Graduate Faculty: Atkinson, Beitinger, Benjamin, Chapman, Crawford, Dickson, Donahue, Farinha, Fitzpatrick, Fuchs, Gill-King, Goven, Gross, Kelly, Kennedy, Kunz, Lott, Masaracchia, Norton, O'Donovan, Pirtle, Saleh, Schafer, Schwark, Shanley, Sinclair, Smith, Stewart, Tam, Vela, Waller, Zimmerman.
Research facilities are housed in the Biology Building, the General Academic Building and the Science Research Building.
Research capabilities include scanning and transmission electron microscopy (with electron dispersive spectroscopy capability), flow cytometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, single- and multi-unit electrophysiology, superspeed and ultracentrifugation, DNA synthesis, visible and ultraviolet spectroscopy, tissue culture, liquid scintillation counting and light microscopy, electrophoresis and chromatography. Environmental research capabilities include complete facilities for water and water pollution analyses, archaeological studies and satellite/airborne digital image analyses utilizing a computerized remote sensing system. An aquatic research field station with experimental ponds is located a few miles from campus.
Research is supported by funds from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the National Institutes of Environmental Health, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Texas Advanced Research Technology Program and industry. Other research is supported through UNT faculty research funds and several foundations.
Departmental faculty are involved in cooperative environmental research (with the Institute of Applied Sciences at UNT) and in molecular biology and neuroscience (through the Federation of North Texas Area Universities).
The department offers graduate programs leading to the following degrees:
Guenter Gross, Director
Students interested in neuroscience, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, advanced computer science or the mathematics of neural modeling may participate in an interdisciplinary research effort directed at investigating the behavior of neurons in networks. As a result of unique equipment and research experience, UNT has formed the Center for Network Neuroscience (CNNS), the first formal center in the nation dedicated to the elucidation of information processing and storage in small mammalian networks.
The center specializes in in vitro preparations, especially monolayer cultures of mammalian central nervous system cells, and emphasizes research on pattern generation, storage and recognition. It has pioneered the development and application of photoetched multimicroelectrode devices and special culture chambers that allow the simultaneous monitoring of electrical activity at 64 sites in a network. A sophisticated data analysis system, centered on a Masscomp 5700 computer, is dedicated to these research efforts and provides a unique opportunity to correlate network morphology with electrophysiological activity.
Kenneth L. Dickson, Director
The Institute of Applied Sciences (IAS) develops research and educational programs that address the natural and human resource issues facing Texas, the nation and the world. With an emphasis on water, land, people and communities, IAS seeks to explore resources for the future. As an organizational unit of the University of North Texas, IAS sponsors and coordinates interdisciplinary efforts in instruction, research and community service.
To carry out its goals, IAS is presently organized into four program areas: water resources, environmental chemistry, remote sensing and land use analysis, and archaeology. Through these programs, the institute coordinates educational programs for students seeking training in environmental studies and other applied science areas. It also offers to the public continuing education programs such as workshops, minicourses, seminars and symposia.
The primary role of the institute is to carry out basic and applied studies in a variety of fields in the applied sciences, including the analysis of trace organic and inorganic compounds in air, water, soils, waste materials and biological samples; toxicology; land use analysis via remote sensing; archaeological reconnaissance and salvage; and water resources management. The institute is particularly active in the coordination and execution of joint research projects with industry and governmental agencies in these areas. The following centers support this role.
2. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (quantitative and verbal) must be included with the application. A combined score of 1000 at the master's level and 1100 at the PhD level is required on the verbal (minimum 450) and quantitative sections of the aptitude test. Undergraduate students anticipating entrance into graduate study should take the examination in the final semester of the senior year. The Department of Biological Sciences follows the guidelines set forth by the Graduate School regarding undergraduate GPA requirements.
3. To be considered for admission to a graduate program in biological sciences, the applicant must submit the following to the departmental coordinator of graduate programs:
a. a letter of intent, including a brief description with rationale, specifying the candidate's particular area of interest in biological sciences;
b. three letters of recommendation from former professors if a recent graduate, or one of the three may be from an employer if employed for more than one year since graduation; and
c. official transcripts of all academic credit earned.
The following are procedures and degree requirements for students enrolled in the master's programs.
1. Students who have received provisional admission to the graduate school must enroll in a minimum of 9 semester hours of formal graduate course work in their major field during the first semester.
2. Prior to registering for the second semester, each student must select a committee consisting of a major professor and at least two other faculty members.
3. The student must obtain the committee's approval of a degree program prior to registering for the second semester. Deficiencies will be stipulated at that time.
4. Before the end of the second long semester in residence, the student will present a proposal for the thesis or research problem to the committee for evaluation.
