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ApplyProgram Description | Admission | Degree Requirements | Courses
Program Description
The Master of Arts in Biology is a non-thesis program primarily designed for secondary education teachers who wish to increase their competency in the field of biology. The program allows students to elect a twelve hour secondary field that logically supports the biology major. Students who plan to pursue doctoral studies are strongly encouraged to pursue the M.S. in Biology.
Admissions
Applicants seeking admission to the graduate program in biology must submit the following directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions:
- Graduate Application
- Application fee
- Official transcript(s) of all previous college work
- Official GRE scores
- Two letters of recommendation from faculty in the student's major at the undergraduate degree-granting institution
- Statement of Purpose outlining the student’s goals in the program
To be granted regular admission, applicants must have an undergraduate degree in biology or a related field. Applicants having an undergraduate degree in a discipline other than biology must successfully complete the equivalent of an undergraduate minor in the biological sciences before being considered for regular admission.
Regular admission is based in part on a combination of GRE scores and undergraduate GPA, but these factors do not constitute the sole criteria for consideration of an applicant. Instead, a holistic review of each student's application file will be completed.
More detailed information on competitive GRE scores and undergraduate GPA can be found on the department's website at: www.shsu.edu/academics/biological-sciences/.
Degree Requirements
There are two different plans leading to the M.A. in Biology. Plan 1 requires thirty-two semester hours of graduate credit in biology. In Plan 2, students take twenty-six hours in biology with 12 hours of supporting coursework in a chosen minor for a total of thirty-eight hours of graduate credit.
All graduate students are required to pass a comprehensive examination on general biological concepts based on their coursework. The nature of this examination, which may be written and/or oral, will be determined by the student's comprehensive exam committee. Students must be enrolled the semester they take the comprehensive examination.
In addition, a literature-based review paper is prepared in consultation with the student's faculty advisor. Students must defend the literature-based review before their advisory committee and present it to the faculty in seminar format.
Plan 1 - M.A. in Biology
|
Item
|
Requirement
|
Options
|
Hours
Required |
| 1 |
Specified
Course |
Choose all from: BIOL 5200 <BIOL 520> Professional Aspects of Science |
2
|
| 2 |
Electives
|
Choose ten from: Graduate courses in BIOL excluding thesis courses1 |
30
|
|
TOTAL
|
32
|
||
| Notes: |
| 1 | Selections should be made in consultation with the Graduate Advisor. |
Plan 2 - M.A. in Biology
|
Item
|
Requirement
|
Options
|
Hours
Required |
| 1 |
Specified
Course |
Choose all from: BIOL 5200 <BIO 520> Professional Aspects of Science |
2
|
| 2 |
Electives
|
Choose eight from: Graduate courses in BIOL excluding thesis courses |
24
|
| 3 | Secondary Field | Choose four from: Graduate courses in an approved field1 |
12
|
|
TOTAL
|
38
|
||
| Notes: |
| 1 | Selections must be made in consultation with the Graduate Advisor. |
Courses
Senior Courses Open to Graduate Students
With departmental approval, a maximum of six hours of the following senior (4000-level) courses may be taken for graduate credit toward the M.A. in Biology. Course requirements in senior courses must be appropriately modified for graduate credit.
