Master of Arts in Biology
 

The Master of Arts program is designed to fulfill the educational needs of biologists who desire further specialization and/or knowledge of recent advances in the field; students who seek a subject matter concentration as an intermediate step toward preparation for work at the doctoral level; and teachers who are interested in specializing in a particular area, or updating their knowledge within the discipline of biology. Specialization may be in areas such as botany, zoology, physiology, ecology, and environmental science. Each student will be assigned a graduate committee that will help the student plan a sound program of study.

There are two Plans (Plan A and Plan B) leading to the Master of Arts in Biological Sciences Degree, each of which requires a total of 30 credits, made up of a Course Component and a Capstone Component.

• Course Component for Plan A or Plan B (24 credits)
  BIO 500, Seminar in Biology (1 cr)
  BIO 540, Topics in Advanced Biology (3-4 cr)
  BIO electives (19-20 cr in biology or related fields)
   

• Capstone Component (6 credits)
  for Plan A, one of two thesis options:
  Option 1: BIO 599, Thesis (6 cr) and a thesis defense
  Option 2: BIO 599, Thesis (3 cr) and a thesis defense plus BIO 598, Research in Biology (3 cr)
  
  for Plan B, one option:
  BIO 598, Research in Biology (3 cr), and BIO 590, Focused Study in Advanced Biology and/or BIO 591, Independent Research Project in Advanced Biology (3 cr), Research Problem, plus Comprehensive Exam

Last Modified: Wednesday, 31. October 2007