5. The completed thesis or research problem will be submitted to the committee at least two weeks before the final filing date set by the graduate dean.
6. The candidate will present the results of the research at a departmental seminar.
7. The candidate must pass a final oral defense covering the field of concentration and the thesis or research problem.
8. The student is expected to engage in some classroom teaching or related activities as an integral part of the training.
The PhD represents the attainment of a high level of scholarship and achievement in independent research that culminates in the completion of a dissertation of original scientific merit. It is expected that the candidate will have published or have approved for publication at least one original research article in a refereed journal prior to graduation.
The following are procedures and degree requirements for students enrolled in the doctoral program in biology.
1. The student will meet with the intended major professor for guidance until a doctoral committee and degree plan are established.
2. The major professor and the student will select an additional four doctoral committee members before enrollment for the third semester. A university member from outside the Department of Biological Sciences also may be selected prior to development of the research proposal and will serve as a voting committee member.
3. The committee will evaluate the student's credentials and draw up a degree plan for submission to the departmental chair and the graduate dean. The committee should meet with the student at least once each year to discuss progress.
4. A degree plan should be filed before the student may enroll for the second academic year.
5. A research proposal must be submitted to the committee as soon as possible after completion of the degree plan. It must be approved before meaningful research is begun.
6. Reading knowledge of a single foreign language is required, or 6 hours of approved courses in a tool subject.
7. Written and oral qualifying examinations will be administered by the committee upon fulfillment of the foreign language or tool subject and course work requirements. These examinations must be completed at least nine months prior to the intended graduation date.
8. During the last semester, the candidate will present the results of the research at a departmental seminar.
9. The candidate will prepare, in consultation with the major professor, a draft of the dissertation. Copies will be distributed to committee members at least one month prior to the deadline for receipt of the final copy by the graduate dean and at least two weeks prior to the final comprehensive examination.
10. The student is expected to engage in some classroom teaching or related activities as an integral part of the training.
A minimum of 24 semester hours of formal course work plus a thesis based on 6 semester hours of research is required for the master's degree. Up to 6 hours of 4000-level courses may be taken toward the master's degree. Students can pursue course work at both UNT and Texas Woman's University through the Federation of North Texas Area Universities.
The following are procedures and degree requirements for students enrolled in the master's programs.
1. Students who have received provisional admission to the graduate school must enroll in a minimum of 9 semester hours of formal graduate course work in their major field during the first semester.
2. Prior to registering for the second semester, each student must select a committee consisting of a major professor and at least two other faculty members.
3. The student must obtain the committee's approval of a degree program prior to registering for the second semester. Deficiencies will be stipulated at that time. The student must complete a thesis (BIOL 5950).
4. Before the end of the second long semester in residence, the student will present a proposal for the thesis to the committee for evaluation.
5. The completed thesis will be submitted to the committee at least two weeks before the final filing date set by the graduate dean.
6. The candidate will present the results of the research at a departmental seminar.
7. The candidate must pass a final oral defense covering the field of concentration and the thesis.
8. The student is expected to engage in some classroom teaching or related activities as an integral part of the training.
The federation doctoral program provides opportunities for formal course work, seminars, independent study, participation in regional and national conferences, and dissertation research. The program also includes federation-sponsored seminars featuring outstanding nationally and internationally recognized researchers.
Graduate students enrolled at either UNT or TWU take courses at both universities, thus benefiting from the combined faculties and facilities of the two institutions. Students graduating from the federation program will be granted the PhD from the university through which they entered the program. Course descriptions for available UNT and TWU courses are available at the end of this section of the catalog.
University of North Texas: Benjamin, Chapman, Donahue, Kunz, Masaracchia, Norton, O'Donovan, Pirtle, Shanley, Zimmerman.
Texas Woman's University: Code, Conrad-Webb, Droge, Knesek, Lancaster, McIntyre, Mills, Rudick, Schwalm, Uphouse.
TWU faculty research interests include binding and transport in cell membranes; gene regulation and hormone action; glycoprotein synthesis and secretion; biology of retroviruses; bacterial conjugation and gene transfer; aspects of brain development and brain function and mechanisms of generating motor patterns.
Funding to support research efforts comes from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Texas Advanced Technology Research Program, UNT and TWU faculty research funds, industry contracts and private foundations.
2. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (quantitative and verbal) must be included with the application. A combined score of 1000 is required on the verbal (minimum 450) and quantitative sections of the aptitude test. Undergraduate students anticipating entrance into graduate study should take the examination in the final semester of the senior year. The Department of Biological Sciences follows the guidelines set forth by the Graduate School regarding undergraduate GPA requirements.
