Program type:

Major
Format:

On Campus
Est. time to complete:

2-3 years
Credit Hours:

30-36
Research, strong professor-student mentoring, high-quality instruction and professional community service are the foundation of this degree.
Students have the opportunity to conduct research leading to a thesis or dissertation in a variety of specializations, including aquatic biology, aquatic toxicology, ecology, forensic biology, genetics, limnology, microbiology, neurobiology, physiology and plant biology.

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Why Earn a Biology Master's?

We offer opportunities to conduct research in:

  • Aquatic biology
  • Aquatic toxicology
  • Cell and molecular biology
  • Ecology
  • Environmental science
  • Forensic biology
  • Genetics
  • Neurobiology
  • Physiology
  • Plant sciences

Our faculty members include internationally renowned researchers who have earned recognition from the National Science Foundation, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society for Microbiology, among others.

Marketable Skills
  • Critical evaluation of literature
  • Ability to follow protocols and methodologies
  • Collection and analysis of complex data
  • Understanding of research regulations
  • Working knowledge of biological sub-disciplines

Biology Master's Highlights

The Master of Arts is a 36-credit-hour, non-thesis degree with 5000-6000 level coursework and a foreign language requirement.
The Master of Science is a scholarly research degree requiring 24 credit hours of coursework, special problems and seminars and a 6-credit-hour thesis (concentrations are available in Computational Life Science or Sub-Antarctic Biocultural Conservation).
The BioDiscovery Institute (BDI) operates through a pipeline linking sustainable plant production platforms, metabolic engineering and the development of new materials. The institute touts a multidisciplinary team of researchers committed to collaborating on large research projects with an emphasis on application of findings and solutions to meet market issues and needs.
The Center for Watershed and Reservoir Assessment and Management conducts research on techniques and best management practices for assessing and managing watersheds and reservoirs, addressing current and emerging problems and issues.
The Advanced Environmental Research Institute (AERI) houses multidisciplinary research teams that conduct science-based environmental research that provides an understanding of how human actions impact the environment, and then use that knowledge to suggest scientific, engineering, policy and/or educational solutions.
Qualified students are supported through competitive teaching assistantships or research assistantships funded by research grants to faculty members.

Biology Master's Courses You Could Take

Tracing Darwin’s Path (3 hrs)
Annual in-depth field course that explores sub-Antarctic biota, geography, history, cultures and ecosystems of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, integrating ecological science and field environmental ethics approaches to the study and conservation of biocultural diversity
Environmental Impact Assessment (3 hrs)
Principles and practices of preparing environmental impact assessments and statements. Addresses how to understand the effects that projects, plans and policies have on the environment and the impact those effects have on specific resources, ecosystems and human communities
Neuropsychopharmacology (3 hrs)
Comprehensive examination of the physiological effects on major psychotropic drug classes that affect the central nervous system, including the interactions between neurotransmitter systems and physiology; neuroanatomical pathways and behavior; synaptic functions and behavioral disorders
Computational Epidemiology (3 hrs)
Application of computational methods to problems in the fields of public health. Design and implementation of disease outbreak models
Medical Genetics and Genetic Counseling (3 hrs)
Human genetics, including cytogenetics, immunogenetics, population genetics, molecular genetics, human biochemical genetics and genetic counseling
Contemporary Topics in Environmental Science and Ecology (1-3 hrs)
Contemporary topics and issues in environmental science and ecology. Topical themes include global climate change, biodiversity, wetlands, population and aquatic, terrestrial or plant ecology

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