Only 15 hours of 5000- level courses may count toward a graduate degree. Students pursuing a master?s degree in related fields can include 12 to 18 hours of work in biology. Students pursuing the non-thesis option for the Master of Science degree with a major in biology can include up to nine hours of work in an approved minor or support area.

The student must: Complete a rigorous graduate level program leading to a Master of Science degree. Learn and understand how organisms maintain homeostasis, reproduce, evolve, and how they interact with each other and their environment, with a focus on the following areas: genetics and evolution; cellular biology and microbiology; organismal and environmental biology and animal and plant physiology.?

Be prepared for careers in research, education and policy administration or for additional study at the Ph.D. level.