faculty members other than their mentor and/or conducted at commercial laboratories by carrying out laboratory rotations. Students will specifically gain experience in recombinant DNA technologies and cell culture.

Objective 3: Critical Thinking

Students will develop a high level of critical thinking skills which are necessary for principal investigators conducting cutting-edge research. These skills will include critical examination of facts and knowledge of possible bias, appropriate experimental design, and an understanding of the limitations of biological techniques and analytical equipment. These skills will be developed through lecture and laboratory courses, by working with their mentor and dissertation committee on research projects, and by writing various documents including a candidacy exam, grant proposals, and research papers.

Objective 4: Scientific Information and Technology Literacy

Students will develop skills necessary for researching the scientific literature and for using informatics programs associated with molecular biology and/or their fields of interest. Students will also become knowledgeable of recent literature in their fields of interest. These literacies will be developed by searching various databases for research articles, by reading and analyzing research articles, and by preparing various documents, including those assigned in content and reading courses, their candidacy exam, grant proposals, and research papers. Knowledge of informatics will be gained through courses, laboratory rotations, and conducting their own research project.

Objective 5:Communication

Students will learn skills associated with communicating their research findings to other scientists and the public at large. These skills will be developed through research presentations, a scientific writing course, and by writing various documents including a candidacy exam and paper publication requirement for graduation. Students will also be strongly encouraged to write grant proposals for extracurricular funding.

Goal 3: Apply Knowledge and Skills of Molecular Biosciences to the Greater Good of Society

Objective 1: Opportunities and Limitations in the Application of Biological Knowledge, Skills, and Research. Students will be able to integrate scientific, and biological knowledge within a social, political, and/or historical context while recognizing both the potential and limitations of scientific application.

Objective 2: Knowledge of the Ethical Use of Living Organisms in Research
Students will learn how and when to reduce the use of living organisms in research. As appropriate to the study, this might include reusing organisms, utilizing cell culture, and using non-destructive measures of biological responses. They will also learn how to obtain permission from institutional boards and committees for the use of animals/ humans in research.

Objective 3: Knowledge of how to ethically communicate research findings to the scientific community and to properly credit the work of collaborators and other researchers. Students will learn the importance of presenting and publishing accurate, controlled, and representative data from their research findings to the scientific community and the public at large. They will learn how to properly cite the work of their colleagues and other researchers.

Objective 4: Professional and Career Development. Students will be able to implement the knowledge, skills, and values of biological sciences into occupational pursuits, making them attractive candidates in today’s job market.

Both full-time and part-time students are eligible to enroll in the doctoral program at Seton Hall University. Full time students will carry at least 9 credits per semester in the Fall and Spring semesters.

Completion of the doctoral program must take place within seven years for full-time students and ten years for part-time students.