Graduate Programs in Biological Sciences

The Department of Biological Sciences is excited to have you join us this year! Collectively we are here to help you succeed inside and outside the classroom. For specific details with the graduate program and with navigating the department, we are here and happy to help! 

Research in the Department of Biological Sciences spans many orders of magnitude, from ecosystem biology to atomic structure. We encourage you to take full advantage of our unique department, exploring all that it has to offer. There are over 100 graduate students and countess faculty working on research that span the following six research areas:

• Biology Education
• Cell and Molecular Biology
• Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
• Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Disease
• Neuroscience and Physiology
• Structural and Computational Biology & Biophysics

The benefits of having this breadth of science are unparalleled, and we hope that you take full advantage of the research diversity. Talk to your peers, talk to other students, and by all means, talk to the faculty to learn more about our graduate program!

We look forward to taking you on this journey as you pursue your graduate training in our Biological Sciences Graduate Program!

==> Download our program brochure here for print and sharing: Biological Sciences Graduate Program Brochure

PhD Program:
This program is based on both courses (typically within the first 2 years) and research (every year). Each student must satisfy the academic requirements and perform dissertation research under a Major Professor. The current average time-to-degree is ~6 years.

• A total of 90 credits are required.
• At least 16 course-related credit hours are required with a letter grade of B or higher.
• An approved written dissertation is required for the degree.
• A successful oral defense of the dissertation is required for the degree.

MS Programs:
We offer two MS programs: Thesis and Non-Thesis. The MS Thesis program is based on both courses and research with a Major Professor. The MS Non-Thesis program is course-based only. More details of the MS programs are outlined below.

• • A total of 30 credit hours are required.
  • A total of 21 course-related credit hours with a letter grade of B or higher are required.
  • A total of 9 research-related credit hours with a Satisfactory grade are required.
  • An approved written thesis is required for the degree.
  • A successful oral defense of the thesis is required for the degree.

• • A total of 30 course-based credit hours are required.
  • No thesis or oral defense is required.

This program is for those wishing to enhance their post-graduate training and expertise by taking select courses from our graduate programs, but not seeking an MS or PhD degree.