This advanced plant physiology course ensures that the students obtain substantive understanding of the physiological processes controlling plant behavior and productivity both at the biochemical as well as molecular levels. The course consists of online interactive lecture and non-synchronous teaching-learning platform. Individual presentation of selected recent publications related to current advances of all concepts discussed, and case studies of the applications of plant physiology in the real world are included. This introduces the student to critical use of scientific papers published within the various fields of interest. Laboratory activities used model plants to understand plant physiology, components and properties. 

This course covers discussions on the cell, the basic unit of life. Structural features of the different cellular organelles, the connections of the basic cellular process and the importance of biomolecule properties for their control and regulation will be discussed in this course. Also, advances related to central dogma in molecular biology and biotechnology will be emphasized throughout the semester.

This course is designed to train graduate students to explore their scientific thinking in systematic and evolutionary studies. It enables them to study diversity of organisms both species and population level, and understand the relationship among organisms with their common ancestors.  It includes determination of organisms by means of both morphological and molecular comparisons and resemblances. The ultimate objective of this course is to expose the students to advanced techniques and methods in studying sytematics as a field, as well as encourage them to generate research-based output.

This course is designed to train graduate students to explore their scientific thinking in systematic and evolutionary studies. It enables them to study diversity of organisms both species and population level, and understand the relationship among organisms with their common ancestors.  It includes determination of organisms by means of both morphological and molecular comparisons and resemblances. The ultimate objective of this course is to expose the students to advanced techniques and methods in studying sytematics as a field, as well as encourage them to generate research-based output.

Advanced Ecology, Bio 240, is a 3-unit graduate course under the MS Biology Program. Graduate students should acquire the expertise to upgrade their knowledge and skills in ecological research and design their own research. The themes involve population ecology, community ecology, behavioral ecology, ecosystem ecology, and biodiversity and conservation.

Global Change Biology (BIOL 246) is one of the major courses of the revised curriculum of the MS Biology program approved in March 2020. BIOL 246 is a 3-credit unit graduate course that will examine the key drivers of global environmental change and how it impacts the biological systems across many scales – from the level of individual, organism, populations, communities, and ecosystems. Global change biology is any consistent trend in the environment– past, present, or projected – that affects a substantial part of the globe and promotes planetary-scale changes in earth systems. Therefore, this global change science is a highly multidisciplinary approach, involving physical scientists who study climate, the oceans, the atmosphere, and geology, as well as biologists investigating physiology, evolution, and ecology. Emphasis will be placed on the key drivers of global change, impact on ecosystems and human society, and mitigation efforts to lessen the effects of global change. The role that managers, policymakers, and researchers can play in responding to global change will be covered.  This course is global in scope, with examples from both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. However, there is an emphasis on Philippine ecosystems and biota.

 A research project will be done by students, enabling them to design a study that investigates the specific driver of global change (e.g., eutrophication, land-use changes, pollution, habitat fragmentation, invasive alien species, etc.) and its impact on biological systems. Supplementary activities will be given that involve the role of modeling and uncertainty in climate predictions. The course will conclude with a short section on effective communication of global change science to colleagues, the general public, and decision-makers (managers/politicians).

This course is made for the orientation program of MS Biology students.

This will be deleted once the orientation is done.