Biology Graduate Program Requirements
M.S. in Biology
Thesis Option
This option is recommended for students planning to continue their graduate studies or professional training. Students must complete a total of 30 credit hours of graduate course work, with a minimum of 18 credit hours taken from 500-level courses. 50.593 Master of Science Thesis accounts for six of these semester hours. An oral defense of the thesis is required.
Non-Thesis Option
This option is tailored for students interested in non-research-oriented careers. Students must complete a total of 30 credit hours of graduate course work, with a minimum of 18 credit hours taken from 500-level courses. Students choosing this option will not carry out a thesis. There are two suboptions within the nonthesis option.
Directed Study Suboption
- Students must complete at least 27 credit hours of graduate course work, and 3 credit hours of Directed Study in Biology. A directed study is a hands-on research experience smaller in scope than a thesis. Typically the directed study is completed within one semester. A written report is prepared, and presented orally to the Department.
Departmental Paper Suboption
- Students must complete at least 30 credit hours of graduate course work. They must complete a literature-based paper on a topic selected by the students and the academic advisor or mentor for the paper. The departmental paper carries no semester hour credit. The paper must be presented orally to the Department.
Required Courses
- 53.546 — Biostatistics OR 80.525 — Research Methods
- 50.593 — Master of Science Thesis (required for students in the thesis option)
- 50.591 — Directed Study in Biology (required for students in the non-thesis option)
Elective Courses
A minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate-level courses is required for graduation.
All other courses are considered elective courses, but require the approval of the student's adviser and advisory committee.
- 50.411 — Radiation Biology
- 50.455 — Environmental Microbiology
- 50.457 — Entomology
- 50.472 — Animal Cell Physiology
- 50.474 — Vertebrate Systems Physiology
- 50.477 — Plant Physiology
- 50.478 — Microbial Physiology
- 50.479 — Integrated Physiology Laboratory
- 50.530 — Evolution
- 50.531 — Developmental Biology
- 50.532 — Microbial and Molecular Genetics
- 50.535 — Bioinformatics and Genomic Analysis
- 50.550 — Mycology
- 50.551 — Conservation Biology
- 50.552 — Limnology
- 50.559 — Ornithology
- 50.560 — Population Biology
- 50.561 — Animal Behavior
- 50.570 — Medical Parasitology
- 50.571 — Endocrinology
- 50.575 — Cell Physiology
- 50.576 — Neurophysiology
- 50.580 — Comparative Animal Physiology
- 50.589 — Current Topics in Biology
- 50.591 — Directed Study in Biology
- 50.593 — Master of Science Thesis
Marine science courses offered at Wallops Island, Va.
- 55.431 — Ecology of Marine Plankton
- 55.432 — Marine Evolutionary Ecology
- 55.464 — Biological Oceanography
- 55.490 — Marine Aquaculture
- 55.491 — Coral Reef Ecology
- 55.492 — Marine Mammals
- 55.500 — Problems in Marine Science
- 55.540 — Environmental Science Education
- 55.541 — Biology of Mollusca
- 55.570 — Research Cruise-Biology
- 55.593 — Behavioral Ecology
M.Ed. in Biology
A minimum of 30 semester hours in graduate-level courses is required. A minimum of 18 semester hours must be taken from 500-level courses (see list below). Either 50.591 Directed Study in Biology or 50.592 Master of Education Thesis is required to fulfill the research component. An oral defense of the research component is required.
Required Courses
- 60.501 — Major Philosophies of Education
- 79.591 — Research in Education
- 50.591 — Directed Study in Biology OR 50.592 — Master of Education Thesis
Elective Courses
A total of 30 semester hours is required for a graduate degree in Biology. There are no required biology courses; all are considered elective courses. Courses are selected in conjunction with the student's adviser and advisory committee.
- 50.411 — Radiation Biology
- 50.441 — Cytogenetics
- 50.455 — Environmental Microbiology
- 50.457 — Entomology
- 50.462 — Plant Anatomy
- 50.463 — Biological Photographic Techniques
- 50.472 — Animal Cell Physiology
- 50.474 — Verterbrate Systems Physiology
- 50.477 — Plant Physiology
- 50.478 — Microbial Physiology
- 50.479 — Integrated Physiology Laboratory
- 50.530 — Evolution
- 50.531 — Developmental Biology
- 50.532 — Microbial and Molecular Genetics
- 50.550 — Mycology
- 50.551 — Conservation Biology
- 50.559 — Ornithology
- 50.560 — Population Biology
- 50.561 — Animal Behavior
- 50.570 — Medical Parasitology
- 50.571 — Endocrinology
- 50.572 — Comparative Animal Physiology
- 50.573 — Systemic Physiology
- 50.575 — Cell Physiology
- 50.576 — Neuromuscular Physiology
- 50.590 — Current Topics in Biology
- 50.591 — Directed Study in Biology
- 50.592 — Master of Education Thesis
The following courses are offered at the Marine Science Center, Wallops Island, Va.
- 55.431 — Ecology of Marine Plankton
- 55.464 — Biological Oceanography
- 55.432 — Marine Evolutionary Ecology
- 55.490 — Marine Aquaculture
- 55.491 — Coral Reef Ecology
- 55.492 — Marine Mammals
- 55.500 — Problems in Marine Science
- 55.540 — Environmental Science Education
- 55.541 — Biology of Mollusca
- 55.570 — Research Cruise-Biology
- 55.593 — Behavior Ecology