Accelerated Master's Program (MCB-AMP)
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The Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP) in Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) is a program designed to enable advanced undergraduate students to complete both the Bachelor of Science degree as well as the Master of Science degree in MCB in 5 years. AMP students will focus on completing undergraduate-level courses in their first three years. Upon acceptance to the Accelerated Master’s Program after the junior year, students continue to take a combination of undergraduate and graduate courses in the fourth year to complete their Bachelor’s degree. In the fifth and final year, students focus on graduate work in order to obtain the Master’s degree.
This program is not open to students who have completed a Bachelor’s degree or an advanced degree from another institution.
Eligibility
Students applying to the Accelerated Master’s Program in MCB must:
- Be a continuing University of Arizona undergraduate.
- Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3.
- Have a minimum of one year of research experience by the time of acceptance to the AMP program.
- At the time of application, have completed a minimum of 75 units of undergraduate course work; a minimum of 12 undergraduate units must have been completed in the student’s major at University of Arizona’s main campus.
Application Information
The MCB department will only admit students for the AMP to start in the fall semester. Hence, students should apply to the Accelerated Master’s Program by the end the first semester of their junior year, submitting their application materials by January 1. A complete application packet includes an application form, two letters of recommendation (one must be from the student’s research mentor), official transcripts, and a personal statement. AMP applicants do not need to take the GRE.
The AMP Selection Committee will review all application packets and will notify students of their acceptance or denial by February 15. Students who are accepted and choose to pursue the program must then adjust their upcoming fall schedule to include appropriate MCB graduate courses, and then eventually apply to the University of Arizona’s Graduate College for admission.
Completing the Program
Once accepted to the program, AMP students must complete all requirements for the Bachelor’s of Science degree in MCB as well as the following graduate courses:
- MCB 546 – Advanced Genetics (4 units)
- MCB 568 – Nucleic Acids (4 units)
- MCB 572 – Cell Regulation (3 units)
- MCB 595a-001 – Journal Club (1 unit), for two semesters
- MCB 595a-002 - Seminar (1 unit), for two semesters
- MCB 910 – Thesis (3 units), for two semesters
- A minimum of 10 units of graduate-level elective course work from an approved list
A minimum of 30 graduate units, including the Master’s Thesis, must be completed with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.000 in order for a student to be granted the Master’s degree.
For additional information and to apply, please access these links:
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