Cellular and Molecular Biology MS

Students are not admitted into the Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB) Program for a terminal master's degree. However, a master's degree is officially offered.For more information, see the Cellular and Molecular Biology Handbook (link in Contact Information).

Graduate study in cellular and molecular biology at the University of WisconsinMadison is a research-oriented interdisciplinary program leading to the Ph.D. degree. The university has one of the largest and most prestigious biology facilities in the world, well-noted for its cooperation and collaboration across department boundaries. The Cellular and Molecular Biology Program is an important part of that interdepartmental strength, providing students with the opportunity to work with more than 190 faculty members in 40 departments.

A major strength of the program is that it provides the opportunity for groups of investigators to work together on research topics of common interest. Research topic areas, identified as focus groups, are composed of faculty and students studying common research areas. Each group is held together by participation of both students and faculty at regular research presentations and by the participation of faculty on thesis committees of many students in the group. Because of the diverse nature of most research areas and the cross-fertilization among focus groups, many faculty and students participate in the activities of multiple focus groups.

The focus groups are: cancer biology; cell adhesion and cytoskeleton; cellular and molecular metabolism; developmental biology and regenerative medicine; immunology; membrane biology and protein trafficking; molecular and genome biology of microbes; physiology; plant biology; RNA biology; systems biology; transcriptional mechanisms; and virology.

1. Gain a broad understanding of the cellular and molecular principles that underlie biological processes.
2. Develop proficiency in a chosen area of cellular and molecular biology.
3. Learn to think critically and problem solve to address research challenges using a broad range of theories, research methods, and approaches to scientific inquiry.
4. Create research and scholarship that makes a substantive contribution to the field of cellular and molecular biology.
5. Experience collaboration with scientists within the lab, the department, the program, the university, and beyond.
6. Clearly and effectively communicate scientific ideas and research to both scientists and non-scientists in written and oral forms.
7. Exhibit and foster ethical and professional conduct.
8. Gain exposure to potential career paths and develop leadership and professional skills that will prepare them for a successful and rewarding career.

A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or a comparable degree from an international institution is required. International applicants must have a degree comparable to a regionally accredited U.S. bachelor’s degree. You must have completed your undergraduate degree, or similar, before starting graduate school.

A minimum undergraduate grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00 on the equivalent of the last 60 semester hours (approximately two years of work) or a master’s degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required. Applicants from an international institution must demonstrate strong academic achievement comparable to a 3.00 for an undergraduate or master’s degree. The Graduate School will use your institution’s grading scale. Do not convert your grades to a 4.00 scale.

Every applicant whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English, must provide an English proficiency test score. TOEFL scores must be submitted electronically via ETS. IELTS scores can be submitted electronically or by paper.  Our office address is: UW-Madison Graduate School, Office of Admissions, 232 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706.  Your score will not be accepted if it is more than two years old from the start of your admission term. Country of citizenship does not exempt applicants from this requirement. Language of instruction at the college or university level and how recent the language instruction was taken are the determining factors in meeting this requirement.

Applicants are exempt if: