Master of Science in Biological SciencesMaster of Science

The M.S. in biological sciences builds upon foundational biology training to prepare students for future careers, future academic training, or entrance into professional schools. This program consists of two possible tracks: an accelerated one-year curriculum-focused health science track and a research-intensive two-year bioscience track. The health science track is designed to prepare students who have learned the principles of biology to apply those concepts to clinical practice. With rigorous research training, graduates of the bioscience track will have the core experience necessary to enter the professional world or continue their education to a terminal degree. Students will be prepared to meet these goals by development of expertise in a chosen area through required and elective course work. The program provides an enriching environment whereby students develop the skills of scientific inquiry and written and oral scientific communication skills.

Admission requirements

Admission into the program is competitive. Admission into the bioscience track requires an interview with the graduate Biology admissions committee, which is composed of program faculty. Entrance into the M.S. in Biological Sciences program has additional coursework and GPA requirements beyond the university requirements: a bachelor’s degree in a related field, cumulative 3.0 GPA in all-natural science and math courses, 16 credits in biology, 8 credits in chemistry, 8 credits in physics, and 6 credits in math or statistics. Students will be evaluated and admitted based on their: aptitude for graduate-level study in the natural sciences; relevance of career goals; professionalism and prior academic performance. The M.S. in biological sciences makes continuous and systematic efforts to attract and enroll a diverse body of students. Due to the nature of the course sequence students can only start either track in the fall semester. Students may take one elective class the summer prior to the fall semester they start to lessen their course load during the academic year, but they will graduate at the same time as students who start in the fall.

Completion requirements

Completion of the program requires a comprehensive exam and health-focused literature review for the health sciences track and an original research-based thesis project, including written and oral components, for the bioscience track. Advancement of the literature review and thesis project is integrated into the required courses of each track. The final product, literature review or thesis project, is evaluated by a faculty committee. No graduate degree will be conferred without the satisfactory completion of these projects. Completion of the scholarly project will be commensurate with all program expectations and policies; please refer to the M.S. in Biological Sciences handbook for specific guidelines.