Biology (MS)

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Offered by the Department of Biology , College of Arts and Sciences , this is a research degree that may serve as an intermediate degree for those intending to pursue further graduate study, as well as a necessary degree for a variety of careers in the life sciences.

Admission to the Program

In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for graduate study, applicants must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test. International applicants whose first language is not English are required to submit results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation. Preference is given to applicants with a clear interest in working in the research laboratory of one of the full-time faculty members in the department.

Degree Requirements

30 credit hours of approved graduate work
Capstone Experience: Journal Article Presentation
Advancement to candidacy, which requires the acceptance of a research proposal by the student’s advisor, the graduate studies committee, and the chair of the department at least one semester prior to the oral defense of the thesis.
Completion, oral defense, and the acceptance of thesis by the thesis committee, chair of the department, and the university

Course Requirements

BIO-666 Evolutionary Mechanisms (3)
BIO-683 Molecular Biology (3)
BIO-697 Research Methodology in Biology (3)
BIO-797 Master’s Thesis Research (1-6) (6 credit hours required)
STAT-514 Statistical Methods (3) (satisfies tool of research requirement)
An additional 12 hours of approved graduate coursework