The Department of Genetics - Rut

Information for Prospective Students

The Department of Genetics - Rutgers University

Jay A. Tischfield - Chair

 

The Life Sciences Building opened June 2, 2005. It provides state of the art laboratories for faculty and student research.

 "Those who cannot reliably do research or evaluate the research of others will find themselves on the sidelines in a world that increasingly depends on sound ideas based on good information produced by trustworthy inquiry.

"Booth, Wayne G., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams The Craft of Research, 2nd edition. 2nd Edition. 344 p. 5-1/2 x 8-7/16 1995, 2003 Series: (CGWEP) Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing"

 Indeed, if you make science classrooms more like the quirky worlds of working scientists - full of the humor of wild hypotheses, the exhilaration of unconventional procedures- the dividends in better performance are quickly evident. Learning to be a scientist is not the same as "learning science": it is learning a culture, with all the attendant "non-rational" meaning making that goes with it.

Jerome Brunner  (1996) The Culture of Education, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. 224 + xvi pages.

The Department of Genetics graduated its first class of three majors in 2000. Since then the major has grown rapidly. The Department of Genetics offers superb education opportunities. Students in the Department of Genetics work on important research problems with renowned scientists in state-of-the-art laboratories. These opportunities are only possible in a major research university. At same time students enjoy small class sizes and the personal attention that one would expect only at at a smaller college.

I think that 384/385 worked on a few levels.  First, as a major, it was very helpful to be in a small class which allowed for more individual help from the professor, especially considering it was the first college level genetics work most of us had encountered.  R. Tiver 05

The Major in Genetics provides an excellent background in the natural sciences within a liberal arts curriculum. We provide comprehensive instruction in Mendelian, molecular, evolutionary, statistical and mathematical genetics  Upon completion of our degree our students are prepared to enter graduate or professional schools or the workforce.

Undergraduate research is the intellectual heart of our major. The Department of Genetics is committed to teaching science through the way we do science. That is, through the process of doing research. Every student completes a minimum of two semesters of laboratory research or independent study under the direction of a faculty member. Many of our students are authors on papers published in leading scientific journals. All our undergraduate majors are offered the opportunities formerly available only to honors students.

Undergraduate students work closely with Genetics faculty members in addition to their research advisor. Upper-level elective courses have small enrollments. In addition, every student is assigned a faculty advisor upon declaring the major. This advisor can discuss course selection and career goals.

The success of our major is documented by the success of our students.

The Department of Genetics is one of the smaller departments at Rutgers University but we consistently rank among the top three departments for students completing an honors thesis.

Our undergraduate majors are highly competitive for Summer Research Fellowships such the Harvard Stem Cell Institute Undergraduate Research Fellowship and the Duke University Summer Fellowship in the Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy.

Our graduates are routinely accepted at top graduate schools or medical schools such as the University of Chicago, Georgetown University, Rutgers/UMDNJ, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie-Mellon, John’s Hopkins University, MIT, Case Western University and Cornell.

Apple Long, Alain Bauza and Mohan Tripathi are three of the eleven students who defended their Honors Thesis Research in April 2008

Learning Goals for the Department of Genetics

The curriculum of the Department of Genetics is centered around four main goals.  These goals shape our innovative courses and provide the basis for life long learning.

  1. Knowledge specific goals: Know the terms, concepts and theories in genetics.
     
  2. Integrate the material from multiple courses and research. That is, to think holistically and to see the whole as well as the parts.
     
  3. Use genetic information and ideas to critically analyze published research articles in genetics.
     
  4. At the end of four years, all our students will be able to design an experiment, carry out the research using the appropriate laboratory techniques and analyze and interpret their data. They will also be able to communicate their discoveries through a written article appropriate for publication in a peer-reviewed Genetics journal, and through talks or posters appropriate for scientific meetings.

For further information please contact:

Terry R. McGuire
Professor and Vice Chair - Dept of Genetics
McGuire@biology.rutgers.edu