Applicant_Guide.xlsx

	A	B	C
1	Introduction		Notes
2	Index
3	Research Areas
4	• Cell & Molecular Biology
5	• Ecology & Evolution
6	• Neuroscience
7	Programs
8	• PhD
9	• Thesis-based MS
10	• Course-based MS
11	How to Use this Spreadsheet
12	Other Information About Applying
13	• Sponsorship
14	• Cell and Molecular Area Note
15	• Financial Information
16	Items Required in Application Form
17	Detailed Application Process
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20	Hello potential Applicant!
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22	We have created this spreadsheet to facilitate your researching potential faculty members and their research interests, as this is an important part of your decision making when applying for FSU's Biological Science program.
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24	• • • • • • • • • • •
25	Research Areas	Return to top
26	Part of that process will include selection of one of three research areas:
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28	Cell & Molecular Biology
29	The Cell and Molecular Biology area encourages students to embark on research as early as possible, so course work is kept to a minimum. Most CMB students complete a core of two courses (Advanced Molecular Biology and Advanced Cell Biology) and then select additional course work in consultation with their supervisory committees. The Graduate Program offers both Ph.D. and M.S. degrees, although preference for admission is given to students applying to the Ph.D. program. Specific requirements for each degree are available online through the graduate handbook.
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31	First-year students typically start in the Fall and participate in three lab rotations of their choosing. These provide students with exposure to many different research environments and help them select a major professor. By the end of the Spring semester, students complete rotations, select a lab and major professor and then begin focusing on their research.
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33	Ecology & Evolution
34	The Ecology and Evolution area faculty have broad research interests that link deep natural history with modern quantitative and molecular techniques. Graduate students are welcomed as a key component of our intellectual community, promoting exchange among research areas. We offer a challenging yet supportive environment for graduate studies, in which our students are exposed to the full range of modern ecological and evolutionary studies. The Tallahassee region is a hotspot for biodiversity and offers ready access to diverse habitats including terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. The quality of these sites enables many of our students and faculty to perform a significant portion of their research within 50 miles of Tallahassee.
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36	First year students are generally directly admitted into the lab of faculty member who sponsored them in the admissions cycle, so it is very important that applicants contact them early.
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38	Neuroscience
39	The Neuroscience Faculty in the Department of Biological Science have a varied research portfolio including electrophysiology and biophysics of excitable cells, neurotransmitter and neurohormone action, development and plasticity, circadian rhythms, sensory biology and the genetic and molecular basis of behavior.
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41	The Neuroscience area within the Department of Biological Science offers both Ph.D. and M.S. degrees, although preference for admission is given to students applying to the Ph.D. program. Graduate students in Neuroscience generally do not conduct rotations, but are admitted directly into a faculty member’s lab under their direct mentorship. Specific requirements for each degree are available on line through the graduate handbook.
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43	• • • • • • • • • • •
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45	Also, the College of Arts and Sciences offers another option for those interested in Neuroscience. It takes an interdisciplinary approach, working with 4 different departments (Biological Science, Psychology, Biomedical Sciences, Mathematics) and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory:
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47	"The Program in Neuroscience at Florida State University is an interdisciplinary program offering both doctoral and Bachelor of Science degrees in neuroscience. The program is comprised of 45+ graduate students working with more than 35 core faculty from four departments at FSU, and 725+ undergraduate students majoring in behavioral neuroscience or cell and molecular neuroscience. The program's objective is to promote interdisciplinary basic research into neural processes, including the biological mechanisms underlying behavior, sensation, motivation and neurological disorders, and to provide advanced undergraduate and graduate training in neuroscience."
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49	This program is useful to look into if you believe you may want a faculty member from another department to be your major professor.
