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Required Credit Hours/Tuition and Fees
- 32
- Visit the Paying for College website for detailed tuition information
Curriculum
Master of Arts (MA): A student may earn an MA while following the thesis plan. The MA requires a minimum of 32 semester hours, of which at least 24 semester hours must be in biology. The MA also requires a reading knowledge of a foreign language. The foreign language requirement must be met at least three months prior to graduation by passing an examination offered by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature.
Master of Science (MS): Thesis and non-thesis plans of study are available for fulfillment of the requirements of the MS. The thesis and non-thesis plans require a minimum of 32 semester hours, of which at least 24 semester hours must be in biology. There is no foreign language requirement for the MS.
Thesis Plan
- At least nine semester hours in biology must be earned in courses numbered BIOL 415-490 or 514-590
- Required courses: BIOL 501, 502, and 503 must be completed. BIOL 595 or 596 must be completed twice, or in combination, and must be taken under at least two different faculty members. Completion of BIOL 592 at least twice is required.
- Electives: Eight additional elective semester hours may be needed to reach 32 semester hours.
- Thesis: Students must complete a thesis based on their original research, and must enroll in at least three semester hours of BIOL 599.
Non-Thesis Plan
- At least 14 semester hours in biology must be earned in courses numbered BIOL 415-490 or 514-590
- Required courses: BIOL 501, 502, and 503 must be completed. BIOL 595 or 596 must be completed twice, or in combination, and must be taken under at least two different faculty members. Completion of BIOL 592 at least twice is required.
- Electives: Two additional elective semester hours may be needed to reach 32 semester hours.
- Research Paper: At least four, but no more than eight semester hours must be taken in BIOL 591 and 593, culminating in an acceptable final research paper.
