The thesis program in Biology may be broadly based and include course work in several areas of biology, or it may provide for concentration within a specific area of biology.? One of the strengths of these master?s degree programs is that they provide the opportunity for students to participate in an in-depth graduate research project. Many of these projects utilize? field-oriented research because of the unique geographical setting of the university. Laboratory research is also supported in such areas as neurobiology, genetics, virology, immunology and physiology.? Department facilities include a green house, aquatics laboratory, herbarium, Lake Superior researchboat, the Longyear Forest, confocal microscope, molecular biology labs, a small-animal colony, and a zoological collection. The members of the Biology Department faculty all have doctoral degrees, and most are actively involved in the department?s graduate program. Thesis advisors for students in this program are drawn from the Biology Department faculty who maintain graduate faculty Level 3 status.

The graduate program in Biology provides quality graduate education through student-faculty collaboration in biological research and scholarly activity. Graduates will have a strong understanding of biology and the principles that guide the design and execution of high-quality research. Graduates will have substantial research experience and will be able to successfully communicate scientific information to the public and the scientific community.