3. To be considered for admission to a graduate program in biological sciences, the applicant must submit the following to the appropriate departmental coordinator of graduate programs:
a. a letter of intent, including a brief description with rationale, specifying the candidate's particular area of interest in biological sciences;
b. three letters of recommendation from former professors if a recent graduate, or one of the three may be from an employer if employed for more than one year since graduation; and
c. official transcripts of all academic credit earned.
The PhD represents the attainment of a high level of scholarship and achievement in independent research that culminates in the completion of a dissertation of original scientific merit. It is expected that the candidate will have published or have approved for publication at least one original research article in a refereed journal prior to graduation.
The following are procedures and degree requirements for students enrolled in the federation doctoral program in molecular biology.
1. The student will meet with the intended major professor for guidance until a doctoral committee and degree plan are established.
2. The major professor and the student will select a minimum of four additional doctoral committee members before enrollment for the third semester. A university member from outside the Department of Biological Sciences also may be selected prior to development of the research proposal and will serve as a voting committee member. At least one of the members of the committee must be from the other participating university in the federation program.
3. The committee will evaluate the student's credentials and draw up a degree plan for submission to the departmental chair and the graduate dean. The committee should meet with the student at least once each year to discuss progress.
4. A degree plan should be filed before the student may enroll for the second academic year.
5. A research proposal must be submitted to the committee as soon as possible after completion of the degree plan. It must be approved before meaningful research is begun.
6. Reading knowledge of a single foreign language is required, or 6 hours of approved courses in a tool subject.
7. Written and oral qualifying examinations will be administered by the committee upon fulfillment of the foreign language or tool subject and course work requirements. These examinations must be completed at least nine months prior to the intended graduation date.
8. During the last semester the candidate will present the results of the research at a departmental seminar.
9. The candidate will prepare, in consultation with the major professor, a draft of the dissertation. Copies will be distributed to committee members at least one month prior to the deadline for receipt of the final copy by the graduate dean and at least two weeks prior to the final comprehensive examination.
10. The student is expected to engage in some classroom teaching or related activities as an integral part of the training.
The biochemistry program receives extramural support from a wide variety of international, national, regional and local granting agencies. Additionally, research is supported by a number of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Current research interest in biochemistry include regulation of cell growth and metabolism by hormones and growth factors; mammalian gene structure, organization and expression; cellular regulation by the glyoxalase enzyme system; biological protective systems of oxidative stress; cell and molecular biology of invertebrate serotonin receptors; cell and molecular biology of prokaryotic sulfur metabolism; the molecular biology of prokaryotic ATCase; regulation of phospholipid metabolism and membrane biosynthesis in plants; mechano-chemical energy transduction of molecular motors using biochemical and biophysical methodologies; and investigations of interactions/organization of macromolular structures, including nebulin, actin and myosin.
Laboratories in biochemistry are well equipped with the most advanced instruments and special equipment, including a DNA thermocycler; nucleic acid synthesizer; peptide synthesizer; pulsed-amperometric, fluorescence and UV monitory HPLC's; confocal/fluorescence microscope; electron microscope; gas chromatographs with FID and NP detectors; radiometric scanner; UV-visible and fluorescence spectrophotometers; liquid scintillation spectrometers; preparative ultracentrifuges; and tissue culture facilities.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (quantitative and verbal) must be included with the application. A combined score of 1000 at the master's level and 1100 at the PhD level is required on the verbal and quantitative sections of the aptitude test (minimum 450 verbal). Undergraduate students anticipating entrance into graduate study should take the examination in the final semester of the senior year. The Department of Biological Sciences follows the guidelines set forth by the Graduate School regarding undergraduate GPA requirements.
To be considered for admission to a graduate program in biological sciences, the applicant must submit the following to the departmental coordinator of graduate programs:
a. a letter of intent, including a brief description with rational, specifying the candidate's particular area of interest in biochemistry;
b. three letters of recommendation from former professors if a recent graduate, or one of the three may be from an employer if employed for more than one year since graduation; and
c. official transcripts of all academic credit earned.New students should contact the graduate affairs committee immediately upon arriving on campus for information on departmental requirements. A departmental policy bulletin that delineates these requirements is available to students.
The biochemistry master's program requires completion of three core courses with an average grade of B or above. Supporting elective course work may be taken in biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, mathematics or any combination of these areas. A research thesis is required.
The research must culminate in the writing and defense of a dissertation of demonstrable scientific merit. It is expected that the candidate will have published or have accepted for publication at least one original research article in a refereed scientific journal prior to graduation.
Students also may conduct research in biochemistry, leading to the PhD degree, by entering the molecular biology program of the Federation of North Texas Area Universities. Further information about the molecular biology program is listed above.
June 1 - fall semester
November 1 - spring semester
Applications missing these deadlines will be retained for the following semester.