Biology - MS

Biology is an exceedingly broad discipline, and the Division of Biology graduate program exploits this exciting diversity of research opportunities. The graduate faculty members of the Division of Biology strongly believe research is the preeminent feature of our training responsibilities. Our faculty are a coalition of scientists with a wide diversity of experimental expertise. In partnership with a major advisor and a supervisory committee, each graduate student pursues a mixture of course work and research activities that comprise an individualized program of study. This partnership tailors the program to the needs of each student, and selects coursework from a set of available courses in the student's area of interest. We require that each student write a thesis (MS) or dissertation (PhD) based on original research, of sufficient quality and importance to merit publication in a peer-reviewed journal. 

The M.S. program in biology requires a minimum of 30 hours past the bachelor's degree, including 22 hours of graded course work (18 hours should be at the 700 level and above), and 6-8 hours of research credit. All students are required to take BIOL 863, Professional Skills in Biology (3 hours) during their first year.