Biology M.S.

Master of Science (M.S.) Degree

Admission Requirements

In addition to University requirements for admission, the applicant must:

Have a bachelor’s degree in biology, in environmental science or in a related field from an accredited institution.
Submit a satisfactory score from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). NOTE: MS in Environmental Science program no longer requires the GRE for admissions.
Complete all requirements for admissions to the Graduate School before the end of the first semester of graduate course work. (See “Admission to Graduate School ”)
Have an overall grade point average of a minimum of 2.6 or a minimum 2.85 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate work.

Admission may be granted for students with less than the minimum grade point average or test scores following a conditional period of 12-15 hours of enrollment in graduate work with no grade below a “B.” Students with undergraduate degrees in fields other than biology or environmental science may be required to complete specific leveling courses.

In addition to meeting the above-mentioned admission requirements, international students desiring to pursue the Master of Science degree in biology or environmental science must score a minimum of 550 paper based, or 213 computer based, or 79 internet based on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam or a minimum score of 6.0 on the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) academic test.

Major in Biology

(Major Code: 5102)

The Department of Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences offers students a master of science degree in biology. Department faculty provide opportunities for research (see below) which lead to a degree with thesis. A research-thesis program is recommended for those students planning to continue their education to the doctorate level or for students seeking a career that requires research training in biology. A non-thesis degree program is also available.

Research Concentration Areas

Arthropod Systematics and Biodiversity
Ichthyology
Herpetology
Ornithology
Mammalogy
Paleontology
Ecology
Wildlife Biology & Conservation Biology
Genetics (Conservation, Microbial, and Crops)
Microbiology
Cell and Molecular Biology
Molecular Cytogenetics
Physiology
Aerobiology and Allergy

General Requirements

Thesis Program

Thirty hours of graduate credit with the following restrictions:

Not less than 15 hours credit from 6000-level and above courses to include BIOL 6301 and BIOL 6302 (Thesis).
Not less than 18 hours credit from formal biology courses of which nine must be 6000 level (excluding BIOL 6301 and BIOL 6302 ).
Not more than 12 hours credit by transfer.

Non-Thesis Program

Thirty-six hours of graduate credit with the following restrictions:

Not less than 18 hours credit from formal biology courses of which 15 must be 6000 level (excluding BIOL 6395 and BIOL 6397 ).
Not more than 15 hours of credit by transfer.
Not more than six hours credit from BIOL 6395 and BIOL 6397 .

Financial Assistance

Graduate assistantships and selected scholarships are available for graduate students.