The Biology Department offers three master’s degree programs:

• Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Biology
• Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Middle Childhood Education in Biology (Grades 5-9)*
• Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Adolescence Education in Biology (Grades 7-12)*

* In conjunction with C.W. Post’s School of Education

Admissions requirements: Candidates for admission must submit their credentials to the Graduate Admissions Office for review by the Biology Graduate Committee, which may in addition require a personal interview. The applicant should have completed at the undergraduate level:

• six semesters of biology courses
• one year of college calculus
• one year of inorganic and one year of organic chemistry
• one year of college physics
• minimum grade point average of 2.75 in major course of study
• completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test

Those whose credentials satisfy all of the above requirements may be accepted as matriculated students.

Students may be accepted on a limited matriculant basis if their credentials are deficient in not more than two areas. Deficients must be removed during the first year of graduate study.

Courses may be taken on a non-matriculant basis.

Degree Plans

All students must take a minimum of 15 credits (Plan I) or 21 credits (Plan II) from Foundation courses, including Bio 500 (required of all students in either plan).

Foundation Courses

• Bio 500 Biology Graduate Seminar
• Bio 503 Modern Concepts of Evolution
• Bio 505 Sources in Biological Research
• Bio 510 Molecular Biology
• Bio 513 Biological Chemistry I
• Bio 518 Ecology
• Bio 520 Cell Biology
• Bio 525 Eukaryotic Genetics
• Bio 528 Developmental Biology

Plan I -- Thesis:

30 credits, including at least 15 credits from among the Foundation Courses, one of which must be Bio 500, and Bio 707 - 708 (Research and Preparation of Thesis

Plan II -- Non-thesis:

36 credits, including at least 21 credits from among the Foundation Courses, one of which must be Bio 500

Courses beyond the required foundation courses may be chosen from among elective courses offered each semester.