Master’s Program

1. Application and Admission Process
   1. Complete the online Graduate School Application (program code: 3860)
   2. Complete the Departmental Questionnaire
   3. Provide 3 Letters of Recommedation
   4. Provide an official transcript of grades from all schools attended after high school
   5. Provide current GRE scores (Subject tests recommended, but not required)
   6. Provide current TOEFL scores (if applicable)

GRE/TOEFL Codes: MSU Institutional Code = 1465; Department Code =0217

 

Graduate Affairs Committee
Department of Physiology
2201 BPS
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824

2. Prerequistes:
1. GPA
   1. Undergraduate and/or graduate GPA: 3.0 minimum.
2. TOEFL scores
1. Paper based test: minimum score of 600
3. GRE Scores
1. Minmum:
2. Professional
4. Suggested Prerequisite courses:
1. 1 yr college
2. 1 yr physics with lab
3. Curriculm

   PHM 827: Physiology/Pharmacology of Excitable Cells	4 cr
   PSL 828: Cellular/Integrative Physiology	4 cr
   BMB 801: Molecular Biology and Protein Structure	3 cr
   BMB 802: Metabolic Regulation and Molecular Endocrinology	3 cr
   PSL 910: Cell and Molecular Physiology	4 cr
   PSL 950: Topics in Physiology (3 semesters; 1 cr/sem)	3 cr
   PSL 899: Master’s Thesis Research (min. 6 required)	9 cr
   Required Total Credits	30 cr

4. Academic Requirements
1. University requirement: 30 credits beyond the B.S. level, a minimum of 16 credits at the 800-900 level.
2. A student entering the Master's Program who already has successfully completed any of these required courses must select additional, advanced courses, with the approval of their Guidance Commitee and the Director of Research and Graduate Studies.
3. The Guidance Committee will require the student to demonstrate the computer competencies pertinent to the student's area of research. Successful completion of PSL 410: Computational Problem Solving in Physiology (with a minimum grade of 3.0) is one way to fulfill this requirement.
4. A statistics course may be required by the Guidance Committee.
5. The student might choose, or be asked by his/her Guidance Committee, to take additional courses based on their background and the relevance of the course to their research project.
6. A student must maintain a 3.0 cummulative grade-point average for all courses counting toward the Master's degree (University regulation). In addition, a student must not accumulate more than 2 grades below 3.0 in courses earning credit toward the Master's degreee (Department requlation). If either of these criterion is not met, the student will be dis-enrolled from the Program.
5. Thesis Adviser and Research Work
1. It is the student’s responsibility to secure a commitment from a member of the regular faculty to serve as the Thesis Advisor. The prospective student is strongly encouraged to identify a Thesis Advisor prior to entering the program. As part of the application process, the student is encouraged to contact the Director of Research and Graduate studies for assistance. Resources available in this search are the detailed descriptions of faculty Research Interests provided on the Department website (www.psl.msu.edu), the MSU Community of Science (COS) database (http://expertise.cos.com), and the Joint Graduate Student Orientation program presented by the Biomedical Sciences Departments each Fall prior to the start of the school year. Information concerning the identification of a potential Advisor/ student’s area of interest is required as part of the application process (Departmental Questionnaire), and in conjunction of discussions with the potential advisor, is used by the GAC as part of the admissions process
2. Students who begin the program without having identified a Thesis Advisor will have a temporary Academic Advisor assigned to them by the Department. Typically, this is the Director of Research and Graduate Studies, who will assist the student and intervene with the faculty in finding a regular Thesis Advisor. If a thesis advisor cannot be identified by the end of the first semester, he/she will be directed to investigate additional opportunities within the Department or to withdraw from graduate training in the program. The Director of Research and Graduate Studies will assist with this decision.
3. Faculty members that qualify to serve as Thesis Advisors include regular and adjunct physiology faculty members. A faculty member outside the physiology Department can serve as a proxy Thesis Advisor when approved by the Director of Research and Graduate Studies. If a student chooses a Thesis Advisor who is not a regular or adjunct physiology faculty member, a regular physiology faculty member will be selected by the Director of Research and Graduate Studies to oversee and officiate the student’s progress towards their degree; adjuncts that are not regular MSU faculty must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School
4. After identifying a Thesis Advisor, the student must complete a minimum of 4 credits of PSL 899: Master’s Thesis Research (university requirement). Although only four hours of research credit are required, students will typically complete about 9 credits of PSL 899. A maximum of 10 credits of Master’s thesis research may be applied toward the 30 credits required for an M.S. program. 
5. Thesis research can be laboratory-based (Thesis Option I) or library-based (Thesis Option II).
6. The thesis research must be based on work done by the student after entering the Master’s program.
7. Thesis is to be written under the guidance of the Thesis Adviser, in consultation with the Guidance Committee, and in accordance with: The Graduate School Guide to the Preparation of Master’s Theses and Doctoral Dissertations
6. Guidance Committee
1. The Guidance Committee consists of the Thesis Adviser and at least two other regular faculty from the
   Physiology Department. Additional faculty from other university departments may be included on the
   Guidance Committee, at the discretion of the student and Thesis Adviser. The student and major adviser will arrange for the selection and first meeting of the student's Guidance Committee whose
   central role is to guide the conception, completion, and reporting of the student's research. The Guidance Committee and the student shall jointly design the student's course of academic study. The Guidance Committee shall administer the Certifying Examination after the completion of the research. The committee will outline at their first meeting at least a tentative program and establish target dates for each phase of training. Any member of the committee or any other member of the faculty in the department is available to any student for counsel or guidance throughout his/her graduate career. It is strongly suggested that the Guidance Committee be formed by the end of the second semester of the second year. 
2. Following the first meeting and filing of the Report of the Guidance Committee, each student's Guidance Committee is expected to meet and file an annual Progress Report. The student will need to provide the thesis guidance committee with a written progress report of their research, as outlined in the Department of Physiology Graduate Handbook.
7. Certifying Examination
1. The certifying exam consists of an oral examination in defense of the student’s written thesis
1. Passing this exam requires approval of the written thesis, in addition to the satisfactory, oral defencse of the thesis.
2. A student who fails the exam will be given one opportunity to retake the exam. If the student fails the second exam, the student will be dismissed from the Program.
8. Program Duration
1. The nominal duration of the program is four semesters (2yrs)
2. The actural time needed to complete all program requirements will vary from one student to student, however, the M.S. degree can be completed in two years under Thesis Option II.
3. University time limit: 6 years from date of enrollment in first course in the M.S. Program.
9. Financial Support
1. The department does not provide graduate assistantships or other stipends for students in the Master's Program. A student may, however, obtain support from the Thesis Adviser or other sources.
10. Program Timetable

Summer - PSL 899: Master’s Thesis Research

*PSL 950 not required 1st semester in program