A master's degree is not a prerequisite to a Ph.D. Research is an integral part of the curriculum in MCDB at Iowa State University. A student will select a major professor from the faculty participating in the program. The role of the major professor is to act as a mentor and guide the student's professional development. A core curriculum is the basis of the course requirements for the MCDB major in every department. These requirements include two semesters of biochemistry, one semester of molecular biology, one semester of developmental biology, and one semester of cell biology.
Several options are available to meet each requirement.
In addition to the MDCB core curriculum, each department individualizes the MCDB major by including other requirement relating to its own discipline. Doctoral students typically take a total of eight to ten courses which are completed in two, or at the most, three years. All doctoral and mater's degree students also participate in the student seminar series for at least one semester each year. Research presentation by nationally recognized scientists. Journal club in which background work pertaining to the upcoming speaker is discussed.