The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) recently highlighted the BBMB Graduate Certificate (CRT) in Biochemistry program as an option for individuals who wish to broaden their expertise, but do not have the time to dedicate to graduate school. Read more

The Graduate Certificate in Biochemistry program officially began in 2018.  The two CRT programs offered, the Graduate Certificate and the Concurrent B.S./Graduate Certificate, are designed to provide a mechanism for formal recognition of focused graduate study in the specialized area of biochemistry. No matter what the student’s goals, the online graduate certificate provides flexibility for the next step in their education and career.

In addition to being an attractive option for off-campus students, current ISU students have found the CRT to be beneficial to their career plans.  Six graduate students in Biochemistry and Biophysics have earned the CRT to date for a variety of reasons.  Samuel Shobade (pictured here), a current Ph.D. student in Biochemistry in Professor Nielsen-Hamilton’s lab, earned his CRT in Biochemistry in 2019.  He said the CRT “acts as a reflection that I really deserved my undergraduate degree and didn’t just attend school for the grades.”

Samuel sees many benefits in having earned the CRT. He can add it to his resume and, if for some reason he chooses to not advance to his advanced degree or takes a break from academics, the CRT would show “potential employers that I have what it takes to move forward and succeed beyond the walls of the classroom” and will use it to get a better job.  He added that the “CRT gives you motivation to keep going and do more, either in the academic or non-academic setting.”  Other current graduate students in BBMB who have earned the CRT are Philip Dershwitz and Adron Ung.

For more information about the Graduate Certificate Programs, visit the Graduate Study webpage.