Biology - MS

The Master of Science program in Biology, which awards a Purdue University degree, requires 30 credit hours of study beyond the baccalaureate level. The program has four options: Thesis, Standard Non-Thesis, Pre-Professional Non-Thesis, and Non-Thesis for Educators.

The M.S. Thesis program immerses the student in rigorous research experiences. Students graduating with M.S. Thesis degrees are highly successful in obtaining employment on campus or in local industry. Indianapolis is the major population center of Indiana and is home to several large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Eli Lilly & Co., Roche Diagnostics Corporation, and Dow AgroSciences. These companies have provided high-paying jobs for many of our graduates.

Students from non-thesis M.S. programs have been able to secure higher level positions within their current employment and have shown a high success rate in gaining admission to professional schools.

The pre-professional non-thesis is an intensive 1 year program that prepares students for the rigors of professional school and produces students with better sophistication in their understanding of biological sciences, allowing them to succeed and be leaders in their professional school. Students from the PPNT M.S. program have shown a high success rate in gaining admission to professional schools.

The Non-Thesis for Educators degree program serves the needs of Indiana high school biology teachers, combining 12 credit hours of Transition to Teaching program with 18 credit hours of graduate biology courses. Students will obtain a M.S. in Biology and obtain necessary coursework that will allow them to teach Advanced Placement or Dual Credit courses in Indiana high schools. This program is ideally suited for students who completed undergraduate studies in biological sciences and would like to become high school biology teachers or current teachers wishing to enhance their credentials.