Masters Program Requirements

Masters of Science

The Master of Science degree program is designed for students seeking research experience. Minimum requirements for the degree are 30 hours, consisting of 24 hours of credit, of which half the hours must be numbered above 499, and a research thesis (BL 599, 6 credit hours).

All graduate students are required to participate in the Biology Seminar Program on a regular basis during their tenure.

Oral (or written) examination consisting of questions that reflect the student’s educational experience and thesis and that seek to integrate knowledge across those areas.  The examination will be administered by the thesis committee after successful completion of the thesis.

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Masters of Arts

The Master of Arts degree consists of 30 hours of class credit, at least half of which must be from courses numbered above 499.

All graduate students are required to participate in the Biology Seminar Program on a regular basis during their tenure.

Take-home written examination consisting of questions that reflect the student’s educational experience and that seek to integrate knowledge across that course work.  The examination will be administered by the student’s examination committee.

In some cases, a student and the committee may feel that an alternative examination would be appropriate.  In this case, the Dean of The Graduate School may be petitioned via the Biology Department chair.