Offered by Department of Biology

Biology
Master of Science Degree

This program is offered on campus and online.

MS in Biology = 36 hours

1. Option A: Thesis Option (36 hours)
   1. Requirements (18 hours required)
      • Take all of the following:
        • BIOL 802, Organic Evolution - 3 hours
        • BIOL 820, Introduction to Graduate Study - 3 hours
        • BIOL 831, Biological Research - 3 hours
        • Biological Research is 1-3 credits and must be taken for a total of 3 hours.
        • BIOL 880, Seminar - 3 hours
        • Seminar is one credit and must be taken for a total of 3 hours.
        • BIOL 896, Thesis - 6 hours
        • Thesis is 3-6 credits and must be taken for a total of 6 hours.
   2. Electives* (18 hours required)
      • See the elective list below for course options that fulfill this requirement.
      • All courses counting towards the Master's Degree must be previously approved by the advisor and Graduate Program Committee to be used on the program of study.
2. Option B: Non-Thesis Option (36 hours)
   • In lieu of a defense of thesis, students completing Option B will be required to pass a written comprehensive examination covering the major areas of the biological sciences during their last term of enrollment.
   1. Requirements (18 hours required)
      • Take all of the following:
        • BIOL 802, Organic Evolution - 3 hours
        • BIOL 820, Introduction to Graduate Study - 3 hours
        • Students are highly encouraged to take Introduction to Graduate Study during their first semester.
        • BIOL 863, Biological Perspectives - 3 hours
        • BIOL 831, Biological Research - 6 hours
        • Biological Research is a series of six 1-credit hour classes.
        • BIOL 881, Current Issues in Biology - 3 hours
        • Current Issues is one credit and must be taken three separate semesters for a total of 3 hours.**
   2. Electives* (18 hours required)
      • See the elective list below for course options that fulfill this requirement.
      • All courses counting towards the Master's Degree must be previously approved by the advisor and Graduate Program Committee to be used on the program of study.

*Electives (Course options that fulfill the elective requirement above)

• Classes with a P designation have an undergraduate counterpart. Courses are grouped according to emphasis area but can be taken in any combination at the discretion of the advisor and Graduate Program Committee.
• Physiology, Genetics, Cellular and Molecular Biology Courses
  • BIOL 800P, Microbiology - 4 hours
  • BIOL 801P, Principles of Immunology - 4 hours
  • BIOL 803P, Plant Physiology - 3 hours
  • BIOL 804P, Developmental Biology - 3 hours
  • BIOL 812, Microbial Diversity - 3 hours
  • BIOL 814, Plant Pathology - 3 hours
  • BIOL 839, Human Physiological Systems - 3 hours
  • BIOL 840P, Infectious Diseases - 4 hours
  • BIOL 844, Molecular Biotechnology - 3 hours
  • BIOL 850P, Molecular Biology - 3 hours
  • BIOL 857, Human Histology - 3 hours
  • BIOL 858, Physiology of Stress - 3 hours
  • BIOL 859, Biology of the Brain - 3 hours
  • BIOL 860, Concepts of Genetics - 3 hours
  • BIOL 861P, Human Genetics - 3 hours
  • BIOL 865P, Physiology - 3 hours
  • BIOL 882P, Seminar in Molecular Biology - 1 hour
  • May be taken for a total of 2 hours of credit. This course does not replace BIOL 880 Seminar.
  • BIOL 885P, Molecular Genetics - 3 hours
• Ecology, Evolution, Environmental, and Organismal Courses
  • BIOL 804, Evolution of Epidemics - 3 hours
  • BIOL 805P, Range and Wildlife Management - 3 hours
  • BIOL 806P, Plant Ecology - 3 hours
  • BIOL 815, Great Plains Heritage - 3 hours
  • BIOL 816P, Plant Diversity and Evolution - 4 hours
  • BIOL 818P, Plant Taxonomy - 3 hours
  • BIOL 823, Environmental Biology - 3 hours
  • BIOL 824, Principles of Ecology - 3 hours
  • BIOL 829, Ecological Anthropology - 2 hours
  • BIOL 834, Conservation Biology - 3 hours
  • BIOL 835P, Herpetology - 3 hours
  • BIOL 862P, Animal Behavior - 3 hours
  • BIOL 866, Functional Morphology - 3 hours
  • BIOL 868P, Parasitology - 2 hours
    
  • AND BIOL 868L, Parasitology Laboratory - 1 hour
  • BIOL 869, Conservation of Birds and Mammals - 3 hours
  • BIOL 870P, Insect Biology - 3 hours
  • BIOL 872P, Fresh Water Biology - 4 hours
  • BIOL 873P, Ornithology - 3 hours
  • BIOL 874P, Mammalogy - 3 hours
  • BIOL 883, Aquatic Trophic Ecology - 3 hours
  • BIOL 886, Sexual Selection - 1 hour
• Tools and Application Courses
  • BIOL 810P, Fire Ecology and Management in Grasslands - 1 hour
  • BIOL 811, Scientific Illustration - 3 hours
  • BIOL 813, Issues in Bioethics - 3 hours
  • BIOL 821, Directed Readings - 1-3 hours
  • BIOL 822, Advances in Biology - 1-3 hours
  • BIOL 827, Biological Statistics - 3 hours
  • BIOL 830P, Special Topics in Biology - 1-3 hours
  • BIOL 852P, Techniques in Molecular Biology - 3 hours
  • BIOL 854, Biological Application of GIS - 3 hours
  • BIOL 856P, Regional Field Study - 1-4 hours
  • BIOL 863, Biological Perspectives - 3 hours
  • (elective for thesis option students only)
  • BIOL 871P, Methods in Secondary Science Teaching - 3 hours
  • BIOL 875, Internship in Biology - 1-9 hours
  • BIOL 876, Natural Science Curriculum - 3 hours
  • BIOL 884, Freshwater Management Techniques - 3 hours

See Biology Program Information and Admission Requirements for more information about the program.

** Clarified statement after print version produced.