Biology Program Information and Admission Requirements

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• Biology - Master of Science Degree
• BIOL Courses
• Department of Biology

Master of Science in Biology: 36 Hours

• Option A: Thesis Option
• Option B: Non-Thesis Option (Online Program)

All students must meet the general entrance requirements of the Office of Graduate Studies and Research.

Admission to a Master's degree program in Biology is based on consideration of the following:

• Option A: Thesis Option Requirements
  1. The Graduate Record General Examination score with a cumulative score of 800 from the verbal and quantitative sections;
  2. The undergraduate grade point average (a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 or above [C=2] or evidence of academic potential such as supportive GRE scores and/or letters of recommendation and/or a personal interview required for admission) see Graduate Studies Admission-- Graduate Catalog;
  3. The undergraduate course record (a minimum of twenty-four hours of undergraduate course work in biology including botany, zoology, ecology, cell biology, genetics and physiology) and in addition chemistry through organic and precalculus mathematics and statistics are required or deficiencies are to be removed during the first semester of enrollment;
  4. A "B" average is required in all courses counting towards the Master's degree and no more than two C's may be used;
  5. Complete an oral defense of the thesis before the degree will be granted. (A preliminary copy of the thesis is to be submitted to the Graduate Dean one month prior to the expected date of graduation.)
• Option B: Non-Thesis Option Requirements - (Online Program)
  1. To be considered for admission, students must submit a statement as to why they wish to pursue a non-thesis degree and a statement of professional goals. This may include a teaching philosophy, if the prospective students are teachers;
  2. A student with an undergraduate GPA of less than 2.75/4.0 is required to take the GRE and score a minimum of 700 in the verbal/quantitative sections and a 3.0 on the analytical writing. Students will be allowed to take classes for one semester while completing this requirement.
  3. The undergraduate course record (a minimum of twenty-four hours of undergraduate course work in biology including botany, zoology, ecology, cell biology, genetics and physiology) and in addition chemistry through organic and precalculus mathematics and statistics are required or deficiencies are to be removed during the first semester of enrollment;
  4. A "B" average is required in all courses counting towards the Master's degree and no more than two C's may be used;
  5. A satisfactory score must be received on the comprehensive examination, taken during the final session of enrollment, before the degree will be granted.