Biology, M.S.

The department offers both a 30-hour thesis-based and 30-hour coursework-based, non-thesis M.S. in Biology. The thesis-based M.S. program provides students with in-depth research training under the mentorship of a tenure-track faculty member, and students complete up to 6 credit hours of BIOL 6000  (M.S. thesis research) while in the program. Students in the non-thesis-based program do not complete a research project but instead focus solely on classroom-based coursework. Students who expect to continue in academia beyond the M.S. degree are strongly encouraged to choose the thesis option. 

The basic program requirements of both M.S. degrees follow those of the Graduate School, with the following additions. Students in the thesis-based program are required to take BIOL 5322  and BIOL 6202 . Students in the non-thesis track are not required to take BIOL 5322  but must do so if they wish to be considered for appointment as a teaching assistant in the department. 

Complete details of the requirements for this degree can be found in the Department of Biological Sciences Graduate Student Handbook.