The selection of courses is largely governed by individual student interests and needs, in consultation with his/her committee. However, all degree candidates are required to complete the following coursework as part of the MMG Program.
All courses can be found on the Rutgers University Schedule of Classes.
MMG PROGRAM REQUIRED COURSES
MMG graduate students are required to complete one of the following courses, or similar offering with approval of the program director, earning a grade of B or better:
- 16:682:501 Microbial Life (3 credits)
- 16:681:543 Current Concepts of Immunology (3 credits) (Fall semester of even years)
- 16:681:535 Human Genetics (3 credits)
Seminars are highly encouraged to expose the student to the current research literature in the discipline, and to serve as a training ground for oral presentations and critical evaluation of papers. It is recommended that students (1) take courses in a variety of different topic areas in order to sample different disciplines; and (2) informally audit seminars to gain experience by observing other student presentations, particularly in the early semesters.
Six (6) MBS Mini-Course seminars should be taken in the first year, however additional seminars and mini courses may be taken in the second year and beyond to fulfill course credits requirements.
A list of pre-approved courses and seminars will be provided at the beginning of each academic year (AY). Any other courses or seminars that are of interest should be approved by the Graduate Program Director.
BIOSTATISTICS REQUIREMENT
All graduate students are required to complete one of the available Biostatistics courses listed on the School of Graduate Studies Rigor and Reproducibility Training website. This course should be taken in either the second or third year. For special permission numbers (SPNs), please email the Molecular Biosciences Graduate Program Office (
Progress Reports of Graduate Students in Molecular Biosciences
The Graduate Student Research Seminar brings together students from all the Graduate Programs in Molecular Biosciences on a weekly basis to learn about the science conducted by their colleagues. As a speaker, the opportunity to present in a friendly and constructive environment is a great way to prepare for delivering presentations at regional and national scientific meetings, or to a prospective post-doc advisor or employer. Audience members learn about the science, approaches, techniques, and ideas of their fellow students. Thesis advisors are expected to attend, and students are strongly encouraged to invite members of their thesis committees to their talks.
- 16:695:600 (Fall/Spring) Progress Reports of Graduate Students in Molecular Biosciences
Research in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
MMG graduate students should register for Research in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics each semester until completion.
- 16:681:701:(PI Section #) (Fall) Research in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
- 16:681:702:(PI Section #) (Spring) Research in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Your PI or Advisor section number can be found under the Research in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics listing in the schedule of courses. If you do not see your PI/Advisor listed, please notify the graduate office at
Students should start taking as many credits of research as possible right away to bring the total semester’s credits to full time status. The definition of full-time status for graduate students is a minimum of 9 credits and normally a maximum of 12 credits per semester. However, the program encourages students to register for 15 credits per semester to reach the desired 40 credits of research as early as possible. Up to 18 credits per semester is allowed with approval from the Graduate Program Director.
Once students approach 40 credits of research earned, only 1 credit of research is required each semester by the School of Graduate Studies until graduation. For students who have successfully passed both qualifying exams, full-time status is defined as at least 1 credit per semester until graduation.
Funding Type
Graduate students enrolled through Rutgers-New Brunswick must register for their GA, TA, or Fellowship funding. Using one of the course numbers below that matches your funding type, students are required to register for 6 credits as a GA, 6 credits as a TA, or 0 credits as Fellows. The credits for the GA and TA registration are designated with an E prefix and are not applied toward your degree credits but are calculated into the total full-time credit allotment per semester.
- 16:681:811 Graduate Fellowship (0 credits)
- 16:681:866 Full GA Appointment (6 E credits)
- 16:681:877 Full TA Appointment (6 E credits)
Graduate students enrolled through RBHS-RWJMS DO NOT register for their funding type.
Ethical Scientific Conduct Refresher
The School of Graduate Studies offers an annual Ethical Scientific Conduct course for the purposes of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training that is compliant with NIH requirements.
- Ethical Science Conduct Refresher (Spring)(16:115:558)
This course is required of all 5th year graduate students as well as MD/PhD in the 3rd year of PhD. This is a case-based course that reviews the most important topics in Responsible Conduct of Research.