Master of Science in Biological Sciences

The Master of Science Program in the Department of Biological Sciences is a research-based Master’s degree. It is distinct from our course-based Master of Arts degree. Through in-depth research experience with a faculty mentor, preparation of an independent thesis or publications and broad coursework, students gain experiences that prepare them for careers involving field and laboratory research in biological sciences.The M.S. program offers students options to prepare for various career goals, such as: You want a graduate research experience with one of our dedicated faculty mentors You want more experience developing hypotheses and thinking about experimental design You want to conduct laboratory or field studies and gain experience analyzing and interpreting dataYou want to improve your scientific writing skills and prepare your work for peer-review andor thesis publication You want experience presenting your work at professional conferences in your field You want to improve your grantsmanship skills You are interested in getting teaching experience with undergraduate students You want more upper-level course experience focused in a particular area You want to boost your resume for job or PhD program or professional school applications Pending approval from your faculty mentor, you are currently a full-time employee, and an M.S. degree will open up promotion possibilities at your job