GRADUATE PROGRAMS
History
The Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering (MBBE) was established in 1999 as result of a reorganization within the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR). Most faculty in MBBE came from three original CTAHR departments, Plant Molecular Physiology (PMP), Environmental Biochemistry, and Biosystems Engineering. Among these three departments, only PMP had a graduate program that offered both PhD and MS degrees. The PMP Graduate Program started in 1985 and focused primarily on plant biology and biotechnology.
After the formation of the MBBE department, the PMP Graduate Program was reorganized, expanded and renamed as the Graduate Program in Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering in 2000. The scope of the MBBE Graduate Program was widened to include molecular biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, cell biology, biotechnology, and bioengineering aspects of plant science, tropical agriculture, aquaculture, environmental bioremediation, bioengineering and biomedical sciences.
With the expansion of the scope of the graduate program, many other faculty from other UHM departments and scientists from other scientific institutes Hawaii joined the MBBE Graduate Program as co-operating and affiliate graduate faculty. The number of students also started to increase over the years. A new set of guidelines and requirements has been developed to maintain a high standard of the program. Currently, many MBBE graduate students are supervised by faculty from John A. Burns School of Medicine, Cancer Research Center, Pacific Biomedical Research Center, Queens Medical Center, Hawaii Agricultural Research Center, Oceanic Institute, Sea Grant College Program, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, College of Engineering and several departments including Microbiology, Zoology, Human nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, and Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. Thus, MBBE became an interdisciplinary graduate program involving tropical agriculture, natural sciences, engineering and biomedical sciences.
The Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering (MBBE) graduate program offers both MS and PhD degrees. The MBBE research and graduate training center around understanding the biochemical, nutritional and molecular-biological processes that underlie growth, development, photosynthesis, and stress, especially as related to tropical agriculture, aquaculture, plant and environmental biotechnology, biomedical science and bioengineering. Many MBBE graduate students are supervised and supported by cooperating and affiliate graduate faculty from John A. Burns School of Medicine, Cancer Research Center, Pacific Biomedical Research Center, Queens Medical Center, Hawaii Agricultural Research Center, Oceanic Institute, Sea Grant College Program, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, College of Engineering and several departments including Microbiology, Zoology, Human nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, and Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences.
Students interested in entering the MBBE graduate program have two options to choose from: the Graduate Program in Molecular Biosciences & Bioengineering and the Graduate Program in Bioengineering. Below are brief descriptions of the programs:
The Molecular Biosciences & Bioengineering (MBBE) Graduate Program offers both MS and Ph.D. degrees. The MBBE research and graduate training center around understanding the biochemical, nutritional, and molecular-biological processes that underlie growth, development, photosynthesis, and stress, especially as related to tropical agriculture, aquaculture, and plant and environmental biotechnology.
The Bioengineering (BE) Graduate Program offers MS degree. This program integrates biological science and engineering for design, fabrication, or operation of systems with a significant biological component. Some of the most notable areas where the expertise of bioengineering is needed are environmental protection, food production and security, development of alternative energy, and biological processing of natural materials for medical and other high-value applications.
Entrance Requirements
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Minimum qualifications for admittance as a regular student are an undergraduate degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or equivalent degree from a recognized foreign institution of higher learning and a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
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All prospective students must submit scores from the GRE General Test. In cases where foreign students encounter difficulty in taking the examination, submission of scores may be delayed with permission of the Graduate Division. Foreign students must also submit TOEFL scores (see Graduate Bulletin for exceptions). A minimum TOEFL score of 250 in computer-based test or 100 in internet-based test is required.
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All applicants are expected to have completed courses or equivalents in physics, chemistry, basic biology, genetics, biochemistry, physiology and one additional upper division course in cellular or molecular biology. While not a requirement, physical chemistry is highly recommended. Students may be accepted with deficiencies in one or more of these areas, however deficiencies must be made up during the first year as a graduate student. Such courses may not be used for graduate credit.
Financial Assistance
All students in the MBBE program are currently supported through teaching assistantships, research assistantships or fellowships. In addition, tuition is waived for all assistantships and most fellowships. It is recommended that students interested in research assistantships contact faculty working in their area of interest regarding availability. Additional fellowship support is available from the East-West Center, which offers scholarships to Asian, Pacific and American students for affiliation in one of their programs.
****************How To Apply******************
For application form and related information, please write to:
Graduate Division Admission Office
2540 Maile Way, Spalding 354
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
Tel: (808) 956-8544; Fax: (808) 956-4257
E-mail: admissions@grad.hawaii.edu
Application material can also be downloaded from the Graduate Division Website:
http://www.hawaii.edu/graduate
