Molecular Biosciences (PSM) 
Apply by
Summer: March 1
Fall: June 1
Spring: November 1
Class begins
Summer: May 6
Fall: August 19
Spring: January 13
Degree Awarded
Professional Science Master’s
in Molecular Biosciences
Enhance Your Skills. Energize Your Career.
WSU’s Professional Science Master’s in Molecular Biosciences is a unique program designed to help students with science degrees transition into diverse high-paying careers.
An innovative and relatively new type of degree program, a Professional Science Master’s, or PSM, trains students in an advanced scientific field while also teaching them the skills to be leaders and managers in a professional environment.
What You’ll Learn
The molecular biosciences PSM combines science with training in ethics and business, bridging the gap between academia and the workplace. Graduates will gain in-depth knowledge of molecular biosciences, with graduate courses in bioinformatics and molecular biology. One of the career-oriented aspects of the program is that it requires an internship rather than a thesis. The nationwide shortage of scientists with managerial and business training means PSM graduates will be well positioned for employment.
This program is an excellent career choice for recent graduates with a bachelor’s degree in science who want to expand their science knowledge and develop the business skills needed to enter their chosen career. It’s also ideal for mid-career professionals seeking advancement and enrichment in their current careers and K-12 science teachers seeking additional education for career promotion and compensation.
WSU Molecular Biosciences Program Strengths
- The molecular biosciences PSM was the first PSM degree instituted in Washington State and it is affiliated through the National Professional Science Master’s Association (NPSMA).
- PSMs are respected degrees that are highly valued by employers looking for skilled scientists who can also function as leaders and managers in their organization.
- WSU’s School of Molecular Biosciences employ’s highly-renowned faculty, including two distinguished Regents Professors. The SMB faculty are leaders in several important areas of research and are dedicated to passing their extensive academic knowledge on to their students.
- The professional courses are offered by faculty in other WSU colleges and departments, making the PSM a robust, interdisciplinary degree program.
Get Started
For admission deadlines and information on how to apply to the program, visit the School of Molecular Biosciences Professional Science Master’s Admissions web page.
If you have questions about the program, please contact Tami Breske at tamara.breske@wsu.edu or 509-335-4318.
Program of Study—30 semester credits
All course are available online
Required Science Courses
12 credits
- MBioS 501 – Cell Biology
- MBioS 503 – Advanced Molecular Biology I
- MBioS 513 – General Biochemistry I
- MBioS 578 – Bioinformatics
Required Professional Courses
One course from each of the following five professional areas:
Ethics
- PHIL 530 – Bioethics
- PHIL 532 – Seminar in Business Ethics
- PHIL 535 – Adv. Biomedical Ethics
Communication
- ENGLISH 495 – Rhetoric of Science and Technology
- ENGLISH 562 – Writing and Rhetoric of Science and Technology
- COM 541 – Science Communication
- MBIOS 580 – Science Information Literacy
Business Focus
- EM 505 – Finance for Technical Systems
- EM 508 – Legal Concepts for Engineering and Technical Management
- ENTRP 486 – Launching New Ventures
- MKTG 506 – Marketing Management & Admin. Policy
(Tuition for MKTG 506 is at online MBA rate of $813/credit.)
Management
- EM 501 – Management of Organizations
- EM 522 – Leadership, Supervision and Management
- EM 564 – Project Management
- EM 575 – Performance Management in Technical Organizations
Skills Seminar
- MBioS 583 – Professional Skills Seminar (recommended the first semester of study)
Internship
Students must participate in a 320-hour internship with an internship mentor, and enroll in MBios 701 for 1-4 credits during the semester they perform the internship. For more information, visit the MBios PSM Degree Internship page.
- MBios 701 – Master’s Independent Capstone Project and/or Examination
Electives
Students are required to take two electives; at least one from each elective group.
Science Course Elective
- MBioS 514 – General Biochemistry II
- MBioS 525.01 – Genetically Modified Organisms
- MBioS 525.02 – Genes, Genomes and Society
- MBioS 529.01 – Cytoskeleton
- MBioS 529.02 – Membrane Biogenesis & Intracellular Trafficking
- MBioS 550 – Microbial Physiology
- MBioS 574 – Protein Biotechnology
- MBioS 584 – Medical Genetics
- MBIOS 585 – Molecular Biotechniques
- MBIOS 586 – Molecular Biotechniques Laboratory
- STAT 412 – Statistical Methods in Research
- STAT 512 – Analysis of Variance of Designed Experimentation
Professional Course Electives
- COM 478 – Health Communication
- COM 561 – Professional Multimedia Content Creation
- COM 562 – Crisis Communication in Global Contexts
- COMSTRAT 562 – Creative Media Strategies and Techniques
- COMSTRAT 564 – Consumer Behavior and Brand Development
- EM 526 – Constraints Management
- EM 530 – Applications of Constraint Management
- EM 560 – Integrated Supply Chain Management
- EM 570 – Six Sigma Quality Management
- IBus 380 – International Business
- MGMT/ENTRP 588 – Management of Innovation
(Tuition for MGMT/ENTRP 588 is at online MBA rate of $813/credit.)