Biology M.S.

Thirty credit hours of course work are necessary to complete the M.S. program. A minimum of 2 credits and a maximum of 9 credits must be in research. A total of 15 or more credits (including thesis or project) must be at 6000 level with the rest at 4000 or above, and 15 or more must have the BIOL or BCBP prefix. A thesis or project based on an original research project is required.

Outcomes of the Graduate Curriculum

Students who successfully complete this program will be able to:

• explain general principles and concepts from a variety of sub-disciplines within the broader field of biology.
• demonstrate extensive knowledge of a specialized field of biology and be able to answer challenging questions in that field.
• critically analyze and interpret the scientific literature and scientific presentations.
• discuss issues related to scientific ethics and scientific misconduct and apply ethical standards to their own research and/or professional conduct.
• for students doing laboratory research—design, prepare, and execute experiments, using appropriate research techniques.
• critically interpret research data and evaluate findings using appropriate statistical analyses.
• effectively communicate their scientific research and findings in a variety of written and oral formats.