Graduate Courses

Genetics - Interdisciplinary
www.genetics.iastate.edu
e-mail: genetics@iastate.edu
(Interdepartmental Graduate Major)
Supervisory Committee: T. Baum, Chair;
P. Schnable, Associate Chair; S. Carpenter, P. Becraft, B. Bonning, J. Powell-Coffman.
Participating Faculty: L. Ambrosio, D. Bassham,
T. Baum, G. Beattie, P. Becraft, J. Beetham,
P. J. Berger, M. Bhattacharyya, A. Bogdanove,
B. Bonning, V. Brendel, C. R. Bronson, C. Brummer,
S. Carpenter, P. Chitnis, H. H. Chou, G. Culver,
J. Dekkers, D. Dobbs, R. Fernando, C. F. Ford,
J. R. Girton, X. Gu, R. B. Hall, L. Halverson,
D. J. Hannapel, T. Harrington, E. R. Henderson,
M. G. James, J. Jannink, F. Janzen, K. M. Johansen,
A. Kanthasamy, S. J. Lamont, C. Lashbrook, M. Lee,
C. Link, J. E. Mayfield, W. A. Miller, F. C. Minion,
R. Mittler, A. M. Myers, J. Nason, G. Naylor,
B. J. Nikolau, M. Nilsen-Hamilton, D. Oliver,
R. G. Palmer, R. Peters, P. A. Peterson, T. Peterson,
G. Phillips, J. Powell-Coffman, J. Reecy,
S. R. Rodermel, M. F. Rothschild, P. S. Schnable,
M. P. Scott, R. C. Shoemaker, M. H. Spalding,
L. C. Stephens, R. W. Thornburg, C. K. Tuggle,
D. F. Voytas, K. Wang, J. F. Wendel, S. Whitham,
R. P. Wise, E. Wurtele

Undergraduate Study
Undergraduates wishing to prepare for graduate study in Genetics should elect courses in basic biology, chemistry at least through organic chemistry, one year of college-level physics, mathematics at least through calculus, and at least one thorough course in basic transmission and molecular genetics. One year of upper level statistics and a year of biochemistry are strongly encouraged.

A bachelor of science degree in Genetics is offered by the Department of Zoology and Genetics.

Graduate Study
Work is offered for the master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees with a major in Genetics in fourteen cooperating departments: Agronomy; Animal Science; Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology; Botany; Entomology; Food Science and Human Nutrition; Horticulture; Plant Pathology; Statistics; Microbiology; Natural Resource Ecology and Managment; Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine; Veterinary Pathology; and Zoology and Genetics.

The diversity of faculty in the Interdepartmental Genetics major ensures a broad, well-balanced education from the best instructors, while offering flexibility in choice of research area. Genetics faculty have strengths in many areas, from fundamental studies at the molecular, cellular, organismal, and population levels, to research with immediate practical application. Ongoing research projects span all the major areas of theoretical and experimental genetics, including molecular studies of gene regulation, gene mapping, transposable element studies, developmental genetics, quantitative and mathematical genetics, computational molecular biology, evolutionary genetics, and population genetics.

First-year students majoring in Genetics may enter the Interdepartmental Genetics major by either of two routes: by direct admission to the Interdepartmental Genetics major or by admission to a department participating in the major followed by formal admission to the major. Students admitted directly into the Interdepartmental Genetics major will take Genet 697 (graduate research rotation) in their first two semesters and, by the end of their second semester, enter a department by choosing a major professor from the participating faculty. Students first admitted by a department will do research rotations within that department only and choose a major professor from participating Interdepartmental Genetics faculty in that department.

All Ph.D. candidates take a core curriculum comprising one course each from the following four categories and attend seminars and workshops as described: Transmission Genetics (Gen 510), Molecular Genetics (Gen 511 or BBMB 502), Quantitative, Population, and Evolutionary Genetics (An S/Agron 561 or Gen 562 or Gen 563 or Bot 567 or Gen 566), Biochemistry (BBMB 404 or BBMB 501). Students will make research presentations, attend genetics faculty seminars, and participate in three Workshops in Genetics (Genet 591) in the training period. First-year graduate students will also take Genet 692 (Seminar in the Conceptual Foundations of Genetics). Ph.D. students may elect a computational molecular biology speciality within the genetics major. This requires that the research project be in the field of computational molecular biology. IG majors will be expected to complete all of the courses required for the major, except that one semester of Student Research Seminar in Computational Biology may be substituted for one semester of GENET 690. Students will be expected to take additional courses in the area of specialization. M.S. students will take the above core courses and seminars but will participate in only two workshops in Genetics. Additional coursework may be selected to satisfy individual interests or departmental requirements. The foreign language requirement and teaching requirement are determined by the student's department.

The course designator Genet applies to graduate courses taught by the interdepartmental major in Genetics. The course designator Gen applies to courses taught by the Department of Zoology and Genetics (see separate listing).

Students minoring in Genetics at the Ph.D. level must meet the following requirements: Completion of three of the four categories of the common-core required lecture courses listed above. One semester of seminar in Genetics (Genet 690 or 691 or 692) is recommended. One member of the POS committee must be a Genetics faculty member.

Student Outcomes: Most students awarded doctoral degrees continue their training as postdoctoral associates at major research institutions in the U.S. or abroad in preparation for research and/or teaching positions in academia, industry, or government. A few go directly to permanent research positions in industry. Most students awarded master's degrees continue their training as doctoral students; however, some choose research support positions in academia, industry, or government. A complete list of outcomes is available at our Web site.

Courses for Graduate Students
Genet 590. Special Topics. Cr. arr.

Genet 591. Workshop in Genetics. (1-0) Cr. 1 each time taken. S. Prereq: Permission of instructor. Current topics in genetics research. Lectures by off-campus experts. Students read background literature, attend preparatory seminars, attend all lectures, meet with lecturers.

Genet 690. Seminar in Genetics. (1-0) Cr. 1 each time taken. F. Prereq: Permission of instructor. Student research presentations.

Genet 691. Seminar in Genetics. (1-0) Cr. 1 each time taken. F. Prereq: Permission of instructor. Faculty research series.

Genet 692. Seminar in the Conceptual Foundations of Genetics. (1-0) Cr. 1. F. Prereq: Permission of instructor. Student and faculty presentations of landmark papers in genetics. Brief history of ideas of the period included as background material.

Genet 697. Graduate Research Rotation. Cr. var. each time taken. F.S.SS. Graduate research projects performed under the supervision of selected faculty members in the Interdepartmental Genetics major.

Genet 699. Research.