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ApplyProgram Description | Admission | Degree Requirements | Courses
Program Description
The Master of Science in Biology allows for a specialization in one of several areas of biology and is designed for students planning to pursue careers in research and teaching at the collegiate level, in research with governmental agencies, or in industry. This degree is also appropriate for students planning to continue their training in a Ph.D. program at other institutions or professional schools. The degree is a research-oriented degree and requires the completion of a thesis.
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
- A 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.S. in Biology. Plan 1 requires completion of a thesis for a total of thirty-two hours of graduate credit in biology. In Plan 2, students take twenty-six hours of biology (including thesis hours) 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.
A thesis research project is conducted under supervision of the student's thesis advisor, and the student will present the thesis to the faculty in seminar format. The thesis must be defended before the student's thesis committee.
Students must complete six credit hours of thesis coursework. This entails three credit hours of BIOL 6398 and three credit hours of BIOL 6099. Once enrolled in BIOL 6099, a student must be continually enrolled in that course until graduation.
Plan 1 - M.S. 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 courses1 |
24
|
| 3 | Thesis | Choose all from: BIOL 6099 <BIO 699> Thesis BIOL 6398 <BIO 698> Thesis |
6
|
|
TOTAL
|
32
|
||
| Notes: |
| 1 | Selections should be made in consultation with the Graduate Advisor. |
Plan 2 - M.S. 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 six from: Graduate courses in BIOL excluding thesis courses1 |
18
|
| Secondary Field | Choose four from: Graduate courses in an approved minor field1 |
12
|
|
| 3 | Thesis | Choose all from: BIOL 6099 <BIO 699> Thesis BIOL 6398 <BIO 698> Thesis |
6
|
|
TOTAL
|
38
|
||
| Notes: |
| 1 | Selections should 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 MS in Biology. Course requirements in senior courses must be appropriately modified for graduate credit.