50	• • • • • • • • • • •
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52	NIH Chemosensory Training Program:
53	Applicants will have the opportunity to train in the laboratory of:
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55	Dr. Adam Dewan
56	Dr. Debra Ann Fadool
57	Dr. Elizabeth Hammock
58	Dr. Elizabeth Brown
59	Dr. Alan Spector
60	Dr. Douglas Storace
61	Dr. Roberto Vincis
62	along with mentorship by other preceptors on the NIH institutional training grant.
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64	Current research focus of these laboratories is to investigate the impact of metabolic disorders (obesity/diabetes) or anxiety/threat on chemosensory function, behavior, and physiology and uses a combinatorial, multidisciplinary approach. We are seeking creative, self-motivated individuals who have strong experimental experiences and the drive to pursue challenging, rigorous studies in the chemical senses. Experimental approaches employed in these laboratories include slice electrophysiology, in vivo awake recording, dynamic clamp, use of optical probes and calcium imaging, whole-nerve recording, optogentic and chemogenetic recording, fMRI, EEG/MEG, behavioral phenotyping, ion channel structure/function studies, protein-protein interactions, whole-animal metabolic phenotyping, tissue culture, psychophysical studies of sensory-mediated behaviors, confocal microscopy, olfactometry, genetically-modified mouse models, transection and lesion analysis of central sensory structures, ingestive behavior phenotyping following gastric bypass surgery, and taste preference testing.
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66	• • • • • • • • • • •
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68	Programs
69	When applications open on August 1st, there will be multiple programs to choose from, one of which is an unfunded MS:
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71	• “Biological Science – MS” (no funding) Spring and Fall semesters
72	• “Biological Science – MS/Thesis” (funding guaranteed) Fall only
73	• “Biological Science – PhD” (funding guaranteed) Fall only
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75	PhD
76	The PhD in Biology is a research intensive degree which prepares you for a professional career as a researcher, teacher, policy-maker, or other leadership roles in either academia or the private sector. The specific program of study and coursework are tailored to each student’s research interests and determined in collaboration with the faculty advisor and the student’s advisory committee.
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78	This program is intended to be completed in approximately five years. Students typically spend 1-2 years on course work and several years of research on the leading edge of biology. Typically, Ph.D. students complete their preliminary written and oral exams near the end of their second year and successfully defend their research proposal near the end of their third year. After completing the research project, each student is required to write a dissertation and to defend it before a faculty committee.
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80	Thesis-based MS
81	The Thesis Masters of Science (MS) degree involves advanced graduate classes in Biology and the opportunity to make a substantial, focused research contribution in the laboratory of a Biology faculty member who serves as the student's supervisor.
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83	This program typically takes two to three years to complete. Master's students must pass 18 hours of letter graded graduate courses. Each master's student is required to write and defend a thesis presenting their original research, but they do not take preliminary written or oral exams. Additional requirements for master's students vary as described in the graduate handbook.
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85	Note: Not all areas and faculty of the Department accept MS students, so be sure to review the program descriptions and contact faculty members if you are interested in pursuing the MS only.
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87	Course-based MS
88	The course-based master’s degree (cbMS) program is intended for students who need advanced training in biology. This degree program is most frequently chosen by students who hold full-time positions elsewhere, because this degree program can be pursued on a part-time or full-time basis. The MS course-based program is a recommended option for students that do not plan to pursue a PhD, but need it to advance in their work or to continue studying biology while applying to medical school. This program does not offer any financial support.
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90	Note that admission into the cbMS degree program does not facilitate admission into the Thesis MS or the PhD program because there is no formal pathway to transition from the cbMS degree program to the other programs in our department.
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92	Who is a good candidate for the course-based MS program?
93	• Students facing a gap year between their undergraduate education and the next phase of their intellectual careers
94	• Students who are interested in Biology but don’t have a strong research background
95	• Working professionals who desire to acquire a Master’s so that they can advance in their careers
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97	• • • • • • • • • • •
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99	Once you have an idea of which program and track you interested in, you can begin using this sheet to research faculty member and will have a better idea of whether the faculty members that interest you will be accepting new students in the future.
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