M. Sc. Training Program

Research

Students who are accepted to the department should also be accepted to a specific laboratory before October 1, when the MSc degree program begins.

The mentor will assign a research topic to the MSc student, supervise the research, and decide when the results are sufficient for a thesis.
In principle, the research and writing should be completed in two years, although occasionally an extension may be requested from the departmental MSc committee chairman for the period of writing of the thesis, or in rare cases for the completion of the research.

The students should devote full time to their research and fulfill all research requirements as directed by their mentor. Any conflicting extra-university responsibility should be discussed with the mentor. Vacations should also be approved by the mentor.

Studies

MSc students should select one of the following study programs: Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Cell Biology and Immunology, Genetics, Zoology,
Plant Sciences, Microbiology, Neurobiology, Ecology and Environment. Detailed description of each program can be found at
http://www.tau.ac.il/lifesci/yedion_menu.html.

Students who select a program other than Biochemistry should still take at least two courses from the Biochemistry study program, as well as the Biochemistry seminar (year I + II).

Biochemistry studies program

The program can be selected by all MSc students in the Life Sciences faculty.

The students should select courses that give at least 30 credit points, as follows:
 

1. Obligatory MSc faculty courses – 6 credit points:
   1. Biochemistry seminar year I – 2 credit points
   2. Biochemistry seminar year II – 2 credit points
   3. Guided reading (at research group meetings) - 2 credit points
   4. Laboratory Safety – no credit
2. Biochemistry program courses – at least 8 credit points. These courses are in general given once in two years.

* Neither structural biology course is dependent on the other one.
 

3. Electives – Supplement with these courses to at least 30 credit points. Selection can be made from all MSc courses and third year BSc courses of the Life Sciences faculty,
as well as courses from other faculties (e.g. medicine, exact sciences) relevant for the training program.

BSc courses can be taken up to 25% of the total credit points.

Courses which are unrelated to life sciences can be taken up to 4 credit points.

All MSc courses will be given in English. BSc courses are generally given in Hebrew.

Recommended MSc courses (from other programs) include:

In addition, please see (https://life.tau.ac.il/yedion/2016-17 ) (Midrasha, chapter 8 - MSc studies programs, section 3 – biochemistry program) for a list of recommended third year BSc courses (in Hebrew)

4. Students who plan to work with lab animals as part of their MSc research must take the course "Principles of using lab animals in biomedical research", given by the medicine faculty (2 points).

Passing grades in all courses and an average above 75 are required at the end of year I in order to start year II.

MSc Fellowship and teaching salary

In principle, all students are entitled to an enlarged 125% monthly fellowship (12 months per year), to enable them to devote all their time for research. Selected outstandind students will receive a 150% fellowship. Continuation of that excellence fellowship into the second MSc year will be dependent on research achievements. Most students will also be assigned to teaching, usually in a laboratory course, according to their qualifications.

MSc completion

The MSc thesis should be written according to the guidelines.

The MSc thesis will be evaluated and the student will be examined by the mentor(s) and two additional judges, at least one of whom is not a department member. If there are two formal mentors, their average grade will count as 1/3 of the thesis and examination grades.

Following the approval of the thesis by the mentor, the following steps will be taken:

1. The mentor will approach the departmental MSc committee chairman and suggest names of two additional judges, at least one of them external to the department.
2. Following approval by the departmental MSc committee chairman, the mentor approaches the suggested judges to obtain their agreement in principle. In case it is not obtained – go back to step 1.
3. The student approaches the three judges to coordinate an examination date and time (doodle is recommended). In case a consensus date within a reasonable time frame (from a week and up to a month) cannot be agreed on – go back to step 1.
4. The student notifies (by email) the departmental MSc committee chairman about the agreed examination date.
5. Following acknowledgment of the mail above, the student submits the thesis to the judges and submits the signed cover page to the faculty graduate program secretary (Nurit Rosenman).

The thesis defense will include a seminar in front of the department staff and students, immediately followed by an examination. The judges will attend the seminar and reserve their questions for the subsequent examination.

The MSc grade is composed of 40% thesis, 20% examination and 40% courses.

The students are welcome to contact the Biochemistry MSc committee chairman (Dr. Iftach Nachman iftachn@post.tau.ac.il) for further questions, or in any case of difficulties (of any type, except for the research itself) that the mentor is unable to resolve.